‘Gilmore Girls’ Hinted at What Lorelai Gilmore’s Life Would Have Looked Like Had She Not Been a Pregnant Teen

Gilmore Girls had several important plot points that drove the story forward. Lorelai Gilmore’s teen pregnancy was the thread that wove everything together. Lorelai’s pregnancy was mentioned countless times during the show’s seven-season run. While Emily Gilmore assured Rory Gilmore that she was never seen as a “mistake,” there were certainly a lot of hard feelings about the expectations Lorelai never fulfilled. So, what would Lorelai Gilmore’s life looked like if she hadn’t gotten pregnant? The show hinted at it multiple times. 

If Lorelai Gilmore had never gotten pregnant, she probably would have gone to Vassar College  

Lorelai’s teen pregnancy ended her academic career as she knew it, but Lorelai wasn’t a wayward teen who happened to get pregnant. Apparently, Lorelai was rather bright and had a ton of potential. Richard and Emily Gilmore expected Lorelai to leave her prep school and head on to Vassar College. Richard Gilmore mentioned that untapped potential when he reminded Lorelai that she had been the brightest in her class. Vassar actually seems like it would have been a good fit for her. 

Vassar, a small liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, NY, might not be the Ivy League, but it is a top-tier university that offers a unique mix of academic subjects. There isn’t a business major at the school, but sociology or economics probably would have fit her interests and strengths well. 

Lorelai probably would have traveled extensively if she had the opportunity 

Lorelai never spoke about what she expected of her life if she hadn’t had a child young. Not in any concrete way, at least. Still, one flashback scene hints at what Lorelai would have done if Rory hadn’t been born when she was still a teen herself. In one flashback, young Lorelai spoke about traveling. 

While Emily and Richard traveled extensively, they didn’t take Lorelai, which seemed to bother her. Young Lorelai noted that she spent time reading the travel books her parents brought home. We imagine that if Lorelai hadn’t gotten pregnant as a teen, she probably would have studied abroad and traveled following college. Barcelona would have fit her vibe, we think.  

We strongly suspect she would have ended up in hospitality regardless 

While Vassar was the dream that never happened, we don’t think Lorelai did half bad for herself. Even without a top-tier degree, she was a natural-born leader. Lorelai exuded a quiet confidence and knew how to wear multiple hats. In fact, we think she would have ended up in the hospitality industry even if she hadn’t gotten pregnant with Rory as a teenager. 

Lorelai is well suited to the career path. She probably could have advanced quickly if she had not had a child so young. Her life would have led to more advanced roles with a larger, perhaps multinational, hospitality company. We don’t think she would have married as quickly as her parents would have liked, though. In the way, Lorelai Gilmore’s life would have still disappointed Richard and Emily.