Do I have any chance for Fordham?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Fordham University
1

<p>Background:
Location: Pennsylvania
Ethnicity: African American
Gender: Female
School Type: Small Private Christian School (We offer few APs, and have NEVER heard of IBs)
Major: Management Information Systems
EFC: 1,161 (FM), 0 (IM) - Applying for Finacial Aid.</p>

<p>Stats:
GPA: 3.88/3.75 (Weighted/Unweighted)
SATs: 1180/1790 (Terrible, I know)
ACT: 30, hoping for an higher score in October
APs: AP US History (3- not sending), taking AP English Lit, AP European History, AP Psych (Online if I can)
Courseload: All honors except for math and bible, which is an requirement too pass, taking Mathematics courses at a Community College to raise math credits. </p>

<p>EC's/Volunteer: (Parents don't let me work, so I have no work experience)
Praise Dance (9)
Multi-Cultural Club (9, 10, 11, 12 - this time i'm leading the club)
Statistician-Track: (10, possibly 12)
Concert Choir (9,10,11)
Student Ambassador (12)
Worship Team (12)
Student Ministries Outreach Chapel Team Member (12- Just started up this year)
Italian Club (10)
Drama Club (10, 12)
School Play (11)
Teacher Aide (11)
Yearbook - Section Editor/Consultant (12)
National Honors Society - Student Council Member (11,12)
Tutoring (12)
Volunteer at Community Theatre Program (9,10,11,12) - This is probably my area of greatest leadership.
Volunteer Librarian (10,12)
Volunteer at my local Thrift Store (12)
Hoping to Volunteer at my Local Hospital (12)
*If it helps, I only recently turned 16 which limited some of my opportunities.</p>

<p>Essays/Recommendations:
Essays: I'm known as a fairly decent essay writer, so they should be good.
Teacher Recs: I've been promised good ones from well respected teachers (Both have doctorates)
Guidance Counselor Recs: I've also been promised a very good one. </p>

<p>Honors/Awards: Very few
National Society of High School Scholars
National Honors Society
Highest Honor Roll
ACSI Distinguished Christian High School Student</p>

2

<p>…not sure if anyone’s seen this or not so…</p>

<p>bump?</p>

3

<p>You will likely be fine. Being an URM will certainly help you. Your SAT isnt horrible. Its fine…its in the muddled middle, so to speak. Fordham’s SAT scores are creeping up, but Fordham doesnt fixate on that score alone. Your GPA is great. Your EC’s are fine. You seem well balanced and have a good head on your shoulders. Fordham is actively seeking diversity in its admissions, including racial diversity, economic diversity and social/geographical diversity. You win on all three counts. </p>

<p>Which campus do you want to attend? Lincoln Center in Manhattan? Or Rose Hill in the Bronx (which is the main campus with a classic campus?) If you don’t know, then visit both! Fordham has an amazing theatre program at Lincoln Center which is highly competitive and I believe requires auditions. But the Rose Hill campus also has theatre productions for kids who want to continue their artistic passions, while perhaps majoring in something else. From what I hear, these productions are very good and well attended. </p>

<p>I strongly encourage you to apply to Fordham. I also recommend you apply EA and see what happens. Make sure you submit your FAFSA as well, for financial aid. There are also scholarships for minorities. </p>

<p>Congratulations on your hard work and success in high school. Good luck on your college admissions.</p>

4

<p>Sorry if i’m wrong, but I think the buisness school is only at the Rose Hill campus, so that’s where I’m hoping to go. Thank you very much! Yes, i’m hoping to raise my SAT/ACT scores, to give myself a better shot. I do want to apply EA, and i’m also interested in their buisness program. I’m attending the Open House on October 18th, so hopefully I’ll get a look at the campus then. I do have one question though. Are interviews strongy recommended? They can’t hurt, but I would just like to know in case I need to start scheduling after I submit my application.</p>

5

<p>Correct. The business school is at Rose Hill. Its called the College of Business Administration, or CBA for short. They live with and matriculate with the liberal arts kids, or Fordham College at Rose Hill, FCRH. That will all be explained on your visit. The campus will impress you. Its very very pretty, particularly in the fall! Its a fabulous school with amazing internships, especially for business students. </p>

