Sir Syed described his vision of the College/University he proposed to establish in an Urdu article written sometime in 1872, and re-printed in the Institute Gazette of April 5, 1911.
"I may appear to be dreaming and talking like Shaikh Chilli", he wrote,"but we aim to turn this M.A.O. College into a University similar to that of Oxford or Cambridge."

"Like the churches of Oxford and Cambridge, there will be mosques attached to each College. "

"There will be boarding houses, in which students will be provided with a suite complete with a bath, a study and a retiring room. The boarding house will have a Common Hall and a common dinning room. There will be playground and a swimming pool attached to it. There will be four bungalows constructed for the residence of the Principal, the Head Master and other Professors. The College will have a dispensary with a Doctor and a compounder, besides a Unani Hakim."

"IT will be mandatory on boys in residence to join the congregational payers (namaz) at all the five times. Students of other religions will be exempted from this religious observance. "

"Muslim students will have a uniform consisting of a black alpaca, halfsleeved chugha and a red Fez cap. All students shall be required to put on a pair of socks and shoes of western style.

"There will be fixed times for study, dinner, lunch, breakfast, bath, change and for every other activity."

"All articles of sports will be provided for. Bad and abusive words which boys generally pick up and get used to, will be strictly prohibited. Even such a word as a "liar" will be treated as a abuse to be prohibited."

"They will have food either on tables of European style or on chaukis in the manner of the Arabs. This will be decided by the students themselves, by a majority of votes. They will have special food once a week, to be decided by majority every week."

"Furniture, bedding etc. will be supplied by the College. The services of bearers, servants, watermen etc., will be provided and supervised by the boarding house authorities. Students will be required to possess sufficient quantity of clothes to keep them neat and clean. They will not be allowed to put on gaudy, or such fine clothes as might expose their body."

"Smoking of cigarette or huqqa, and the chewing of betels shall be strictly prohibited."

"No corporal punishment or any such punishment as is likely to injure a student's self-respect will be permissible. Stock punishment such as "standing" or extra home work or class work only will be meted out to erring students. Boys misbehaving in society will be sent down for a specified period."

"It will be strictly enforced that Shia and Sunni boys shall not discuss their religious differences in the College or in the boarding house."

"At present it is like a day dream. I pray to God that this dream may come true."