**Contains major spoilers
Have you ever sat there watching Gossip Girl and thought, “if these characters are in school, why are they never in class? Do they even study anything?” Within the show, the characters talk about tests, and have internships and jobs. Yet, the audience never truly knows what their educational interests are. However, this doesn’t mean that there’s zero speculation. If the Gossip Girl characters miraculously moved from New York City to East Lansing, here’s what we believe their majors would be.
Serena: Public relations
Serena van der Woodsen comes from an upper class family in New York City. She’s basically a celebrity on the Upper East Side. In the show, van der Woodsen skips out on attending Brown University to spend a year working on and off as a PR assistant. However, the cold-hearted nature of her boss and the industry itself create internal conflicts within her. She navigates the morals and ethics involved in the job to ultimately succeed.
Although van der Woodsen never attended college in the TV series, if she were to attend Michigan State University, we believe that she would excel in studying public relations. She is extremely comfortable around other elite members of society, and the job helps her maintain status. Throughout the show, van der Woodsen defies certain norms that come with her family’s social class, which always seems to make her the center of attention. Whether this is a coincidence or not, being in public relations perfectly fits her desire to be surrounded by high-society folk, while also allowing her to experience a tinge of normal life.
Blaire: JMC student with an additional major in pre-law
Blaire Waldorf obviously wants to be a queen of the world — she knows exactly what she wants, always gets her way, and is an expert at arguing. In the show, she’s a socialite who is always rubbing shoulders with the top people in their field, especially those in politics. Furthermore, her and Serena were always at odds when it came to being the top student, even fighting over the last open spot at Brown University. Due to this, it would only be fitting to see Blaire as a high-achieving, James Madison College student with an additional major in pre-law.
As a JMC student, Blaire would not only excel in the classroom, but would also thrive in the residential learning environment where she is always around people, and would inevitably be at the top of the social ladder. She would most likely also be the president of an adjacent club, have a high position in a professional sorority, and overall do what she can to spread her image around campus. Overall, Blaire would be incredibly successful and well-known around Case Hall in addition to campus in general, leaving everyone wondering how she has the time to do everything so well.
Dan: English and journalism double major
Dan Humphery is a notorious writer on the show. From his essay featured in the New Yorker to his novel that he started in high school, he was always writing. In the show, Dan attends New York University and studies English and creative writing. However, if he attended MSU, we think he would double major in English and journalism, with a minor in creative writing.
In the show, Dan dabbles in journalism with some of his work being featured in New York based magazines, and with his internship at W magazine in season four. In addition to his work at the school of journalism, Dan would be an insufferable English major. He would complete the program with ease, having read nearly all of the required materials beforehand. During class, he would continuously have his hand raised with long, anecdotal answers to every question.
Dan would work for the State News, working his way to an editor position. He would probably run for Editor-in-Chief, but ultimately fail. His insufferable nature would carry over to his work for the State News, annoying his peers, despite his talents. Dan would also be far too distracted by Serena’s drama to be organized and committed enough to handle a position like Editor-in-Chief. Dan would also be the mastermind behind the MSU Chicks account. He would post daily, but none of his friends would know his secret.
Nate: General political science
Out of the original characters, Nate Archibald always appears as the one who is most level-headed among the Upper East Siders. Not only that, but Nate and Dan were the only characters in season one who took college applications seriously, which highlights the importance of school and education to him. He also comes from a very established family background — his dad was a former Navy Seal and a business magnate, not to mention his cousin was a senator. Due to this, we believe that if Nate attended MSU, he would be a political science major.
As a political science major, Nate wouldn’t be interested in attending law school and becoming a lawyer, but would be more concerned with contemporary and economic issues that affect people. Nate also has the social skills to be able to influence and convey information clearly to others, which would make him perfect for the major. Nate obviously cares about his career and doesn’t want to piggyback off his family’s wealth like some other characters. He was an intern for his older cousin Trip van der Bilt, a congressman, at the mayor’s office in addition to the newspaper The Spectator. His work ethic, morals, and connections, make us believe he would be an ideal political science student.
Chuck: Eli Broad College of Business
Chuck Bass was a born and bred businessman. His father, Bart Bass, built Bass Industries from the ground up. After his father passes in the show, Chuck is left to handle the empire on his own, with the help of Lily of course. Chuck does not attend university in the show, but his experience running Bass Industries would make him a perfect candidate for the Eli Broad College of Business.
Additionally, Chuck keeps his feelings close to his chest, often engaging in self-destructive and self-indulgent behaviors. Both align with stereotypes associated with business majors in general. We also believe that Chuck would be a proud brother of a business-related fraternity.
Vanessa: Film studies major with a documentary minor
Vanessa is always walking around with a camera in-hand, capturing candid and sometimes shocking moments too. There is no doubt that she would study film in college. We believe that she would choose film studies rather than digital storytelling because of her love for literature and film theory. Vanessa would be able to learn about the history of and diversity in films, and apply those skills to her documentary minor. Vanessa would also find herself in the MSU Filmmakers club, where she would find her closest friends. Her love for travel and her need for exploration would land her in the annual documentary-focused study-abroad in Peru.
Jenny: Apparel and textile design
Never one to really care about school, Jenny truly found her heart and soul in fashion. Considered the black sheep of the group because of her alternative style, Jenny was able to show the extent of her creativity not only on herself, but with the amazing clothes she makes working for Waldorf Industries and Nasty Gal. She gradually gained popularity because of her unique and eye-catching creations. It’s only logical then that Jenny would be an apparel and textile design major at MSU.
As an apparel and textile design major, Jenny would not only make an impact in her classes and go against what her professors want from her, but she would also use her talent in other on- and off-campus fashion groups. Jenny would be the creative director of VIM and play a hand in both the actual fashion designs featured and the magazine itself. She would participate in East Lansing and Lansing-based fashion shows as well that would fall in her lap. However, this wouldn’t all come easy — despite Jenny being good in her craft, she does tend to leave a questionable mark everywhere she goes, diminishing her reputation. Jenny would also frequently be featured on MSU Chicks, making everyone know her, whether they like it or not.
Eric: Psychology with a minor in women’s and gender studies
Arguably one of the most level headed characters out of the bunch, Eric is sensitive, sympathetic, and wants everyone to get along. Unfortunately, Eric had an upset in his education because he was in-patient after a suicide attempt, though he does make fruitful efforts to counter negative stereotypes when he is released. Eric is not only the sole queer character out of the main cast, he’s the only queer character in the entire show.
His deep-rooted empathy and personal experiences would cause Eric to explore the social sciences. We believe that he would study psychology specifically because he would want to learn more about mental health to explore how different identities and experiences affect changes in people’s psyches. Furthermore, he would minor in women’s and gender studies to really understand how gender, sex, sexuality, and other identities, like class, influence how people perceive the world, themselves, and each other. Compared to other characters, Eric would greatly value his relationships with his peers, resulting in him being less active in extracurricular activities, but nonetheless he would be a present force in other peoples’ lives.
East Lansing is no New York City, but MSU still offers academic programs and experiences we believe could provide great opportunities for each of the Gossip Girl characters. Let’s just hope they won’t cause too much drama. See you next time Spartans, HCXO.