<p>Forgive me, mimikat, but I’m having a hard time feeling sorry for your S’s predicament! 
My S applied to higher ranked schools but Fordham is his top choice. We are still waiting for his official offer of admission and so don’t know anything about money yet other than there is money for athletes and money for high SAT’s. We are praying that there is some money for performing artists as well given the prestige of their Theatre program.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>inb4gb.</p>
<p>Your son has excellent scores. He should not wasting his potential on Fordham. He should be going to a top 20/30 school. However, you need to consider that he will simply be “common” in these schools, and, thus, he will not receive a considerable scholarship. Your son is left with two options: a) go to a school that fits him intellectually and will have to pay some (or most) of the tuition, b) go to a school where he is in the top 10% and pays none of the tuition. </p>
<p>If I was him, I’d go with option A.</p>
<p>She never said son, she said kid. It is actually her D, based on other posts.</p>
<p>I agree with Monoclide except with the following caveats: 1) You can afford the partial or full tuition without taking on much debt; 2) I would say schools through the top 50 can provide an intellectual atmosphere, but the rest of the pieces about that school have to fit also. Schools have personalities akin to a “corporate culture” with lots of subcultures, and one can only make a best effort to (and hope to) find the right one.</p>
<p>Well, this is a Fordham thread and people here are normally Fordham fans and will recommend Fordham over just about anything. Fair enough. But be very wary of the prestige hounds, particularly kids who are just entering college and really dont know anything other than what their peers say and USNWR says. They have a right to their opinions, but just put it in perspective.</p>
<p>I dont ever try and convince someone to do something based on my personal objectives, that is disingenuous and self serving. Rather, I tell people to come to Fordham because its Fordham and they feel like they can excel there and achieve their best potential. You will be very surprised when you get to Fordham, if you come, how smart the students are and how many have UBER high stats. My D knows several people with 2300 PLUS SATs. They all turned down higher ranking schools, including some Ivy League schools to come to Fordham. It depends on the individual student and what they really want out of a college experience. For some, NYC is the best option and Fordham (particularly Rose Hill) offers a classic college campus experience, with sports, gorgeous campus and tight nit community, while being in the center of NYC. Unparalleled opportunities for internships and jobs. Its simply awesome. The faculty are superb. (You might get a dud here and there, but they are pretty rare. Check their credentials on the Fordham website by department.) </p>
<p>If you choose another school, fine. Congratulations. But a visit to Fordham can be very enlightening. </p>
<p>No school is perfect. There is always something students complain about, whether its dorm drama, cafeteria food, bureaucracy, a tough professor, culture shock, whatever. Its always a leap of faith, pardon the pun, when you make your final choice. </p>
<p>But just know that Fordham is not a slacker school or “safety school” for kids who didnt get into top tier schools, because many students DID get into top tier schools and selected Fordham for one reason or another…could be a scholarship or could be the campus or a particular program or just being in NYC. </p>
<p>You should know that Fordham does a WONDERFUL job of picking the best fruit from the tree, so to speak, after Freshman year and shepherding those students into high calibre programs/majors/honors/internships/honor societies etc. So for those who come to Fordham, and do well, you will be noticed and offered tremendous opportunities. You WONT be lost in the shuffle or become a number. </p>
<p>Fordham stands on its own merits academically. Its a rising star for good reason. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>As a Holy Cross graduate, I’ll put in a good word for fellow Jesuit school Fordham. Based on my experience with Fordham people I think that ghostbuster’s evaluation is spot on. Fordham University is, indeed, a great choice for many outstanding students.</p>
<p>I am a Fordham graduate, and my son has expressed an interest in attending my alma mater. So far, he is an excellent student and has really good extra-curriculars. Does it help a lot if you are the child of a Fordham alum?</p>
<p>I think being a legacy helps at all schools.</p>
<p>Legacy is affirmative action for white people.</p>
<p>Nice try, monoclide, but no deal–no racial component involved at all.</p>