<p>You will be required to take the famous Fordham Core Curriculum. That is a combination of English, Theology, Philosophy, History, Math/Science classes. Though you have many choices in each category. That will give you a very well rounded and solid education to supplement your business education, and which gives Fordham kids a special marketing tool when looking for jobs. Its not an easy school. Its very rigorous, but also a lot of fun. </p>

<p>I dont know about interviews. I think they grant them if you request them, but they are not required. Whether and how that helps an applicant is an open question and I suppose that depends on your circumstances and such. You will get lots of opinions about that on CC on other threads. If you have something you need to convey that can’t be covered in your application, your essay, or by your guidance counselor recommendation, then maybe that is a good idea. If you just want to touch base with Admissions people and get a feel for your chances and how they respond to you, then maybe that has some value as well. Personally, I’m not big on interviews, but that is just me. </p>

<p>You will be given a tour around campus by Rose Hill Society people, all of whom are Fordham students, serving as “ambassadors.” They can be a treasure trove of information for you. But I also recommend you spend time in cafeteria and on “Eddies Parade” just talking to students and seeing how you fit in. </p>

<p>If you are outgoing and comfortable with yourself, you will be fine. Its New York and most of the kids at Fordham are from the tri-state area, though a growing number are from other regions. They are good kids, who work hard. Fordham is becoming more diverse but still has work to do beyond the latino community…more african americans are needed and more asians, in my opinion. I think that is a challenge for Fordham because of its Catholic heritage. Though about 60% of Fordham students are Catholic. </p>

<p>I encourage you to apply and I am delighted you are going to visit.</p>

6

<p>Thank you for your input. Since I come from a Christian school, and most of the people we interact with are other Christian and Catholic schools, I won’t feel too left out. I’ve lived in the surburbs all of my life, so it’ll be a different experience, but a good one. That is good, i’m not much of a fan of interview either, but I wanted to make sure so I could prepare. What is the Rose Hill campus like, both asthetically and socially/student life-wise? I haven’t spent much time in the Bronx, but i’ve heard that people like the Lincoln Center in Manhattan better. Since i’m applying to the CBA, it doesn’t matter, but i’m curious. Is the atmosphere overall vastly different?</p>

7

<p>As with anything, you will get a variety of opinions on Rose Hill vs. Lincoln Center. What really matters is your opinion and your experience. Kids at Lincoln Center love it and the kids at Rose Hill love it too.<br>
Lincoln Center is in a very good section of Manhattan, uptown near Central Park and the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts (obviously). Its in one tall building. Fordham is going to expand it with some new buildings, notably a new law school. But the undergraduate program there is rather small (under 1,000 students) and while its the full liberal arts curriculum it does tend to attract more of the theatre/dance students. </p>

<p>Rose Hill is a classic college campus, gothic buildings, athletic fields, large lawns (Eddies Parade), big trees, a huge library, parking garage, student center etc. They are building new dorms on campus now which will be completed next year and more new buildings are planned. </p>

<p>The Bronx is not as bad as some would describe and this section of the Bronx is no exception. Some outstanding restaurants are nearby in Little Italy. But like anywhere, its not safe off campus at night, unless you are in groups. Its a gated campus with 24 hour security. Rose Hill is a safe campus. Some kids embrace the eclectic atmosphere on the nearby streets during the day, either shopping or working in non profit social work settings. Other kids embrace the New York Botanical Gardens and Zoo. Some ignore all of it and simply get on a train and go into Manhattan for their “city experiences.” The Metro North Train stops literally at Fordham’s gate and runs directly to Grand Central Terminal. </p>

<p>The social atmosphere at Rose Hill is like many other colleges…on nice days kids are outside on the lawns, reading, playing frisbee or hanging out with friends. I wouldnt call Fordham an “intense” campus, as in hyper or stressed out. But with a rigorous academic curriculum, its not exactly party city either. You will find people from all over the country, with different perspectives and social-economic backgrounds. There are clubs galore…from arts groups to political action groups to you name it. Debate, club sports, language clubs, etc. </p>

