Hello, I am an international student attending an U.S. high school. I just received a rejection, not a deferral letter from Fordham. To be honest, I am beyond shocked since my grades are qualified, and I think I wrote a solid college essay. I have no idea why Fordham rejected me. Maybe because I answered “yes” in the financial aid section of my common application?? I didn’t end up applying the scholarship though.
Could someone help me analyze this situation? I got no misbehavior records, almost all A’s for all my classes. I’m currently taking 3 APs, and had a 5 in my Psychology AP last year.
I know I may not have the most impressive application, but many people who have lower grades than mine all are enrolled.
So help!! And I’m really nervous about the upcoming decision on April 1st… do you think I have a chance with NYU? and BC?
Hey, I know what yu mean. By any chance, what race are you? And are you a US citizen or no? if u are a Non US-citizen who needs financial aid, this might be why-- idk if Fordham is need based, but if it is, this could’ve definitely impacted your result. If you are a US citizen, or if Fordham is need blind, perhaps you were overqualified? Some schools will reject students who don’t show interest and it is obvious that the school is a safety or some sort… Or perhaps you didn’t show enough interest (interview, tour, etc). If you are a non US citizen who needs aid, BC and NYU might be hard, esp bc those schools are notorious for not giving much aid. Hope this helps!
It not a level playing Field. Private colleges can select as they want and publics look out for in-state.
Being an international who needs fin aid drops your chances down to really small at most places.
Go see your guidance counselor on Monday and go over your application. Ask him/her to review your letters of recommendation and see if any has a 'red flag '.
Next, while Fordham is need aware, it doesn’t offer need based aid to international only merit aid, and your SAT score should have qualified you for something. So, I’m not sure what the issue is, but the only thing left to do is to go through your GC asap.
@hungrihippo Hi thank you for replying me. I am an Asian and I am not a citizen. I did answer yes on the common app for financial aid. However, I turn in the CSS form in the end because I know that would decrease my chance. Is it too late at this stage to call NYU and BC and cancel my financial aid (I just answered yes on my application but I didn’t really apply for financial aid anyway). Btw Fordham is not need-blind, but BC and NYU are.
@MYOS1634 I went over my application a lot of times with my counselor, and everything was turned into Fordham.Could you tell me what is a “red flag” and what is a “GC?” I also got waitlisted by UChicago. Does UChicago waitlist a lot of people?
Yes, UChic waitlists a lot of people.
Do you need financial aid or not ? If you don’t, call BC and NYU, neither of which is need blind for internationals.
However if your parents don’t have 200k in a fund for you, you need financial aid and it’s. Pointless to get into a college you can’t afford.
GC = guidance counselor
Red flag = a teacher, without meaning to, wrote something that is understood as 'damning with faint praise’in the US even though in your country it could be laudatory. An example : ‘she’s a good student’. ‘He is sweet.’
@hungrihippo BTW is overqualified a thing? My friend who got a 93 GPA and 2230 SAT and is obviously using Fordham as a safety got enrolled… I chose the Lincoln center campus, and Fordham waived my application fee. Anyway I got waitlisted by UChicago, which I heard waitlisted a lot of people. Does that mean anything? (like, my application doesn’t really have a gigantic problem?)
Fordham generally accepts “overqualified” candidates and often gives them large scholarships as an incentive to attend.
I’m guessing being an international requiring aid was the problem with your application.
@happy1 is it too late to call NYU and BC to cancel my scholarship requst in this stage (you know, 10 days before the decision)?
@Miti66 : my son, an Asian, sat 1580/1600, got accepted in Fordham but rejected by uchicago. There is not a such thing called overqualified.
@tingdad Oh, I am sorry to hear that! UChicago is hardto get in, and Fordham is really not…l. The first time I read my letter I thought I was rejected by UC too, but the second time I read it I found that I was waitlisted. Probably have you son read his letter again? Because UC waitlisted a lot of people…
This makes for very interesting reading…esp. at this time of year…
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2009/01/09/dirty-secrets-of-college-admissions.html
@flute1298 Well thanks. I hope I can get in a school at least, because Fordham is one of my safeties. I will just try to comfort myself with the thoughts that the admission officer ate a meal of bad buffalo chicken… as it was written in the article
If you can’t afford the school without financial aid, it’s pointless to cancel FA.
However if you CAN, yes by all means email them to say that your GC brought to your attention the fact you’d mistakenly checked the “yes/need financial aid” instead of “no/ don’t need financial aid” and are NOT applying for financial aid.