Fordham vs. Boston College

Colleges and Universities A-Z Fordham University
1

<p>I've read a lot about the differences between Fordham and Villanova (campus vibe and diversity seem to be two of the biggest difference point out). However, I have not seen information about how Fordham and BC stack up.</p>

<p>Any thoughts on the differences regarding:
Academic Quality
Types of Students (preppy, earthy, sporty??)
Diversity (ethnic, economic and geographic)
School Spirit
Campus Locations
(and any other things anyone cares to compare)</p>

<p>A BC student told me "Hands down, BC is the better school academically and we have much better alumni support and connections. Our school spirit is better. Villanova matches up more closely than Fordham...but even Villanova can't touch us. It is ND or BC, if you want quality". He came off as VERY arrogant to me and was, sadly, the only student we had an extended conversation with when we briefly stopped at BC. I don't care for kids that have to bash other schools to build theirs up.</p>

<p>Now I'd love to hear from some Fordham students on how they differ from BC in good or bad ways. Is Fordham a back up to BC and ND as he indicated? I would not care (I am looking for 'fit'), but I'd like to know how Fordham students view Fordham. Been to Nova and liked the location and academics, but it seemed very 'one size fits all' and lacking totally in diversity (a student told me others refer to them as vanillanova and they hate it...as they are open and accepting but just have real trouble diversifying the school). This same student spoke highly of Fordham and said they are both great options, just very different feels to the schools.</p>

<p>Diversity, quality academics, access to an urban area, Catholic and service oriented are things I am most interested in knowing about. </p>

<p>Thanks--</p>

<p>HSG</p>

2

<p>We cant compete with the sports enthusiasts and ranking of BC. However, our faculty can match them toe to toe. I know people who think Fordham is a better school. But its subjective.</p>

<p>Boston v. New York is a classic comparison. As for jobs in Manhattan Fordham can match anyone, from anywhere. </p>

<p>The key is to look at programs and what you want from college, the city, the campus size, vibe and internships. Apply to both, see what happens and decide after visiting.</p>

<p>Fordham graduates do well with graduate school and professional school placement. Its a smaller school for undergraduates and a different campus feel. </p>

<p>You must decide what you want. Prestige is often highly overrated. Its what fits your interests and personality that matter. </p>

<p>The higher rank you go in USNWR the greater the likelihood of arrogance and so forth. </p>

<p>BC is a great school. Boston a great city. But you must look at what you want, and where you will thrive and other factors like money, location, distance from home, and such.</p>

<p>There are kids at Fordham who turned down offers at higher ranked schools and selected Fordham for scholarships, internships and just being in New York.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

3

<p>Never been to Villanova so I can’t comment on what happens there.</p>

<p>Diversity at Fordham seems fine to me. Geographic diversity is probably the worst of your three, since a majority students seem to come from within a five-hour drive, and that’s how I think it is for all but the very best schools. There’s economic diversity and some ethnic diversity–the “minority” population runs around 25-30%–although “non-hispanic black” students seem especially underrepresented among non-athletes.</p>

<p>It seems like prestige and sports are the main reasons people go to BC over Fordham (Gtown and ND are a notch above BC and are better-differentiated from Fordham). BC’s location seemed pretty boring when I visited. It’s a longer way from a less-exciting city. BC’s campus is slightly nicer; Fordham has great National Merit scholarships. Again, in name recognition and sports, BC has a definite advantage, but Fordham has solid academics and sports teams (except for men’s basketball) that compete well within their leagues.</p>

<p>School spirit at Fordham is OK–there aren’t Michigan-type people who get into football arguments 20 years after graduating, but there aren’t CUNY-type people who, for all you know, go to community college.</p>

<p>Campus locations are great. RH is in the fertile crescent between the 2 train and the D train, nestled right up against Bronx Park (the botans and the zoo), while is in a midtownifying area near Clinton, the theatre district, Central Park, etc.</p>

4

<p>Many, many years ago BC did not have the reputation it does today and BC and FU were very similar. Thanks to the national exposure of big time sports (often called the Flutie Effect), BC saw a big spurt in interest, applications and alumni giving that has pushed them into their current position…and good for them, as I like to see all Jesuit schools do well. Having an endowment of 1.7 billion makes a BIG difference in a schools standing and ranking. BC is a fine school with tons of school (nee sports) spirit and they fancy themselves a Notre Dame East.</p>

<p>Fordham is unique and has a lot to take pride in, but sports, well…New York City is not really a college sports town and we don’t have a billion dollar endowment. But I will put up Fordhams successful alumni against BCs any day (check out each alumni listing on Wiki).</p>

