Hello! Our S has been accepted to both the Gabelli and Robins Business Schools. He really likes both campuses, and feels each school would offer him great opportunities. His goal is to choose the school that would help him eventually gain a spot in a top graduate program for finance after undergrad. We are from NY, so there is a slight feeling that attending Richmond might give him the “quintessential” college experience of being away and experiencing life in a different region. Greek life or lack thereof is not a deal breaker for him. We would appreciate any insight regarding internship opportunities, study abroad opportunities and any other information from past/present students/parents, which could help us navigate towards a decision. We were impressed with the presentation the current students of Gabelli gave during Fordham’s Open House; they seemed to be very happy with their education and opportunities and they were very welcoming. (We will be attending Accepted Students Days for both schools next month.) Thank you in advance!
If there is not a big cost difference, I would decide on the following:
- New York City vs. Richmond -- does he want to stay home in this awesome city, or would he be cool with southern charm and warmer winters?
- Smaller classes and more direct prof contact at Richmond -- are these things important to him?
- The more laid-back vibe of a southern school or the hustle and bustle of NYC? More space in a more pampered environment, or more things to do in the city?
^^^ Not sure if URichmond would have much smaller classes. My S graduated from Gabelli a few years ago and had almost all pretty small (35 or under, a few much smaller) classes and although he is a quiet kid he had no problems developing close relationships with a number of professors at Fordham.
I should add that I do think there are differences such as (but not limited to) overall vibe, location, the core curriculum (Fordham has a large liberal arts core with very little flexibility). I think if your S attends both accepted students days he will come away with a preference.
The Core is real. Pay close attention to that.
Thank you, @happy1 and @suzyQ7. Would you mind elaborating a bit about the core curriculum and lack of flexibility? My son is currently leaning toward Fordham so I just want to be fully informed “beyond the brochures”. Thank you in advance.
The core curriculum changed a bit since my S was at Fordham but it can be found online. Most Jesuit colleges have a large liberal arts core curriculum which includes classes in philosophy, theology, English, history etc. My S went to Gabelli and the plus of the core was that I felt he really had a strong and broad based liberal arts education in addition to his business education. The negative is that his program was pretty regimented and he had very few free electives over the four years. I would say that overall my S felt the core forced him to broaden his horizons and become a better writer but I do think he would have liked a couple more free electives during his college career. If your S comes in with college credit he may be able to use some of it to satisfy some core classes. https://www.fordham.edu/info/20317/core_curriculum