<p>There are no sororities or fraternities at Fordham, which is very typical of Jesuit colleges. Just dorms, and some special apartments they own both on and off campus. All the dorms have a different reputation or theme. Most of them are very centrally located. </p>

<p>You can take classes at both campuses if you desire…like taking Chinese at Lincoln Center. There is a RamVan service between the two campuses which is very convenient, very safe and very inexpensive. </p>

<p>Fordham is very inclusive and you wont have trouble making friends. While Fordham has made strides in improving diversity, that has mostly been with hispanics. More work needs to be done with african americans and asians…which they are doing…but being a Jesuit Catholic school, it may be harder to attain than at a secular college. Just be yourself and you will be fine. </p>

<p>Like all colleges, there will be kids in the dorms who may not live up to your personal standards of responsible behavior. There is simply no way to escape it. It happens everywhere. Thankfully its not a huge number and you can always find friends who share your values, study habits and maturity. </p>

<p>In short, its a fun campus and very vibrant. The faculty are mostly very caring about your personally, and most classes are actually rather small…well under 50 kids, most 30 or less. CBA kids have tremendous opportunities. Both for internships in New York as well as study abroad. Fordham has an MBA program in Beijing and some undergrad CBA kids go over there for a semester as upperclassmen. </p>

<p>They also have a relationship with the London School of Economics.</p>

<p>For students who are very ambitious and have really good study habits and get good grades, the opportunities are unparalleled in my opinion. Fordham offers the Jesuit education and combined with a solid business school makes for a very well prepared and very well balanced person upon graduation. </p>

<p>But you will see for yourself when you visit in October. Talk to students and faculty.</p>

8

<p>Thank you, you’ve given me a very good description of life at Fordham. Are there any faith-based clubs? Or is everything focused on the Catholic aspect of Fordham. (i.e. everyone has to go to mass, etc.)</p>

9

<p>First of all, Fordham is a Jesuit college. The Jesuits do not force anyone to be religious or attend mass or subscribe to Catholic doctrine. Never! The Jesuits are open, tolerant, inclusive and thought provoking. You may or may not have any Jesuit professors, depending on what classes you take and who is teaching what that semester. </p>

<p>Fordham is diverse in many ways, including religious diversity. You might have jewish professors, lutheran professors, catholic professors, professors of no particular faith. 40% of the Student Body at Fordham are not self identified as Roman Catholic. I dont know about clubs for your particular faith, if you are not Catholic, but that would depend on the number of students in attendance who are. To be certain, you will find students of your faith in New York and perhaps there is some interface with them as well. Fordham has lots of clubs of all kinds. You can call Fordham’s office of residence life and maybe they can answer your question directly. Go to the website and see what you can find. </p>

<p>Even for Catholic students, there is nothing mandatory about “faith.” All Fordham students take the core requirements which include two theology courses and two philosophy courses. You have a lot of choices in those groups, but in all respects they are not doctrinal. My kid’s freshman year Theology professor was a Lutheran, who is the Resident Lutheran minister at Princeton (he was a Doctoral student at Fordham at the time.) A fabulous professor. Its an exploration of the general principles of faith and reason, not doctrine of the Church. </p>

<p>Mass is offered daily for those who wish to attend, and several times on Sunday. Many students attend mass on Sunday evening in the University Church, an historic landmark on campus. </p>

<p>Some non Catholics come to Fordham and undergo a faith transformation, facilitated by their intellectual development with the Jesuits. Some have decided to become Catholics and even a few have become priests…and Jesuits. But just as many pass through the doors and make no particular religious effort and do just fine. Fordham also offers retreats for students, particularly freshmen dealing with stress and lifestyle anxieties. Its open to all, but it does have a Catholic element to it, being run by Campus Ministry. They are outstanding retreats (upstate where the university owns property) and beneficial to all who attend. </p>

<p>Your religious heritage will be respected at Fordham, whatever it is. Fordham is not a place for proselytizing from anyone. Most students keep their faith personal, except as discussed in classrooms where appropriate. </p>