<p>Both are fine schools with different vibes. As said here, you need to visit both to see which is a better fit. As to the comment that BC has “A much better alumni support and connections…” I totally disagree as far as NYC is concerned…in the NYC area outside of the Ivies and some of the top 20 schools, Fordham has more graduates and alumni connections. But fair is fair and BC is a higher ranked school with excellent programs.</p>

<p>Arguments can be made for each. As far as the three school in question I will say this: if you want a job in Philly, your best bet is Villanova. If you want Boston, BC is the the school. In NYC, Fordham has the most pull. Now outside of that, any of these three will give you a good education; it is up to the individual to make his/her mark and be a success.</p>

5

<p>Hi there! I’m currently a Fordham freshman in the Fordham College at Rose Hill Honors Program. I was also accepted to College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program at Boston College, and my boyfriend is currently a freshman in the Carroll School of Management Honors Program. I think I have sufficient knowledge of both schools so hopefully I can help!</p>

<p>In terms of prestige, BC has us beat. It’s no secret that BC is a more common name, and they’re a larger school so they are definitely a bit above Fordham in terms of reputation. However, the academics at Fordham are just as strong and I would 100% consider them equals in that respect. I absolutely adore my professors and all of my classes are so interesting and engaging and my boyfriend has said the same thing. In addition, to me at least, the general feel of the schools are very similar. They are both very good Jesuit universities and emphasize a well-rounded education, not to mention they are both BEAUTIFUL.</p>

<p>In terms of location, I much prefer Fordham. We’re right in the Bronx next to Arthur Avenue (famous for its many wonderful restaurants) and it is effortless to get into Manhattan. The MetroNorth is literally about 15 feet off campus, and the D and 4 trains are only a few blocks up East Fordham Road. Not only that, but our Ram Van is a really cheap way to get directly between the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses (it’s also the safest way to get into Manhattan). I’ve been to the city so many times already and it’s such an amazing place and I love how easy it is to get there. From what my boyfriend has told me, Chestnut Hill is nice and Boston is wicked cool, so if that’s what you’re looking for then great!</p>

<p>The alumni bases are comparable so don’t believe that BC is better there. In Manhattan especially, Fordham is really popular and it’s not hard to find alums all over the city. Trust me, there are so many employers in Manhattan who are looking for Fordham kids for internships and jobs. The same can be said for BC; they have a strong connection with the greater Boston area and with many firms in the city. You won’t have any trouble finding alumni connections at either school!</p>

<p>As far as diversity goes, Fordham is much more diverse. The tri-state area (New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey) make up the majority of our students, but we are a national university and we draw kids from all over the world. Plus, we are far more racially diverse. I don’t want to sound rude, but my boyfriend has mentioned this multiple times: BC is a fairly preppy school in that most of the kids who go there are from wealthier families. That’s just something to consider.</p>

<p>The social scenes at the two schools differ greatly. Fordham doesn’t have a Greek system, so you will almost never see on campus parties so, if you’re looking to go out, you’ll have to venture into the Bronx or the city. BC has the “Mods” which are upperclassmen dorms (I believe) which throw a lot of parties if you’re looking for that. Also, we’re not as prestigious sports-wise as BC, but our football and basketball games still fill the stands with excited students and alumni, so you can still get the college sports experience. BC has a really nice stadium right on campus whereas we have a field and bleachers right on campus.</p>

<p>Lastly, I don’t know if this is a factor for you, but it was for me: money. BC does not offer merit scholarships other than a few full tuitions I believe, so all you can expect to get from them is financial aid. The bill for me was, in total, about $42,000 and for my family that was simply impossible. Fordham, on the other hand, is VERY generous with scholarships. The majority of my friends here received great scholarships. I received a huge scholarship and the final bill for me was $28,000, a very reasonable price for such an amazing school. Even if I could have afforded BC, I would have still picked Fordham.</p>

<p>You really can’t go wrong with either school. BC was lovely when I toured it as a junior, and Fordham is amazing. I love Fordham and my boyfriend loves BC, so it’s just a matter of which is best for you. Hope I helped! GO RAMS :)</p>

6

<p>How does Fordham compare to BC on the topic of religion? Where is religious tradition stronger?</p>

7

<p>BC is overall better than Fordham. It is much more selective and most of its programs are superior to those of Fordham. BC is the choice to go</p>

