After two long semesters of never-ending tests, 30-page papers, and long hours in the Gelman library, students at The George Washington University are packing their belongings and preparing to leave for a well-deserved summer.
As students prepare to take their last finals and clear out their dorms, it seems that the question most frequently asked around campus is not “what are you doing this summer?” but rather, “where are you interning this summer?”It is assumed by the majority of GW students that their summers will not be spent hanging by the pool or tanning alongside friends on the beach. Rather, the answer to this question is frequently: “working in New York as an intern.”After numerous interviews with students it quickly becomes obvious from their prestigious internships and busy summer schedules that they are driven and ambitious. Before the question is even asked, both male and female students are prepared to brag about their working achievements, implying the success each of them yearns for in the future. While many of the young women at GW attend school for a promising degree, there are still many young women in the United States who go to college solely for their MRS. degree. And unlike a Political Communication degree or a degree in Finance, an MRS. degree does not qualify a woman for a sophisticated career, but to become the Mrs. to a successful and intelligent Mr. one day. While the concept of being engaged as a freshman in college seems foreign to many young women in the Northeast, many young women in the South say that their ambition is to find a husband through earning a university degree. “I think it’s just as important in college to meet someone you could have a future with as it is to earn a degree. College is the perfect place to meet someone who is going to have a successful future,” said freshman Raymer Steinfeldt, a public relations major at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. “Having gone to school in New Jersey before college, it feels like everyone is in a rush to be in a serious relationship here,” she says. “My friends and I definitely talk about how ideal it would be to become a typical housewife after college instead of using our degrees.” Steinfeldt also commented about her own future, saying “it would be ideal to marry young and start a family than to become a professional business-woman.” Freshman Abby Levine, a Political Science major and English minor at the George Washington University, is accustomed to college engagements and is currently engaged herself. “I feel that engagement and marriage aren’t at all in the way with my career and degree because while I am excited for graduating and getting an MBA, career isn’t my top priority,” said Levine. “This seems to me to be very accepted and normal in the south and west but is almost a foreign idea out east. It is definitely common in the southwest to be engaged at this age.” According to a 2012 U.S. Census report, it was reported that in the South, people tend to marry earlier and more often than in the North, which could be the result of pressure to marry by the end of one’s college career. It was also found that states in the Northeast have significantly lower marriage and divorce rates, while states in the South have the highest. Unlike many other young women at GW, Levine admits that she is now more focused on establishing a family immediately after graduation rather than establishing her own career. Levine plans on marrying a week after graduation and working in business consulting while earning an MBA online. She also plans to have kids after a year or so of being married. Although Levine did not come to college with the intention of earning her MRS., she says her own career is not of the utmost importance to her. It was difficult for freshman student, Leora Aizman, not to chuckle when asked whether it was her incentive to solely earn her degree at college. “Of course it is all about earning your degree. Why else would someone spend over $50,000 in tuition? It’s almost obnoxious to come to college and waste so much money by not applying yourself completely academically, especially when there are so many people who can’t afford an education.” Aizman, already admitted into medical school by being a member of an elite seven year pre-medical program at the George Washington University, said, “I guess I don’t think there is anything wrong with earning your MRS., BA. and MBA all during the duration of four years if you’re able to maintain at least a 3.5 GPA and a relationship at the same time.” Logan Miller, 20 year-old student at the George Washington University, commented that “guys can definitely pick up on whether a girl is in it for the wrong reasons, which is a huge turn off. Most guys today want a girl who is ambitious for her own career and success. It’s obvious when a girl is only going to college to earn her MRS.,and that isn’t so attractive anymore.” Susan Patton, a Princeton graduate and author of Marry Smart, holds a different outlook on the college experience, arguing that women should spend 75% of their time in college looking for a man to settle down with. Patton, a 59-year-old human resources consultant and executive coach, writes about women beginning to feel more comfortable admitting their desire for motherhood rather than a career. “I certainly agree that modern women today do want marriage and motherhood. The problem is they're afraid to say so because of the vitriol, because of this antagonist feminist doctrine that would have them believe that marriage and motherhood is somehow not cool,” Patton told CNN. “Of course, I am fully supportive of equal rights and equal opportunity for women... However, feminism has taken a turn to the dark side... They've become bullying of women who aspire to traditional roles, women who want anything for themselves different from what the feminists, the very strident feminists' doctrine, is directing them towards.” Is it unfair to say that women who aspire to start families rather than a career are not as ambitious, or is it possible to want both equally? According to Forbes, 80% of college-educated women marry men who have an equal or greater amount of education, proving higher levels of education can even drive marriage. College can be the perfect outlet for connecting, especially when it comes to the social scene, according to Forbes. Samantha J. Bosin, a student studying Finance at the George Washington School of Business, is an example of a GW student whose first priority is her own success after college. In addition to being an active member in the Delta Gamma Fraternity, Samantha was also recently appointed director of a university-sponsored annual trip to New York City for business majors as well as serving as the Director of Networking for a business school conference that hosts successful women in the business world. When asked about attending college solely for an MRS. degree, Bosin begs to differ. “I think partaking in the undergraduate experience allows you to explore your interests so that eventually you can earn a higher degree in a field in which you would want to have a career in,” said Bosin. “And while the undergrad experience may seem to revolve around the social scene, I think the more you are involved with certain activities, the more you can avoid having the typical M.R.S. reputation.” When asked whether GW women attend college to become successful themselves, Bosin explained a recent occurrence at a networking event within the business school. “While at this event, I had overheard a young woman explain how she was attending this school specifically to become a senator’s wife.,” she recalled. “So yes, if you don’t have your priorities straight, it is easy to get caught up in the reputation of having the undergraduate experience to get an MRS. degree.” Although attending college solely for marriage seems shallow, there are many young women who still value college as the perfect place to find a husband. Attending college solely for an MRS. degree, rather than attending to first establish a career and then eventually a family, is not an example to set for future generations.