Answers to Your College Questions

Posted by Edward B. Fiske on Thursday, 20 March 2014 in College

This month’s big NCAA tournament is the ultimate democratic sporting event—one where schools from the most humble of athletic origins get to strut and fret their hour upon the national stage and entertain visions of knocking off a Division I powerhouse or two before succumbing to an inevitable fate by the Round of 16.

The March mania also reminds us that the U.S. is the only country in the world where varsity athletics often play a huge—even defining—role in campus life and culture. Can you imagine undergrads at Oxford or Cambridge painting their faces in the appropriate shade of blue to cheer on their oarsmen in what the Brits refer to simply as “The Race”?

Posted by Edward B. Fiske on Monday, 01 April 2013 in College

Today being April Fool’s Day, perhaps it is fitting to recall some of the more ingenious contributions to the distinguished tradition of campus pranks.

The Prank That Started It All: The Police Car Hack

On the last day of classes in 1994, students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology woke up to an amazing sight: a campus police car resting at the top of the 150-foot Great Dome in the center of the campus, with its flashing lights slowly rotating. By early morning, media helicopters were circling overhead, and word of the prank was spreading around the world.

Posted by Edward B. Fiske on Thursday, 14 March 2013 in Choosing Colleges

Planning college visits for this spring or summer? Why not build in some tourism? Here is a list of 10 campuses that are worth visiting for their architectural interest and scenic beauty alone.