8

<p>That is purely subjective cardyboy. What proof do you have that BC has superior programs? I will acknowledge they are more selective as more people apply there and they have better sports…with almost 2 billion in endowment they can do more…but overall better? depends on what you quote and who you ask. The real test of how good or successful a school is, is how successful it’s graduates are. For example, In the last rankings of the Paris School of Mines which ranks over 3,000 schools, lists the top 700 according to how many graduates are in leading positions of Fortune 500 companies (real outcomes and very tangible proof of a school’s alumni success in the real world), Fordham is ranked 16th! Boston College? BC is, well, 216th <a href=“Highly-ranked French engineering school - MINES PARISTECH”>Highly-ranked French engineering school - MINES PARISTECH;

<p>So consider many things before you conclude BC is superior to any school</p>

9

<p>In terms of prestige and academics, BC wins hands down. I’ve met many numerous of Fordham kids (mostly in the Gabelli school of business) who were rejected from BC several times. My roommate was rejected from BC twice.</p>

<p>Other if you’re judging these schools based on location or other factors, that’s highly debatable and that goes down to personal preference.</p>

10

<p>My S is a senior at Fordham LC. He was accepted to BC but it was never higher than third on his list behind top choice Fordham and then NYU.</p>

<p>What? You ask. But BC is a higher ranked school than Fordham. How could anyone like it better??? :)</p>

<p>I hope OP came to visit and decided to apply. Some of the posters gave really helpful feedback and descriptions about what Fordham is like. Others…not so much. It is simply not true that BC’s programs are all more prestigious and therefore better academics than Fordham’s. And what is with this idea of prestige that permeates cc anyway? Far better to make choices in your life based on what YOU think than to worry about others opinions.</p>

11

<p>notgoodenough how is one rejected several times from college? That is one kid focused on one school and we all know those kids at EVERY school. My S is a junior currently abroad and his close friends are kids that Chose the intimacy of a campus in a world class city. Closest friends were accepted to BC honors, BC regular programming, NYU, U Mich, UNC. and others. In the end they chose merit aid, NYC for crying out loud and the opportunity to make Fordham his school and NYC his campus. He has already had 2 school year internships and done 2 abroad opportunities including a GO program to Ecuador and is currently in Spain. He had the confidence to choose a school ranked 20 points lower on US News because Fordham was the fit. Have you ever seen the campus? My recollection is BC admits little to none commuter students while Fordham prides themselves on being connected to the community. This can affect “graduation rates” and this is part of USNW rankings. So it endowment. BC is an awesome school. In so many ways… but it is not the best experience for kids looking for true city opportunities and complete socio economic diversity. funny thing is I have a daughter graduating this year. Admitted to Fordham but she is not a city girl. Her major is not a fit at Fordham. She would not venture into city opportunities. I LOVE THIS SCHOOL for my son. She is admitted and considering BC. I literally love the kids that choose the best fit on the pro and con list and not on " current ranking". </p>

12

<p>My kid graduated both Fordham and BC. Loved both for very different reasons. Loved Boston. Loved the Bronx. </p>

<p>Fordham University President, Rev. Joseph McShane, S.J. is a New York native but a graduate of BC (B.A. and M.A.). There are several faculty at Fordham with BC credentials. There are faculty and deans at BC who either have Fordham degrees or taught at Fordham. I know one in particular who has extremely high praise for Fordham and its students.</p>

<p>Vibe is subjective. Observations can be subjective. Some people will pick up on the “preppy” thing at BC, but they also exist at Fordham. Some BC kids will find work in New York, or attend law or graduate school in New York. But most Fordham students end up working in and around New York, and have that New York swagger…not intended as pejorative, but as a positive. Fordham kids tend to be focused and very competitive and hard working. Even in areas like sociology and social work. </p>

<p>Prestige is important to some but less important to others and many view prestige through the prism of USNWR rankings. Others through a more discerned approach of department (major) reputation, or even a professor’s (mentor) reputation. </p>

<p>Fordham kids get into Ivy League graduate programs and law school and medical school. </p>

<p>It comes down to personal choice and what is important to each individual and how they view Boston v. New York for lifestyle. Boston is a quintessential college town with so many major universities in a relatively close proximity. New York has major universities…prestigious schools like Fordham, Columbia and NYU to name three, but its the financial and media capital of the world. Its about business more then college. </p>

<p>Crowing about rankings is understandable…but its a bit sophomoric. Fordham is proud of its rise in the rankings. The quality of education at both schools is superb. The internships at both are superb…but Fordham has connections in New York for employment that are hard to beat. </p>

<p>Make your choice, pull the trigger and close the book on the schools you decline. Good luck. </p>