<p>for those who received merit aid, was it after or before you received the PIP? I was wondering if that had anything to do with it. I haven’t filed for the FAFSA yet so i haven’t received the PIP</p>
<p>diceman:</p>
<p>you are mixing your metaphors so to speak. Financial need and scholarships are two separate issues. Scholarships are merit aid. Merit aid is almost entirely dictated by the SAT or ACT scores, though other factors apply. Minority scholarships have more leeway since Fordham is trying hard to recruit more minorities. </p>
<p>Merit aid at Fordham is generally in the 1400 SAT range or higher. That isnt hard and fast but its general and anecdotal.</p>
<p>Financial aid is a completely separate matter. Fordham gives generous university grants to qualifying students and they can be as much as many scholarships for qualifying students. There will be some student loans as well. File the CSS and FAFSA immediately. They take into account how many students are in college or private school and total family assets. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, spending money on private high schools doesnt equate into money from colleges except as it relates to assets. It isnt fair from the perspective of “trying to do the right thing and/or attend the best college prep school or catholic school” but it is what it is. </p>
<p>Best of luck.</p>
<p>Oh yes, I know they are separate. However I was confused about how Fordham handles the two. I have heard that you don’t receive scholarship/merit awards until after you file the FAFSA, but also heard they notify you of any scholarships in the initial acceptance letters. My parents already went through the early financial aid SAS company. Fordham is the first college I have applied to that has so much “grey” area in their scholarship and financial aid departments. All the other schools had my award amount clearly stated in my admission letter. I guess I’ll try calling the admission’s office tomorrow.</p>
<p>What does PIP stand for? I’m new here…Haha thanks!!</p>
<p>@allforthebest pip stands for Personal Information Packet regarding financial aid received. Not sure if it includes merit too? I don’t know I’m quite confused myself in this process as well.</p>
<p>Hi,
So I got admitted to Fordham. Honestly, it was not my top choice, but now I’m beginning to consider it.</p>
<p>Can someone tell me a little bit about the Lincoln Center school, and how it is or is not different from Rose Hill? That would be much appreciated.</p>
<p>diceman:</p>
<p>I dont know what is in your PIP. Dont need to know. But you need to understand that scholarships are reviewed for EVERY applicant, based entirely on their SAT, then GPA, Class rank, and other factors that the scholarship committee considers or is required to examine by the terms of the scholarship fund. It has nothing to do with financial aid. However, Fordham DOES require the FAFSA for all scholarship recipients who ACCEPT the offer to attend Fordham for their own internal statistical reasons. Its a policy matter. If you have enough scholarship funds and dont need financial aid, as is the case for some families because of their income/wealth or because of the size of the award, then it can be annoying to them to file a FAFSA. But it is what it is.</p>
<p>However, for some people the scholarship award is not sufficient and filing a FAFSA is what allows them to get additional financial aid in the form of grant money or student loans.</p>
<p>I dont know your situation, but it appears to me your ACT score is not in the scholarship range, just from anecdotal information. I would NOT expect to receive any merit aid. If you need help in paying for Fordham file the FAFSA and CSS now and see what they give you in financial assistance and in what form. It sometimes helps to show them comparative offers from other schools, but not always. </p>
<p>Fordham is extremely competitive. You may well be surprised at the students who comprise the incoming class when you move into your dorms, how smart they are and their high scores. My kid had three people in Queens Court who had perfect SAT scores. </p>
<p>If you are admitted, congratulations. That means Fordham wants you and believes you can succeed there. Come prepared to work very hard. Its an academic school. Dont be fooled by the party animals you encounter there (or at any college.) Good luck.</p>
<p>mmm:</p>
<p>There are a lot of threads on the Fordham board dealing with the differences between LC and Rose Hill. Please refer to them.</p>
<p>in short, LC is an urban campus in midtown manhattan, at Lincoln Center/Central Park.<br>