<p>Interjecting race into the question is uncalled for and unprofessional. Legacy is a factor for any applicant whose parents or relatives attended Fordham. But I also have heard anecdotally that in years past, legacy has not helped out, even for siblings in the same family. The competitive nature of the admissions process means that the best measure of success is to be in the upper range of the 50th percentile or higher. Below that and you may be on the bubble. And finally, not all legacy is created equal. Everyone knows that celebrity is a big lure for most schools and Fordham is no exception.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Unprofessional? What are you talking about? This is a forum. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You and GB did not understand the statement. Affirmative action helps under-represented minorities (URMs) get into college. The white race is not a URM. Thus, legacy acts like affirmative action for white people: legacy helps white people get into college.</p>
<p>^True. But I’ve never understood this whole affirmative action thing. Most likely URM’s aren’t making a big scene in the admissions office if they aren’t admitted. I think the only reason being an URM helps is because a college is looking to increase diversity, while the majority of applicant (is many cases) are Caucasians.</p>
<p>Its a forum alright. Its a forum on decisions thread, not a debating society on the merits or pitfalls of affirmative action, of which there will be many diverse opinions. The immediate question was about legacy, not about race, which you monoclide, interjected into the question with an opinion about what legacy is. Fordham has one of the most diverse student bodies around for a highly selective private university. It has a high number of pellgrant recipients. It stands tall in the arena of affirmative action and otherwise having a diverse student body. But legacy refers to anyone who graduated from Fordham, not just one particular race. Your comment was far from neutral on the subject matter. </p>
<p>I really don’t know what affect legacy has on applications in the admissions process, though I do know it is a factor for some applicants. My comment was its far better to rely upon the merits of your own application, than on family and friends. If you have legacy, its perfectly legitimate to make that known, just don’t count on it getting you in if your stats are not in the upper percentile of the 50th percentile of applicants. </p>
<p>To me, in a perfect world, we would be completely needs blind, race blind and legacy blind, and “hook blind”. Just the applicants own merits from several objective factors, including extra curriculars, talent, giving back to community etc.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Exactly. And we must accept that while schools are looking to increase diversity, they are also looking to respect legacy. Take Yale for an example. We can see cases of affirmative action (quadruplets being accepted) and legacy (George Bush). </p>
<p>College applications are a bunch of pluses and minuses. If you have a 95 percentile SAT score, there is a considerable plus. If you have a slightly lower GPA, there is a minus. Ultimately, the college wants to accept students that are on the plus side. AA and Legacy can be a cute little plus for any applicant. A school will be willing to overlook your slightly low GPA if you have a plus - say AA or Legacy! 
</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Uh, what? We are not debating affirmative action. I used affirmative action as a parallel - you are the one who misunderstood the statement (twice) and are taking it completely out of proportion. </p>
<p>More so, I find it hilarious that you are undermining my opinion (which, mind you, has just as much merit as your ten thousand character walls of text) on the basis that I am “interjecting race.” </p>
<p>“Legacy is affirmative action for white people” can very well be restated as “Legacy helps.” It is basic reading comprehension. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Fordham accepts a bit less than half of all applicants. That is not “highly selective.” </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Why? I think all of these need to be accounted and acknowledged. A URM or a First Generation student is going to have a tougher time in education than students who have parents and grandparents who attended college. This does not apply for all cases, but a considerable amount of them, thus it should be considered. </p>
<p>A person is a compilation of their environment (school, geography, family life, etc) - not just their ECs or test scores. Look at a student holistically.</p>
<p>Accepted early action/ LC</p>
<p>1900/2400 3.83 W 3.4 UW</p>
<p>catholic high school in Florida</p>
<p>hispanic</p>
<p>Where in florida, greengrl? I too go to a high school. I’m in Boca Raton.</p>
<p>Accepted likely letter
GPA: 3.92UW, 5.05 W
SAT: 1470/2140
National Hispanic Scholar
Various ECs
South Florida</p>
<p>golfer28 when did you get the letter? I’m also a National Hispanic Scholar and I really want to know what’s up with my decision! So anxious…
Hopefully the decision letter will come soon!</p>
<p>Does Fordham email you the decisions or is it mail only?</p>
<p>Generally, its snail mail only. Some got likely letters early. Some may get an early email advising of acceptance, followed up by the package. But those are very few and far between. The vast majority (90% or more) wait on the mail.</p>
<p>Its coming. Be patient. Good luck.</p>