Indiana Rocks!

One of many limestone towers at Indiana University in Bloomington

Massive yet graceful limestone structures lined the boulevard to our right as we made our way to the admissions office at Indiana University. “Majestic” is a good word to begin describing the beautiful Bloomington campus, but only a beginning. “Rock solid” is another, and as it happens, this university is not only built of limestone but also on a bed of it. 

Spanning some 2,000 acres and having evolved over two centuries, the IU flagship today is home to almost 40,000 undergraduates, who are pursuing any combination of more than 200 majors. Indiana is one of the most popular choices among our students when deciding where to apply, in no small measure because of the elite Kelley School of Business.

That Bloomington is considered one of America’s best college towns certainly is a factor, too. Then there’s that Hoosier spirit: everybody was buzzing about the football team's 55-10 win over Maryland a few days earlier, bringing its record to 7-0. The team remained undefeated, finishing the season at a historic 13-0 overall, 9-0 in Big Ten play, ultimately winning the conference championship and its first-ever #1 ranking.  

We entered via the southwest, historic part of campus known as Old Crescent, which dates back to the school’s founding in the early 1800s. It’s all gothic, wooded, and relatively quiet. It’s pretty much everything one might hope to find on an archetypal college campus. It’s just the first of the five or six “neighborhoods” that make IU less overwhelming than three square miles of world-class academia has any right to be. 

As we headed north, we found the science and engineering buildings and the Kelley School. Toward the center is the Arboretum District, featuring open spaces, the Eskenazi Museum of Art, and two libraries. Then there’s the Riverwalk District, the Athletics Corridor, and the East and South Residential neighborhoods, essentially 'hoods within a 'hood. The dorms in the northwest are where freshmen cluster and can find their peeps. 

So, in other words, Indiana takes what could be an oppressive environment and breaks it down into a series of navigable pathways. When we met up with one of our former students, she said the “neighborhood” vibe made all the difference for her at IU, a kind of enzyme of assimilation. Another attraction was the ability to mix and match majors and minors across all 12 schools at Indiana, which she was exploring. She also said she loved the sculpture of a giant brain outside the psychology department, especially when it was illuminated at night. 

We had already heard the phrase “mix and match” at least a few times during the information session. Rafael, a senior admissions director, shared that 63% of undergrads double-majored. When he said that an accelerated Master's degree in some majors could be earned in five years, we thought we heard the packed room of prospective students and their parents shift in their seats. 

When he told us about the opportunity, for example, to cut your own path by combining studies in the Center for Underwater Science, which offers instruction in underwater science diving, with courses in anthropology, archeology, and marine science, we could almost feel the room change. Students are free to pitch any ideas they may have for combining and recombining fields of study. How cool is that?

Rafael did advise that if it’s the Kelley School of Business you want, you should apply for direct admission, where previously an acceptance was likely if you met certain GPA and other requirements, but now involves a more holistic review.  It is possible to be accepted post-admission, but it is by no means a sure thing. It is also an option to pursue business studies outside of Kelley in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Hodge Hall, the building in which Kelley is primarily located, bursts with the energy of thousands of budding entrepreneurs. Many of them were dressed up in dark business suits, although we were told it was because they were having their pictures taken. They looked like an impressive bunch, the future of American enterprise without a doubt. 

For all of its forward-leaning intensity, IU also cherishes its traditions, perhaps none more than the chimes that emanate from its Bell Tower, which dates back to 1942 and is intended to link the school’s 19th-century origins to its present and its future.

Short bell sequences ring between classes, much like a clock tower at an older European university. On certain occasions, the bells might play “Indiana, Our Indiana,” or the national anthem. In many ways, they are meant to create a sense of belonging while on campus, and an indelible memory beyond that.

We left Indiana University as we found it, past those imposing yet inviting limestone towers, now to our left. Limestone, as you probably already know, is formed from marine life and carries with it the history of ancient seas. The Great Pyramid of Giza and medieval cathedrals were built of limestone.

You might say limestone is essential to modern civilization, and it is deeply intertwined with Earth’s climate and history. As foundations go, it’s pretty solid, metaphorically and otherwise. 

It is the kind of stone that builds.

St. Andrews: Centuries of Scholarly Excellence in a Modern World

“Good afternoon! My name is Isabella. You can call me Izzy or Bella or Isabella, or whatever your heart desires!” She smiled broadly, extended her hand, and nearly curtsied. Her long blonde hair cascaded over a woolly, heavy scarlet-red robe. As she stepped out from behind her desk, we couldn’t help but notice her very stylish knee-high, brown-leather boots. 