Rose Hill is a large campus of 85-90 acres, gated, Gothic, in the Bronx, with numerous dorm choices, and athletic fields, basketball gym, next to the Bronx Zoo and New York Botanical Gardens. LC is a mini NYU. Rose Hill is a classic college campus, but its in the city in the Borough of the Bronx. Access to Manhattan from the Bronx is done by Metro North train at Fordham’s gate, or by the D train subway up Fordham Road a piece, or by the RamVan service which goes to the LC campus daily, on the hour so to speak. </p>
<p>There is a different vibe at each campus. Students also take classes at the other campus in upperclassmen years. Thats a real benefit that Fordham offers, the best of two worlds. </p>
<p>Students at Rose Hill have internships in Manhattan and the Bronx. </p>
<p>LC has a new building which will open next year…as the entire campus received a 250 million dollar facelift. The Law School is at LC, as are several other graduate programs. But the resident students are almost all undergraduates at LC. </p>
<p>Rose Hill is just under 6,000 undergraduates on campus. LC is just under 2,000 undergraduates, but all in one building. </p>
<p>LC has the Drama and Dance Schools. </p>
<p>Its a personal preference and to some extent a lifestyle choice. I prefer Rose Hill because its a classic college experience but still in the city. But if you lean towards the NYU kind of urban experience, then perhaps LC is better for you.</p>
<p>Where are you from and what are you looking for in a college?</p>
<p>@sovereigndebt I just find it hard to believe that a 28 ACT score and a 3.6 GPA in all advanced and AP classes and being in the top 25% of my class at a top private Catholic high school doesn’t quality for at least a small amount of merit aid. Oh well though, I guess I’ll just hope for the best when it comes to grants.</p>
<p>Update on the Semifinalist Award (which was not in the PIP, then in our online acceptance, then not in the hard copy acceptance)… Husband called and talked to rep. There was an issue with some of the letters that went out. She verified while on the phone that she is in the system clearly with the Semifinalist full tuition in place. That call, and his screen shot and print out of the online letter, are finally putting him at ease! Now we will see if the corrected PIP arrives as promised.</p>
<p>Diceman, earlier you asked about sending updated grades. If you are showing an upward trend with senior year grades have your counselor send them to your admissions rep. It certainly can’t hurt. I think it is a SUPER competitive year for scholarships. We know of kids with 32 ACTs who did not get scholarships. If you read through the files on this board alone, there are some well over 2000+ SAT Hispanic Scholars who did not get the scholarship that many of us thought was guaranteed. I don’t know how the choices are being made.</p>
<p>I wonder if part of the issue with all of this mishaps with letters and emails is because Fordham truly was not prepared for the number and quality of EA applicants. Sovereigndebt…have you seen an EA cycle similar to this one?</p>
<p>T</p>
<p>Fordham’s profile is posted online on the Fordham.edu website. Merit aid goes out to the top 10% (plus or minus) to the POOL THAT APPLIES to Fordham, irrespective of where you stand in your own class, though rank may be a factor for some students.</p>
<p>If you arent above a 1400 SAT score (and comparative ACT), it is not likely you get merit aid, though exceptions apply notably in some minorities. </p>
<p>Scholarships by their nature are controversial and much has been written in the Washington Post, New York Times and WallStreet Journal about that.</p>
<p>Is it fair? To give someone money on an SAT score and someone 50 points lower none? NO. It is just the only system they have to distinguish the top 10% of the applicant pool. </p>
<p>10 years ago an 1150 got you into Fordham. Today its doubtful. </p>
<p>But grant money can be as generous for many who qualify for financial aid. Hang in there.</p>
<p>I have a 1420 SAT and a 32 ACT as of now and I got some merit aid in my PIP but I did not get the Dean’s scholarship.</p>
<p>If I were to retake the SAT/ACT and send them in by say February and do better would it be possible for me to get more merit aid, or possibly qualify for the Dean’s scholarship after the process of reviewing the regular decision pool is finalized?</p>
<p>Fordham is my absolute #1, and it’s looking really tight financially at the moment. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get more aid, I’m just not sure how to best go about that.</p>
<p>Sutter:</p>
<p>Yes. Always strive to improve. But be careful as some kids do worse on a retake of the SAT. It happens. </p>
<p>And always file your FAFSA and CSS and maybe you get some grant money.</p>
<p>Also show them your comparative offers and explain your intentions.</p>
<p>What are people thinking as far as visiting as an accepted student? Do you plan on visiting in the spring? If so, when do you plan to go?</p>
