Jacky Custis was on his way to enroll at King’s College, now Columbia University. GW had been dissatisfied with his young stepson’s progress under Jonathan Boucher and his desire to settle Jacky in college was further strengthened by the young man’s engagement to Nelly Calvert. GW’s first choice was the College of Philadelphia but Boucher persuaded him to enroll his stepson in King’s College where Dr. Myles Cooper, president of the college, had introduced extensive reforms in curriculum and discipline. Although GW planned to leave for New York on 10 May to place Jacky in school, young Custis left two days early to spend some time at his fiancee’s home in Maryland.