Tiger Prowl (Princeton University)

When my mom announced that she wanted to stay in Jersey for the night, I have to say, I was pretty shocked. Until I heard the reason behind her decision, that is. "Freddie, we're this close, we might as well visit Princeton." My mom has been one of the driving forces behind my family's rigorous college visit schedule this past year. From my perspective, I enjoy visiting places I'm fairly confident about getting into, rather than stigmatized Ivy League schools, such as UPenn and Princeton. Princeton would only reinforce that notion.

Princeton, for those of you unacquainted, was founded in 1746 by the New Light Presbyterians, who originally named it the College of New Jersey and used it in order to train clergy/ministers. John Witherspoon, the president from 1768-1794 changed the focus of the university to training future leaders of America (pre-revolutionary war). During the Revolutionary war, the main building on campus, Nassau Hall, was occupied by British troops briefly. Additionally, you can still find cannon ball imprints at the bases of some of the older buildings.

The day started off fairly well: free parking, close to campus. I was impressed by Princeton's small-town feel. Botique shops, designer clothing stores, Eastern eateries, and best of all, froyo shops, lined the streets. The town captured a charming New England atmosphere, complete with a Christian monastery/study hall down the street (which at one point was affiliated with the university). Additionally, I managed to get my picture with the infamous Princeton Tigers, which guard the entrance to campus.

After indulging in some delicious froyo at a place called The Scoop, we headed over to campus, which was surrounded by a small brick fence topped with wrought iron. Right as we stopped to look at a map of the campus to figure out where the student union was, the sky, which had been growing increasingly overcast all day opened up in a downpour.We tried to wait it out under the awning of their art museum, but were afraid to miss the tour, so we made a mad dash to the visitors center. We were met by a large group of people, equally annoyed with the sudden change of weather, and equally as desperate to find the tour departure location (Nassau Hall, the first building erected on campus).

All the buildings, though beautiful, had begun to look the same. Finally, we happened upon the place where the tours were to leave from. The tour guides were incredibly friendly, some even taking their shoes off to splash through the puddles on campus.  What our particular guide, Jenny, lacked in enthusiasm, she made up for with an unbelievable knowledge of the history of the school and an incredible gratefulness to Princeton for providing her with a fabulous education that she would not have been able to afford had it not been from a generous "no-payback" grant from the Financial Aid office.

We walked past some beautiful residential houses for students on campus. Princeton divides up incoming freshmen into residential colleges, where they can live for all 4 years. Undergrads typically live on campus all four years, while around 70 percent of the graduate students choose to do the same. You don't necessarily eat at these dorms, and there are a variety of 'food houses,' also known as "eating clubs" that serve everything from Asian cuisine to American burgers. Typically, these houses are invite-only, and provide a way for students to socialize and share/expand culinary expertise.

On a somewhat random note, I also stopped to talk to a Chemistry professor. Not only did the man actually resonate with me, but he wasn't at all stuck-up about the fact that he was teaching at one of America's top universities. I was kind of surprised when he told me there were around two dozen actual professors of chemistry at the university. For a campus of around 5,200 undergrads, I thought this was pretty impressive.

One thing that impressed me as well that our tour guide happened to mention was the iPrinceton app for iPhones, which was designed by Princeton computer science students. The app features athletics scores, campus news and email, access to BlackBoard (the same software running Compass at the U of I), as well as a laundry feature, telling you which machines were available. 

Overall, I enjoyed Princeton, although not as much as I thought I would. Whether it was the weather or just the daunting challenge of trying to get into an Ivy League institution, I was sure after leaving that it was probably not somewhere I'd consider applying. However, for those of you looking for a beautiful campus, challenging academics, and a rich educational tradition, Princeton may be the place to look for you!

Going East (Villanova)

After Notre Dame, expectations were running high. I had done a lot of research ahead of time on Villanova University, a smallish university of around 6, 500 students located in the suburbs of Philadelphia. For all of you shoppers out there, it's also located near the King of Prussia Mall, the second largest outlet mall in the U.S. Based on our experiences in Philly (a traveling meth lab was found in our hotel downtown), I didn't have high expectations for Villanova. As it's down the street from Haverford, as well as in the vicinity of Swarthmore, it often gets less attention than its two more selective liberal arts counterparts.

I was pleasantly surprised. Driving there, the atmosphere was totally different than downtown. Rolling hills, freshly manicured lawns, and gurgling streams graced the Pennsylvania countryside. Villanova was beautiful, embracing both urban and rural environments. There was ample green space on campus, which I definitely appreciated so close to a major metropolitan center. What really impressed me were the two train lines, one to downtown Philly, and another that ran to New Jersey and New York. Both were on campus and readily available to students. Since many basketball games are played in downtown Philly, students will often take the trains in. Our tour guide also pointed out the convenience of having them when she wanted to fly or drive home for the holidays.

The labs were nice, and the library was small enough that one could focus studying, and not large enough to have trouble finding your way around. The university just recently got done building a state-of-the-art engineering lab, which was fantastic. Work was being done on everything from chemical cures for cancer to a full-scale model of a more fuel efficient, aerodynamic Formula 1 race car.  I was also impressed by the quality of the dorms, which had air conditioning. In addition, the campus had a Catholic church (following my trend of Catholic universities). According to the tour guide, around 65% of students identify as being Catholic, although the university embraces a multi-religion feel and seemed plenty ethnic, which I enjoyed immensely. There was an emphasis on collaborative learning and living-learning communities within dorms. It reminded me a lot of Uni, except cleaner, bigger, and in the shadow of a big city.

One of the highlights of the tour was the guide. Originally from North Dakota, I felt sure I could identify with her. We spent a good half hour or so talking to her. She wasn't Catholic, and yet she chose to go to college at Villanova, and her brother to Loyola of Chicago. She knew quite a bit about the pre-med track, as well as the foreign language programs, since she was a Spanish major.

Overall, I enjoyed Villanova. It was a great blend of urban living and good academics. Additionally, with strong programs in the arts and sciences, it matched my conceptions of a "good fit" school. Unfortunately, my mom says it's too far away. But for anybody looking for a truly underrated college with a beautiful campus, it would be fantastic. OK, I don't mean to end my blog post sounding like one of those people advertising a good home for a lost dog, but you should check Villanova out. Next week, I'll talk about my adventures at a nearby "true ivy," the infamous Princeton University.