<p>I’m going to attend one of the admitted student days, not sure which one yet though.</p>
<p>As the mom of a current Fordham sophomore, I would suggest that you attend the big accepted students day in April. The highlights of the day for us were as follows:</p>
<p>Some of the dorms were open for us to visit so we were able to take a look around and we also spoke with a number of students who were in the lounge at the dorm that we visited - they were just students hanging around on a Sunday morning and were friendly and answered all of our questions. As they weren’t part of the official program, we liked that we were able to get the ‘real deal’ from some current students.</p>
<p>Father McShane gave a great speech about Fordham and also about how to decide on which college to select.</p>
<p>There was a fair which had representatives of all of the academic departments and all of the student services there, so we were able to ask questions about various majors, about housing and meal plans, etc. Fr. McShane was also at the fair, so people were able to ask him any casual questions that they might have had.</p>
<p>Also, there was a reception for students who were invited to join the honor program. The director of the honor program was there, as well as many students who were in the program. The director made a presentation and there was time for us to speak to the current students so we were able to get all of our questions answered.</p>
<p>We also attended a February program for students who were accepted EA. It was ok, but not as comprehensive as the April program.</p>
<p>^^^^^</p>
<p>Yep. April program is better than February program. And it “sealed the deal” for us as well in April 07. Further, the reception in McGinley upstairs in the hall, was well attended and we were approached by Fr. McShane and chatted…and chatted and chatted…he wanted my kid to attend because we were not from New York and she was a strong liberal arts centric kid…bought into the Jesuit ethos completely. Move in day in September, he was handing out water bottles at the Rose Hill gate (as he always does every year) and peered into the car and remembered her name. Yep. True story. (And she never let him out of her sight for four years…always peppering him with tough questions and challenging him to make things better…so bring your best game to Fordham and make it better for everyone!)</p>
<p>Ask not what Fordham can do for you, ask what YOU can do for Fordham! Hate to be smug and borrow that great line from JFK, but its true. While incoming students are rightfully concerned with amenities and programs and vibe and culture at Fordham…my response is always, “what are YOU going to do to make it better for others?” </p>
<p>That is how I respond to minorities as well. When they ask if they will be accepted and fit in, I respond that if all minorities sneer and turn away because only 5% of students are black, then it wont ever get any better. So bring your best game and YOU reach out and YOU make it better and YOU learn and become a Fordham Ram!</p>
<p>One can always find a higher ranking school. Or a school with perhaps a more wired dorm or better cafeteria or better bike paths or better this or that. I say, “Embrace Fordham. Embrace the Bronx (or LC). Embrace what we have and make it better. Leave YOUR mark at Fordham.”</p>
<p>I am proud to say that my kid is still dating the boy (now young adult) she met at Fordham. And when they return to campus periodically (neither is in NYC presently), they are greeted with smiles, handshakes and hugs. Because while they were at Fordham they were a so called “power couple” and making things happen in their own unique ways. Clubs, Ram newspaper, athletics, honors programs, orchestra, Rose Hil Society, knowing the Dean’s personally and being involved, being Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Sigma Nu, huge award winning internships including serving the underprivileged in the Bronx, on and on and on. GIVING BACK TO FORDHAM. </p>
<p>I understand that 18 year old HS seniors are all confused and trying to sort through the marsh and muddle of acceptance letters/offers/honors etc. They are looking for what a school can do for them…in order to discern which is the best school of all for them. Yep. But in the final analysis, I submit its really about where they can make the biggest impact upon the school, through being involved and giving back to others. </p>
<p>That is why Fordham is special. That is what makes a true Fordham Ram (for life!). </p>
<p>So come to Fordham and bring your best game and make it better for others! </p>
<p>God bless,</p>
<p>Sov.</p>
<p>" I respond that if all minorities sneer and turn away because only 5% of students are black, then it wont ever get any better."