We had been in Scotland for a few days and were still adjusting to the amazing warmth and occasional eccentricities of its denizens, but Izzy, Bella, or Isabella, was something else again. She was certainly unlike any other tour guide we had encountered on our many college campus visits. Her attire was particularly puzzling, given that it was hot and summery outside. 

St. Andrews University, located in its incredibly historic and picturesque, eponymous seaside village, is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world. The most ancient would be Oxford (c. 1096) and Cambridge (c. 1209). St. Andrews came along in 1413. The town’s famous golf course also dates back about 600 years. 

The village itself is small, quaint, and bustling. The total town population is about 22,000, of which approximately 10,000 are students. With its mix of shops, pubs, and other intriguing eateries, it is everything a college town should be.

We were joined by about a dozen prospective students and their parents, a mix of Americans and Europeans. We were there because of a palpable increase in interest among our students recently. It’s easy to imagine why any young person – especially a generation raised on Harry Potter – would find St. Andrews nothing short of entrancing. 

We saw the school’s buildings only from the outside, but their cut-stone, antique-gothic style is a vibe that other universities (we’re looking at you, Yale) could only achieve by acid-washing and even scorching their building materials. The one exception is the St. Andrews library, which dates back only to 1976 and features a blocky, brutalist design that was popular in that era. 

You may have heard that St. Andrews is where Prince William, England’s future King, met Kate Middleton, now known as Catherine, Princess of Wales. They began as “just friends,” and legend has it that Kate didn’t quite catch William’s eye until a student fashion fundraiser when she catwalked in a sheer black lace dress. So much for red, woolen robes.

As we stood outside St. Salvator’s residence hall, where the royal couple initially encountered one another as first-years, Isabella noted the extra-glossy, bulletproof window panes where William once lived. 

We passed through a magnificent stone archway and stood on a cobblestone sidewalk with the initials “PH” embedded near the curb. Lots of colleges have a legend of a spot on which you must never set foot, or else you will fail your exams and not graduate. At St. Andrews, this is that spot.

On February 29, 1528, a 24-year-old Protestant theology student named Patrick Hamilton was burned at the stake here because of his outspoken criticism of the Catholic Church. The execution took hours because of wet wood: about as grim as it gets. Even though the curse didn’t apply to us, we proceeded with care.

Unlike most American universities, where students typically don’t choose a major until the end of their second year, students applying to St. Andrews must select their field of study when they apply. Instead of a “bachelor of arts” degree, graduates are awarded a “master of arts and social sciences.”

This sure sounds like an upgrade, even though it isn’t. It’s just a tradition that dates back to the school’s medieval origins, and St. Andrews doesn't want to change it. Science students earn a “bachelor of science” degree. 

St. Andrews routinely ranks among the top universities in the UK, even surpassing Oxford and Cambridge in student satisfaction according to some surveys. The most popular majors include international relations, philosophy, history, divinity, and the sciences (especially physics, mathematics, and biology). It is known for a strong research culture, particularly in the liberal arts. 

As of 2025-2026, annual tuition for non-UK students is £31,670 ($40,190 USD at this writing). It is £9,535 for English, Welsh, and Northern Ireland students and £1,820 for those from Scotland. Scholarships are available via an application that is due at the end of January. 

College is a long way from home, both figuratively and, where St. Andrews is concerned, literally – at least for American students. All told, about 42% of the school’s students are from outside the United Kingdom. This reality leads directly to one of the university’s most cherished and distinctive traditions: the “academic family.” 

To help assimilate, newly arrived first-years are “adopted” by their more seasoned classmates as their “children.” Each “family” usually consists of one or two “parents” (who may or may not be an actual couple) and several children. Then comes “Raisin Weekend” in October, where parents and their children exchange raisin-related gifts and have a big shaving-cream fight on the Lower College Lawn. “It’s lots of good fun,” Izzy told us.

Isabella also explained that she was wearing a heavy woolen robe on a bright, sunny day because it’s yet another St. Andrews tradition. During formal events, first-years (known as Bejants) wear the robe squarely around their shoulders. Second-years (semi-Bejants) slip the robe off their right shoulder, and third-years (Tertians) drop it off the right side. Fourth-years (Magistrands) let it go off both shoulders.

This display is meant as a metaphor for increasing confidence along one’s academic journey. 

Bella’s boots, apparently, were just made for walking.

Fordham: An Oasis of Intellect in the Bronx

Our first encounter was like a warm breeze on a hot summer’s day.

In a good way.

We had just emerged from a typically grim parking garage on the Fordham University campus and had exactly 10 minutes until the information session. An impeccably dressed young woman in a flowing skirt and matching hair, seemingly beamed down from above, smiled in our general direction.

