Indianapolis, IN: As I drove down Cold Spring Road toward Marian College (located ten minutes from downtown Indianapolis), I was amazed. I had never been on the campus before, but had enjoyed what I saw in the catalog. Now, in person, I could see that the surroundings were beautiful: trees covered the landscape, there was snow on the ground, and exquisite mansions filled my view.

I made the hard decision about where to go to school in part by looking through many college catalogs. Marian's caught me by surprise. Marian is a private, Catholic school that accepts all types of religions (I am not Catholic). The main thing that made me choose Marian is that they are concerned about their students. They take pride in everything they do and provide chances for students to excel in a variety of areas, not just education.

Marian offers 38 majors, but nursing, business and education are the largest programs. Over 1,500 full- and part-time students from 20 states and 15 countries attend, with an average class size of 17. Tuition for this year is just under $24,000.

During the summer, the college offers a retreat for all accepted students; they want to see the students getting involved and learning more about life through work. The college offers a variety of athletics, clubs and volunteer programs for those who wish to participate within the college community.

I guess what amazed me most about Marian is that my advisor sent me a holiday card. How many colleges do that? The advisors also check with you during your senior year and after graduation to see if everything is going well and if you have any questions about the college.

I do believe that for a college with only 1,500 kids, Marian exceeds some of the major universities in teaching life lessons and education.

Reviewed in 2004