<p>My acceptance letter just says, "Congraulations on being accepted in Fordham's College at Rose Hill!" It doesn't say "as a psychology major" or anything indicating the major I chose when I applied. Am I to infer that I got into the major I applied for? Or would it mention that in the acceptance letter?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>From what I can remember, Fordham did not write my major on my acceptance letter. You are accepted and then can declare your major at some point during your sophomore year. </p>
<p>Thank goodness! If you were bound by your thoughts as a high school senior it would make life difficult. They take your intended major into consideration when considering applications, but you are not bound by it. The broad core requirements at Fordham take a while to complete and depending on AP credits and some testing in languages you do online this summer, could be through your sophomore year. The purpose of the core is to give you a broad perspective but also to introduce you to departments and see how well you do. Psychology is one of the classes you will take in the core. </p>
<p>Many kids change majors. Many kids find they hate the subject they thought they liked. And many more find an epiphany and go somewhere they never dreamed. Also many have minors in subjects unrelated to the major. I’ve seen Business and Theology for example. </p>
<p>So relax, enjoy freshman year and sit back to take in all the wonders of many broad courses…you have until the end of sophomore year to declare. Many do it either at the end of freshman year or the beginning of sophomore year. And Fordham ranks its students and depending on your grades and ranking they may come to you with suggestions, like a special honors program in a department that a professor recommended you.</p>
<p>Welcome to Fordham. Btw, psychology at Fordham is a great department and very strong. Good luck.</p>
<p>Psychology is a major that is within Fordham College at Rose Hill so you are fine. The intended major is not listed on Fordham’s acceptance letter. Most students formally declare a major during the end of sophomore year (but you can do it earlier if you choose).</p>
<p>At Fordham Rose Hill, you officially declare your major sophomore year by the February deadline. Some departments will not accept a major declaration until sophomore year, others will let you declare late freshman year. There are majors that require a minimum 3.0 GPA during both semesters of freshman year. </p>
<p>You major in a program offered by the college you were accepted into. (Fordham Rose Hill OR Fordham Lincoln Center OR Gabelli School of Business.) There is a ‘Majors’ fair in February each year to introduce students to the requirements of each major. Be sure to attend this event your freshman year. It is not easy to transfer between the different colleges, but a few students are able to each year. </p>
<p>However, unlike majors, minors may be taken from the other colleges (i.e. Rose Hill students can get a minor in Business Admin, Marketing…, Gabelli students can get a Rose Hill minor, Lincoln Center and Rose Hill students can also cross over between colleges for minors, although it is not very easy due to the commute time involved.)</p>
<p>The core requirements vary by college and major. See the website for information. Fordham College at Rose Hill requires AT LEAST 13 core courses – some can overlap. Without overlap, there would be 22 requirements. Three of these overlap automatically, the others can be planned. Usually the first semester is all core courses, the second semester is mostly core, then about half of your courses the third and fourth. For Jr and Sr year, a minimum of one core class each year is required, but you will probably have more core classes to complete. </p>
<p>Freshman first semester classes are assigned to you just before school starts. (You have 1 week to switch classes- if there is room – but in reality, you have a day or two to react and get in other classes if necessary. You’ll need permission to switch any class for the first semester.) You choose your courses after first semester.</p>
<p>Check the website under: ACADEMICS then DEPARTMENT AND PROGRAMS. Each department lists the requirements for majors, here, or on the main page of the department. If you are Pre-Health, you will be assigned to the appropriate courses for freshman year, but you will officially declare your major later.</p>
<p>Welcome to Fordham! Go Rams!</p>
<p>To all responders, thanks so much! You’ve all been a huge help. I’ve officially committed and I can’t wait. :)</p>
<p>@FordhamMom, I applied with a psychology major and am starting to consider pre-health because I want to be a psychiatrist. How will I ensure that I’m assigned to the correct classes should I decide I want to go into pre-health? Or is it too late? Thanks so much, and I’m sorry to bother!</p>
<p>I suggest you call the Freshman Dean now. Dr Latham’s office will be able to give you information and guidance on this. </p>
<p>Freshmen who are Pre-health take a Pre-health 1-credit symposium in addition to their other classes. </p>