<p>CBA is a business school. Some kids take a minor in theology or religious studies or philosophy. You are free to do that as well. But most CBA students are very much engrossed in the business world, internships or going onto get their MBA’s.</p>

<p>Finally, if you are deeply religious and live a very modest lifestyle (no partying etc.) you should be warned ahead of time that college life anywhere is often shocking. Teenagers gone wild is the most common theme. Even kids who state they are religious and church going. Its very hard to find a school where misbehaving doesnt occur. Except a really strict Christian school, of which there are a few in the country, if that is what you want to do. However, even with all the dorm drama going on, you can/will find people like you who are studious, religious, respectful of others and the rules, and who stay away from the party animals and kids who are immoral. In one sense, its a good experience to be confronted with people who are “out there” , a dose of real life. That doesnt mean you have to or will be forced to. I know plenty of kids who have successfully navigated those waters and found a tight circle of friends who work hard, find healthy things to do in their free time and otherwise practice their faith with reverence. It takes all kinds, and you will certainly see that at Fordham and most colleges around the country.</p>

10

<p>To add something to ghostbuster’s great and detailed reply, if you are interested Fordham’s - Rose Hill campus has something called “wellness housing” available where students pledge not to drink/smoke. Although there are always some students who do not honor their pledge, many do. This creates a good social network for those who do not like to party/drink. There is wellness housing for freshmen and upperclassmen as well.</p>

11

<p>Thank you both for all this information. I know that it’ll serve me well and i’m even more excited about applying to Fordham now. @happy1: Is the wellness housing a form of theme housing that some colleges do? Or is this a section specficially reserved for those who do not want to smoke/drink/party?</p>

12

<p>Its both, Mare. There are theme related dorms which are “wellness”, such as Queens Court (an exclusive Freshman dorm, one of the oldest and pictoresque gothic buildings on campus…next to the Church…complete with lots of stories (and they are “stories”) of haunted rooms…lol.) But other dorms have wellness floors and you sign a pledge sheet. And of course, lots of kids simply choose not to drink and party, even if they socialize with people who may…or they may choose to just hang out with kids who are non drinkers. You will find all types of people in college. It can be a bit of a shock at first, but just stay focused on your own agenda and school work. Nobody forces you to do anything. Its part of being in the real world and growing up, even if you decide not to be like some of the wild kids who show up. All dorms can be noisy. And that is an adjustment at first. Thank goodness most of Fordham classes are not in the early morning, so if you are up until 100am studying or with “noise”, you can sleep in. Very few classes start at 830am. I know some kids who have never had an 830am class. Even if you do, you can always get sleep in the afternoon.</p>

13

<p>I see. Do you know anything about Fordham’s computer science program? I’m thinking of taking it either alongside the MIS program, or as a minor.</p>

14

<p>Nope. I sure don’t. Sorry. But I strongly suggest you go to Fordham’s website, find the department and faculty member and EMAIL them directly and pose your questions. Tell them you are considering applying to Fordham and making inquiry about the program. Good luck!</p>

<p>Also, you don’t officially declare your major until sophomore year. That gives you time to acclimate to Fordham, take a variety of core classes and see if you change your mind. Plenty do. So don’t lock yourself into a major, double major, or major-minor just yet. Relax and enjoy the scenery!</p>

15

<p>Ghostbuster, two questions for you if you don’t mind.</p>

<ol>
<li>I’m applying to Fordham and this is my chance thread: </li>
</ol>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/791061-above-average-guy-above-average-schools.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/791061-above-average-guy-above-average-schools.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Would you mind letting me know how I’m looking?</p>

<ol>
<li>I want to study Business Administration. My math scores in HS have been my worst generally. 90avg ALG1, 76avg GEO, 81ish avg TRIG, currently ~90avg PRECALC. Also, with my current 570 Math SAT (Which I honestly really underperformed on), I’m thinking it might be beneficial to not apply as a business major. I’m confident I can do the math, I’m just guilty of having been lazy in applying myself in GEO/TRIG. Do you think I should apply to Rose Hill, as an English major, which is my strong point (93ish average for 3yrs/680CR/660W), and then Xfer into CBA if accepted?</li>
</ol>

<p>Thank you!</p>