<p>that seems super high to me...
does Fordham take weighted GPAs, or include non-core courses (debate, yearbook, etc.) in their calculations? </p>
<p>I thought I was a pretty sure bet for Fordham, with my test scores and stuff, but I'm not so sure now.</p>
<p>I think they take weighted gpa's, but it also depends on the school you are coming from and the courses offered. Some schools offer more AP's and Honors than other schools and they will take that into consideration. And they will examine the difficulty of courses that you have taken.</p>
<p>Fordham is becoming highly competitive and its a hot school. Just do your very best on the application and essay.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>eh, I'm still wondering, because I really don't know how to scale myself, I mean Fordham isn't NYU (average GPA 3.6, or Vassar 3.8)</p>
<p>I think its the weighted avg, frankly. I think the real mean avg of unweighted is around 3.5. That is just anecdotal and not an official score from admissions. </p>
<p>Of course, the lower the gpa, the higher the SAT you need. </p>
<p>And dont forget, the admissions process is not universal, meaning the decisions made by any admissions committee is unique to that particular school at that particular point in time and relevant to their particular needs that year and the strength of their particular applicant pool that year. What is clearly admitted at Vassar is not necessarily so at Fordham and vice versa. </p>
<p>Vassar is unique because its up river 2 hours. Some people like Poughkeepsie and some people despise it. Some really want to be in the city, some dont. If you want to attend University in the city (or its boroughs) then Fordham is a very special alternative to Columbia and NYU. Its not as tough to get in (Columbia is around 11% admit rate), and its not as urban and edgy as NYU. Its a classic college campus and experience, but gives you direct access to the city and all its splendors. </p>
<p>This year will be quirky because the economy is very quirky. If people get admitted, it doesnt mean they will come. Last year, Fordham had record applications and record acceptances of their offers of admissions, resulting in some scrambling for housing. But this year will be different it seems to me. I dont know how Fordham has faired (nor Vassar or NYU) on the endowment side with the market crash and how that will affect financial aid or scholarships, if at all. Maybe not at all. </p>
<p>I would say if you are 3.5 unweighted and 3.7 weighted or higher you are in good shape, and of course your SAT is 1250 or higher. You always want to be on the upper half of the 50th percentile of averages, and 60th or better if you can, to be in a safe zone. Do kids with lower stats get in? Yes, and it depends on many factors, like it does at every school. I know a girl who got into Dartmouth with scores below 1400, very few AP's and not a whole lot going on.....but it worked for her for some reason...though having a prep school counselor who had an "in" at Dartmouth admisssions didnt hurt either. Geographic diversity always helps. Racial diversity helps, or something unique and special. But what REALLY matters is that your application in its entirety shows Fordham that you will survive and thrive if admitted, not sink like an anchor. Some of that is the "fighting spirit" you convey. Its NYC and not a finishing school. True, a lot of kids at Fordham come from private catholic schools, but Fordham has a LOT of experience with those schools and knows which kids will make it and which kids will likely bomb out. </p>
<p>Conveying your interest in Fordham helps a lot as well. I have to tell you that my D was waitlisted (ED) at her "dream school" in another region. She was devastated. It was an awful and tearful experience, and frankly really unjust, as we know kids with lower scores and a whole lot less going on upstairs who got in. It happens. So we scrambled and completed a bunch of RD applications all over the place. While there was a method to our madness, to some extent it was simply "apply to a bunch and see what happens." We had Fordham as a low match/safety , meaning she was in the upper end of their score percentile. (75th percentile approx.). She was attracted to the Jesuit brand. It was clearly something "different" and off the radar screen of 99% of her friends....she did NOT want to just follow the herd and experience more high school stuff. She was accepted at Fordham and several other schools, though that January to April period was not a happy time in our house. We flew into NYC to visit Fordham for the accepted student orientation in April 07. It was a horrific weather weekend. But there we found Fr. McShane, and chatted up with him. My D, both parents sort of wandering around trying to size up the situation and make a decision of "yes or no." Everyone sort of had the same Epiphany. While it had not been at the top of the list, it was sort of like, "this is me...this is exciting...and this is special." While she still felt sort of snubbed by her dream school (and two reaches) and was feeling that pain, Fordham was comforting. Fr. McShane was inspirational and really the deciding factor. Hearing him speak in McGinley Center was the "closing factor." He closed the sale. Afterwards we were eating our lunch, wondering how to make it across campus in the howling wind and driving rain and if our plane would leave and he sauntered up again. He said in his New York accent, "so....do we have a SHOT at you?" That smile...a disarming and warm smile. We said, "yes, Fr, we think we have made a decision." LaGuardia was jammed with travelers and flights being cancelled like crazy. Our plane loaded and left. It was like a message from Above. And so it goes. She is there, she is thriving and she LOVES Fordham.</p>
<p>Is Fordham special? Yes. Is it perfect for everyone? No. Nor is Vassar or NYU or Columbia or BC or Holy Cross or Mount Holyoke or wherever. Its whether its a fit for you and you can see yourself there, growing and changing. </p>
<p>Every college has glossy marketing materials. Every college has smiling faces on the those materials. Every college says "we are awesome!" And most of the time, they are true. But every college has hidden issues, some curmudgeon professors, some weird dorm, something.....that isnt "perfect." And that is part of life, learning to deal with adversity and challenge and either working to fix it, or learning to deal with it and moving on. </p>
<p>You have to discern what is in your best interests and who you want to become. My D would have been perfectly happy at almost all of the schools she applied to. But each school had a unique flavor and charisma. And in the end, we had some excruciating decisions to make, even disappointing some close friends and turning down some excellent offers. Its part of the serendipitous aspect of life. You make your decision and go with it. You dont lament the past and wring your hands like a worry wart. </p>
<p>I hope this has been helpful to you and that you get into to all the schools you want. But come next April, you will have to make that final decision and write those painful, "Thanks but no thanks letters" declining offers graciously (you never want to be rude, because you never know how life goes and who you will turn to later on in life.) </p>
<p>I hope you choose Fordham, if you are admitted. Good luck.</p>