We asked her how to get to Duane Library and after she apologized for the heat (it was that 95-degree day in April, 2023) and the distance ahead (past two great lawns and on the opposite end of the 85-acre campus) she smiled again, wished us well, and vanished.

Our brisk stroll on this hot, sunny day made a terrific second impression. Nearly everyone who could be outside was outside, stretched out across the first, and then second, great lawn. Flowers blooming, trees budding, frisbees flying – it was hard to believe that moments before we had been surfing the rough and tumble traffic of the Bronx. Episodic breaks in the greenery jolted us back that reality, as we could see and hear the bustling city, including the occasional siren, enrobing the otherwise peaceful, bucolic environs.

A metaphor, perhaps, for the real world lurking just beyond the ivory towers.

We arrived right on time at Duane Library, home of the admissions and theology departments. Built in 1926, it hasn’t been a library since the mid-2000s; its stone walls, vaulted ceilings, heavy-metal chandeliers, tall stained glass windows and ethereal echoes felt more like a church. Jess, our tour guide, later told us that her father, also an alum, believed the place was haunted. Apparently, he's not the only one.

Our meeting room was packed, with an overflow of parents and prospective students lining the back wall. We made a bee-line for the first row, which as usual was empty. Nobody wanted to sit up front it seemed, except us.

The info session was brief, only about 15 minutes, covering the basics of the application process, while also touting Fordham’s second campus near Lincoln Center, proximity to the Bronx Zoo, the Botanical Gardens (literally across the street), and Arthur Avenue, famous for Italian bakeries, delis and restaurants. Yankee Stadium is also just a subway ride away. Did we mention the campus sometimes doubles as a movie set? (The Exorcist, A Beautiful Mind, Wall Street, etc.)

Fordham’s commitment to sustainability, diversity and social leadership were highlighted, as well as the recent installation of a new president, Tania Tetlow, the first female and layperson to hold the post in the school’s 181-year history.

Total population is 10,000 students, about 6,400 of which reside on the Rose Hill campus, another 2,000 or so at its Lincoln Center location (eight miles away), and the balance across a Westchester County campus and European satellites in London and Spain. Students hail from all 50 states and 90 countries. Forty-two percent are people of color and 7% are international.

Fordham’s tagline is “The Jesuit University of New York.” The “Jesuit” part centers on a dedication to social leadership, diverse perspectives and the core principle of educating the “whole person” for the “greater good.” Fordham is 43% Catholic, and all faiths are welcome. Certain theology courses are required to graduate but the mission is “to convert students to humanity, not Catholicism.”

As a university, Fordham features two liberal arts colleges (Rose Hill and Lincoln Center) offering 70 majors, minors and pre-professional programs as well as the Gabelli School of Business. Average class size is 23, with a 14:1 student-teacher ratio. Students can take up to 40% of classes at either location. Studies are based on a core curriculum and students are encouraged to explore possible majors and minors with an eye toward finding connections between diverse disciplines.

The “New York” element pretty much speaks for itself, given that the Big Apple is not only for the biting in terms of food, entertainment and shopping, but also internship, employment and research opportunities. New York City is Fordham’s campus and community, classroom. There’s a Metro North stop at the campus entrance and Midtown Manhattan is a 20-minute train ride away. A van shuttles between the two campuses.

Much of our tour was conducted outdoors, standing outside mostly gothic-style buildings, learning about important matters such as food options, laundry and which dorms have air conditioning. Sports are D1 (Go Rams!) with 17 club sports (200 clubs overall) for the rest of us. No Greek Life. Given the school’s location, heavy emphasis was afforded the university’s security apparatus, as well.

Our first step inside was a stunner. Fordham’s main library, Walsh, is one of the largest in North America. Beyond its gothic exterior, the cavernous atrium centers on a towering, curved column sandwiched between two multi-story angled walls, suggesting an open book. Clever. Walsh is home to some two million volumes, and ranks ahead of Yale, Harvard and Columbia in the Princeton Review’s estimation.

We cooled our heels in the common room of one of Fordham’s newer dorms and also entered the Fordham University Church, built in 1845 and incorporating stained glass windows that didn’t fit St. Patrick’s Cathedral. At this point, we had been on tour for more than an hour, it was hot, and we had a rush-hour drive home ahead of us.

We took a quick walk through the very impressive new student center, paused in front of the first of the two great lawns to take in the majesty of Keating Hall, and then headed back to our favorite parking garage.

Our windswept friend was nowhere in evidence to bid us a fond farewell, but her spirit, and Fordham’s prodigious attributes, powered us through the tangle of the Bronx River Parkway and the ride home to Connecticut.