<p>@PrettyPegasus- My daughter is currently a Freshman and she initially was a pre-health student, she is a psychology major. One thing to keep in mind is that incoming Freshman do not choose their schedule. You will get it just before move-in, at the end of August. You just need to fill out the application to enter the Pre-Health program and you will most likely have to take a math placement test during the orientation days they have in the summer. You will get an email about that. </p>
<p>The classes you will take will be Bio I with Lab; Chem I with Lab (with Recitation), the Health Symposium, Calculus (or pre-calc depending on what your math placement test results are), and depending on what’s available in the Core, maybe Comp II. You will also have an “Advising” session scheduled a few times during the semester where you will meet with your advisor about what is expected. </p>
<p>My daughter changed her mind about the Pre-Health and withdrew at Orientation. She spoke with her advisor about what her future goals were and determined that she really didn’t need to go the Pre-Health route. But after taking a couple of Psychology courses, she loves learning about the brain and is considering the Neuroscience program. With the requirements for admission to that, she now wishes she had stayed in Pre-Health. You also can’t double major in Psych and Neuro since many of the courses overlap. </p>
<p>Good luck to you!</p>
<p>The heavy load for Pre-Health freshmen- with Bio and Chem, both with lab, and Calculus (or pre-calc) is difficult for many young people who are also adjusting to college life. Freshman often carry 18-19 credits for the first semester. Many college students decide to drop Pre-Health/Pre-Med and major in other fields. Some studies say 60% or more will drop Pre-Health. Over half of all college students change majors at least once. The percentage for pre-med is even higher.</p>
<p>“Studies have found that roughly 40 percent of students planning engineering and science majors end up switching to other subjects or failing to get any degree. That increases to as much as 60 percent when pre-medical students, who typically have the strongest SAT scores and high school science preparation, are included, according to new data from the University of California at Los Angeles. That is twice the combined attrition rate of all other majors.” NY TImes </p>
<p>I don’t know what the stats for Fordham are. Chemistry is considered the ‘weed-out’ course for students in pre-med. Most med schools do not require a “pre-med” major. According to the AAMC, the normal requirement for med schools is one year of Bio, one year of Physics, one year of English, and two years of Chem. The acceptance rate by major varies with each med school.</p>
<p>It is possible to declare this major at Fordham, later, and go more gradually into the sciences. The website has four scenarios showing what courses may be for the four years: ‘Traditional’ (listed in the post above); and two that suggest a summer course - ‘Testing the Waters’ (with Bio first semester); ‘Slow and Steady’ (no science first semester); plus the Physics Major plan. The two middle plans give you a chance to experience college and decide your major after taking some courses in other fields. </p>
<p>Pre Health can be a great major, and is a good program at Fordham! The acceptance rate from Fordham’s Pre-Health major, into medical school, is high. </p>
<p>I should mention Pre-Health is not a major at Fordham. It is a series of classes to prepare you for pre med.
You will usually have a Bio, Chem or Physics major. You do have extra advising, and some advantages in getting courses. </p>
<p>and one more point. Dr. Latham is the outgoing Dean of the College at Rose Hill. He is very helpful and a fine man and will be sorely missed. Fordham College at Rose Hill has Deans for students in Freshman Year, Sophomore Year and Junior and Senior Years. The appropriate Dean for handling Freshmen courses and helping with initial issues about majors is the Freshmen Dean. You will be notified who your academic advisor is at Orientation and schedule a meeting. </p>
<p>Don’t over react or hyperventilate yet. LOL. Its all good and students change majors, add minors, and even change schools within Fordham. Some of your AP courses may help with some of the core but Fordham is fairly stingy about that. Fordham offers summer school for kids who want to make up credits, graduate early, etc. I know kids who went to summer school and did work study during the summer as well. They didnt go home all summer. </p>
<p>Fordham’s graduation rate within four years is very high. So dont fret about being behind. Its not perfect, and at least once during your tenure at Fordham you may not get the prof or the class you want and you will have to select another course. Sometimes kids drop and an opening occurs and you can scramble in. Been there done that with my kid. She actually graduated a semester early…she was done, exhausted and while she loved her friends and living on campus, she needed to work to save money for graduate school. She walked in May with her class and did all the events with them. The fun part was that at the diploma ceremony she was one of the first names called out since she was in the February diploma group. Hearing her name and the awards and accolades was awesome and seeing her hug some Dean’s on Keating after Fr. McShane handed her the diploma was very emotional. </p>
<p>You will be fine! Breathe. Welcome to Fordham.</p>