<p>Academic Prestige:
- Georgetown
- Notre Dame
- Boston College
- Holy Cross = Villanova
- Fordham</p>
<p>The difference between Nova and Fordham is so minimal it doesn’t matter. Pick the school that best suits you, the 2 are very different.</p>
<p>LilyEmery, my son is looking into both schools. What would you say are the main differences between them?</p>
<p>Villanova: small to medium, regional university as classified by US News and World Report: ranked #1 in the Northeast region (this includes Marist, Fairfield, Scranton, Manhattan, etc), few post graduate programs, nice suburb of Philly, great sports programs, very good academics. Kids at VU love VU.</p>
<p>Fordham: medium sized national university as classified by US News and World Report; ranked #53 in the national university category (this includes the Ivies, MIT, Michigan, Georgetown, Notre Dame, etc). 4 undergraduate, 6 graduate schools, 3 campuses in/around NYC: main in Bronx, one in Manhattan and one in Westchster. Very good academics, Kids at Fordham love Fordham.</p>
<p>You can’t go wrong with either…</p>
<p>They had different vibes. Villanova seemed to be more wealthy and preppy (although Fordham also has it’s share of rich preppy students). I did not like that Nova had a Greek system (this was highlighted during my visit because I stayed with a sorority girl). Fordham all in all just felt more welcoming for me personally, although ultimately went to Holy Cross. A good friend of mine is at Fordham and loves it NYC is a much better place (in my opinion) than Philly.</p>
<p>Thank you RamRay and LilyEmery!!</p>
<p>Nova2011;</p>
<p>You clearly love your school, but I wonder about some of your statements: you list “the top five catholic colleges are considered…”</p>
<ol>
<li>Notre Dame</li>
<li>Georgetown </li>
<li>Boston College</li>
<li>Villanova</li>
<li>Holy Cross "</li>
</ol>
<p>But on different sites, somehow Fordham is included. On [Top</a> 20 Catholic Colleges and Universities in America](<a href=“http://www.america.edu/top_20_catholic_colleges_and_universities_in_america.html]Top”>Top 20 Catholic Colleges and Universities in America - America Education) …for 2010 (no order, just listiing)</p>
<p>Top 20 Catholic Colleges and Universities in America SchoolAcceptance RateEnrolment RateSAT scoreLocation
1University of Notre Dame29%50%2118South Bend, Indiana
2Georgetown University19%45%2093Washington D.C
3Boston College30%25%2015Chestnut-Hill, Massachusetts
4Villanova University46%27%1923Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
5Thomas Aquinas College78%71%1905Santa Paula, California
6Fordham University50%15%1860Bronx, New York
7Loyola University- New Orleans58%33%1843New Orleans, Louisiana
8Saint Louis University-Main Campus71%23%1829St. Louis, Missouri
9University of Dallas92%33%1825Irving, Texas
10Santa Clara University58%21%1824Santa Clara, California
11University of San Diego49</p>
<p>Note the acceptance rate for Fordham (50%) is not too different from VU (46%).</p>
<p>Also on [Top</a> Ranked Catholic Colleges | eHow.com](<a href=“http://www.ehow.com/list_6574125_top-ranked-catholic-colleges.html]Top”>http://www.ehow.com/list_6574125_top-ranked-catholic-colleges.html), Only 3 schools are listed: Notre Dame, Holy Cross and Fordham. While you may exclude Fordham from your list of the best Catholic schools, seems many others always include it.</p>
<p>Just saying…/;^)</p>
<p>Time Magazine article on the Best Catholic Colleges:</p>
<p>At their classical best. Catholic colleges and universities are bountiful providers of sound lawyers, doctors, civil servants, teachers. A half-dozen schools, besides Notre Dame, are outstanding: </p>
<p>Washington, D.C.'s Georgetown University boasts a famed School of Foreign Service, about half its students non-Catholic, and graduates officers for the State Department and diplomatic posts abroad. Also in the “Catholic Ivy League,” and considered by many Catholics to be academically superior to Georgetown, is Holy Cross, in Worcester, Mass.</p>
<p>Read more: [Education:</a> BEST CATHOLIC COLLEGES - TIME](<a href=“http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,938328,00.html#ixzz1t5gBDimZ]Education:”>http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,938328,00.html#ixzz1t5gBDimZ)</p>
<p>LOL. The date on that Time Magazine article is Friday, Feb. 09, 1962.</p>
<p>Love the reference to the 1962 Time Magazine article!</p>
<hr>
<p>Fordham is a great school , I know a few very successful Wall St types that went to Fordham , Villanova is also very good. Not in the prestige of Gtown or ND , but still a good school. Go where you will be happy and succeed.</p>
<p>That being said , the Fordham , BC , HC , Nova debate has been discussed at length on the various forums:</p>
<p>Here is a previous thread that covers a lot of ground (the data is from class of 2010 freshman class):</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/villanova-university/1173994-better-villanova-holy-cross-2.html#post12897575[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/villanova-university/1173994-better-villanova-holy-cross-2.html#post12897575</a> </p>
<p>Villanova Freshman retention rate 95% & 6yr graduation rate 90%.
