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.

Is 'Early Decision' 100% Binding?

U.S. News: Early decision applications typically require the signature of the student, parent and counselor verifying the commitment. The agreement is not legally binding, so a college would not go after a student for tuition. But depending on the school, there can be consequences if a student doesn't accept an offer.

For example, if it is discovered that a student applied early decision to two different colleges – breaking the agreement – a student risks losing both acceptances. There are exceptions, however. Some families may receive a financial aid package that's different than anticipated, making it difficult to afford the cost of attendance. At Duke, fewer than 1% of early decision applicants admitted aren't able to enroll for financial reasons.

Admissions officers understand if extenuating circumstances prevent a student from honoring their commitment, including an illness or death in the family that leads a student to defer enrolling for a semester or year, experts say. If that's the case, they advise students to reach out to the institution as soon as possible.