I agree. BUT if your child has been in this situation for most of high school they really do need to decide if they want to do ‘it’ again. ‘It’ often means being in history class and being the only minority and having to address what your grandparents went through in the civil rights movement…because no one else can provide that view. It means limited dating options within your race, it means addressing comments such as 'I did not know blacks could be Catholic; it means (and we had this happen to our son) leaving to get on the bus with the school from a volunteer job and a staff at the center saying ‘Son, you can’t leave with them. That is for the volunteers’ because they assume that as a black he is one from the center, not from the school coming to help. It can be tiring.</p>
<p>BUT it can be hugely rewarding as faculty reach out, students sometimes are glad to learn about someone from a different background, colleges offer clubs to support things like MLKjr Day and invite all. Parents make a point to greet and welcome you.
I think a place like Fordham can be a great place for anyone who wants to put the work in. But they have to factor in everything. I would say, for instance, that there are great historically black (not all black) colleges that give excellent scholarships to top students, but I doubt most white families take their kids to tour and really consider those schools. Why is that? Well, it can be the same reason that some ethnic families think twice about Fordham, where their child will see very few people who look like them.</p>
<p>THAT BEING SAID, I agree that Fordham seems to want to have a campus where all feel welcome. The racial incident(s?) a couple of years ago put a huge black mark on the school. But we’ve investigated and it seems like a random act of one cowardly student and others of all races stepped forward to say ‘that is NOT Fordham’. That is great to see…and yes, the change in numbers will not come until minorities enter the door that Fordham has opened widely.
Off the soupbox…and fully intending to go to the big April Welcome Day! Why? Because Fordham has a lot to offer and our kid has a lot to offer Fordham.</p>
<p>Taben:</p>
<p>I totally acknowledge your comments and empathize as best I can, being a caucasian American. </p>
<p>The issues at Fordham were immediately addressed and an investigation ensued and I can assure you it was the acts of a cowardly person…and I dont want to rehash that here. Its not how the students at Fordham operate, I can assure you.</p>
<p>I can ameliorate some of your fears with the comment that we are not new yorkers and come from another region and there was culture shock for my kid too, and some comments from some snarky spoiled kids from Long Island. But those soon wore off and as my kid made excellent friends from Long Island they learned to work as a team and stand up for her and people learned not to make judgements based on silly generalities about other regions they read in some ill written text book (New Jersey produces most text books in the United States). The challenge was there and she could either embrace it and strive and prove herself and her strength of character or could fold up like a card table and recoil and be miserable and come home. She chose wisely and stayed and is very glad she didnt just go to the comfortable common (but prestigious) school her high school friends all headed to, where it was just another repeat of high school cliques. </p>
<p>If your son is tolerant, pleasant, positive and makes an effort, he will be embraced by everyone at Fordham. He neednt fear being left in the cafeteria looking for athletes to “connect with.”</p>
<p>Fordham is proud of its 27% diversity. But being private and expensive, its a real challenge to recruit underprivileged or under-represented minorities. Its just the facts of admission stats. If you look at many top LAC’s, you will see the same problem. </p>
<p>Its very true that HBCU’s offer prestigious scholarships. And for some that is the route to go and they are better suited there for personal reasons. But if a minority student wants to cross the river, as Billy Joel sings, and challenge themselves academically and socially, then Fordham is an excellent choice. Denzel Washington Jr. is a Fordham alumnus. :-)</p>
<p>Congratulations on his admission to Fordham, a feat worth applause in its own right. Come in April and reach out, and speak out and see for yourself. </p>
<p>Its not perfect. Its not a panacea. But it is New York and the oportunities are amazing.</p>
<p>Good luck. I hope he decides to attend. Sov.</p>
<p>I was accepted Early Action and I think Fordham would be a great choice. A bit apprehensive about the Bronx but I think another visit with a chance to explore may be a good idea. Thanks for all the informative posts on this site. Your perspectives have been very helpful.</p>