Fordham Freshman retention rate 90% & 6yr graduation rate 79%.</p>
<p>Fordham does not publish Common Data Sets (neither does BC) , so comprehensive SAT analysis is difficult , but Villanova tops Fordham by 20 points in Critical reading and 40-50 points is Math for enrolled students with a quick comparison on College Board. </p>
<p>As far as National / Regional classification in USNWR , a search of methodology reveals that it has nothing to do with national recognition.</p>
<p>The fact that Fordham is categorized as a National University and Villanova is not, is all about Masters & Doctoral Degrees conferred and nothing else.</p>
<p>Have to take a bit of an exception with your statement, Brave Ulysses, that "The fact that Fordham is categorized as a National University and Villanova is not, is all about Masters & Doctoral Degrees conferred and nothing else. "</p>
<p>It has EVERYTHING to do with why VU gets a #1 ranking in Northeast and why Fordham is 53rd in National; VU is compared to a very small, local group of schools that is considered in the same class as VU. That #1 ranking is not compared to Georgetown, Notre Dame, the Ivies, the big state schools…or Fordham. VU is compared to schools like Marist, Fairfield, Iona, Scranton etc. This is why it is hard to get objective values by experts in comparing one kind of school to another. With factors that go beyond acceptance rates, SATs etc., how would VU fare in the National category when all the other National University factors are brought into the fray? While FU reports it’s aggregate SATs and acceptance for 4 undergraduate schools, what is easily overlooked is that one of them is a School of General Studies, something VU does not have, so those 20 points you are so proud of would not be the case if FU didn’t have (or report) the SATs from SGS. There is no false reporting of data by FU so they are where they are; all schools accounted for.</p>
<p>Look, VU is a great school, but some here are so vesting in believing that you are “Better” than a different class of school as to focus on bits of info and not on the big picture. Some kids will like VU better, some Fordham, but there IS a difference between national and regional and it is not just the # of graduate degrees.</p>
<p>Regarding "Have to take a bit of an exception with your statement, Brave Ulysses, that "The fact that Fordham is categorized as a National University and Villanova is not, is all about Masters & Doctoral Degrees conferred and nothing else. "</p>
<p>My post is about the methodology of the categorization , not about the ranking withing the categories… Regional category in USNWR has nothing to do with national reputation , but the degrees conferred…</p>
<p>Regarding “so those 20 points you are so proud”</p>
<p>Just pointing out a measurable metric , no personal bias. Villanova publishes a common data set , other private schools do not.</p>
<p>Regarding “how would VU fare in the National category when all the other National University factors are brought into the fray?”</p>
<p>Villanova has studied this recently and estimated that using USNWR ranking methodology , Villanova would rank between low 30’s and high 40’s.</p>
<p>Sorry Brave Ulysses, I didn’t come on here to provoke anything, just wanted to point out factors not looked at by many or just to address some misconceptions about the rankings.</p>
<p>I have no doubt that Villanova would “rank themselves in the low 30’s high 40’s”. The fact is USN&WR does not and that is all we can know for sure.</p>
<p>I have posted on other VU threads as to what a great school VU is. I just take exception when I think some facts can be presented in a biased way.</p>
<p>@Ramray the link you provided with only three schools listed does not have credibility. Fordham and holy cross cannot and should not be considered academically stronger than Georgetown. Also no BC?</p>
<p>@Ramray your first link also shows how what I ranked as the top five schools are generally considered the top five catholic colleges. The link agrees with my ranking and if it had included Holy cross at all it would have been at #5 because its SAT scores are above thomas aquinas but just below bova. (I think their rankings were based off SAT scores). That would place Fordham at #6/#7.</p>
<p>Regarding villanova being compared to other “peer” schools on the regional list is just not correct. Those regional universities are not similar in academic caliber to villanova. SAT scores alone show that Villanova is closer to Georgetown than Fairfield(#2 on usnews regional) is to villanova. Avg sat score at Gtown 1390, nova 1300, Fairfield 1160 according to college board. Accepetance rate at nova is also 20% more selective than at Fairfield. 43% villanova vs 63% fairfield. Academic caliber at Villanova has long been considered roughly analogous to Lehigh (#38 on usnews) and Case Western reserve (#38) in terms of SAT scores, selectivity, retention rate and student to faculty ratio. That being said it would be reasonable to rank villanova between 35 and 40.</p>
<p>44% accepted to Nova
SAT Test Scores *
Critical Reading: 590-680
Math: 620-710
ACT Composite Scores *
28-31</p>
<p>42% accepted to Fordham
Critical Reading: 570-670
Math: 580-670
Writing: 570-680
ACT Composite Scores *
25-30</p>
<p>(College Board)</p>
<p>Do rankings really matter this much? Find the school that’s a good fit for you and don’t worry about these made up numbers. But if you really care, Forbes compares them directly: Fordham 162… Nova 119.</p>
<p>^Doesn’t forbes rate them based off financial aid percentage and does not really factor academic quality in?</p>
<p>How does west point top Harvard for academia? How does Union college top Upenn, Georgetown, and Cornell? How does BC and holy cross top almost all the ivy leagues except HYP? I am sorry but columbia, penn, cornell and georgetown are definitely academically stronger than BC, Holy cross, the military academies, haverford, union college and on…</p>
<p>I was just throwing those numbers out there. I already said I don’t think they actually mean anything. All rankings are meaningless and arbitrary. The focus on which school is “better” is just silly. They are all so different. Different environments, programs, etc. Harvard may be great but might not be the right environment for a particular student. Going back the original post Fordham and Nova are very different, but both quality. Acceptance rates and scores seem to point to them being peer schools. So pick the one that’s you prefer and forget the randomly assigned numbers.</p>
<p>^agreed…</p>