<p>Thank you for you comments, glassharmonica.</p>
<p>It sounds like your son has a tough decision to make! </p>
<p>Considering how much med school costs, I think it would be nice to have your undergrad payed for! And Fordham is an excellent school with a strong reputation. But, Georgetown is another excellent school and at the end of the day, it does a bit of a better reputation than Fordham. </p>
<p>How does location play into things for your son? Fordham and Georgetown are about 4 hours apart from each other. Does he want to live in a smaller city like DC or the large NYC? Does he enjoy politics and history which DC offers a lot of? Does he enjoy broadway shows? Which one is closer to home or farther away depending on how far he wants to go?</p>
<p>If Georgetown gives you a good amount of aid, then I would say it comes down to location.</p>
<p>The quality of education will not far surpass Fordham at Georgetown. That is an urban myth. What will happen is you will be among a lot of legacy at Georgetown with power parents and kids with LOTS of money and kids with higher SAT scores. In short, a social strata. If that is what you are all about by all means go for Georgetown. </p>
<p>Frankly, getting into medical school is all about grades and MCAT scores. Bazillions of kids get into prestitigious medical schools from even lower tier schools every year. I would go to the school where you believe you will thrive the best and get the best grades.</p>
<p>Fordham premed is not a skate or somehow easier than anywhere else. Its rigorous and demanding and often exhausting. </p>
<p>You need to save your money for medical school. Take Fordham’s offer and be glad. Congratulations and welcome to Fordham!</p>
<p>Thank you gardy 24 and sovereigndebt for your words of advice. I think my son is leaning towards Fordham after much discussion and reading all the wise posts here. He is still waiting for a couple of Ivies and one 7-year medical program that he applied to. Those are long shots but we will have to wait and see. I have to say this process is extremely stressful for us. Lots for a 17-year-old to decide on.</p>
<p>It is definetely a lot for a 17 year old to decide! </p>
<p>I am a current Fordham freshman and even though I said to strongly consider Georgetown, I cannot say enough good things about Fordham. It is a great school and I am sure he will love it if he goes there!</p>
<p>Thanks, gardy24!</p>
<p>Dear Omzac, Congratulations. My daughter just graduated from Georgetown and my son attends Fordham. She turned down Cornell, Notre Dame, Northwestern, Univ VA, UNC, & Fordham among others to attend Georgetown. Son, while very bright, decided not to apply to Georgetown, because he didn’t want to work hard like his sister (@^@). My dh and I are Fordham alumni so Fordham is close to our heart. I can tell you without a doubt that my daughter had the 4 best years of her life at Georgetown. It is what I call the ultimate college experience - what every student believes college will be. She would not have had this same exerience if she attended Fordham. The tradition, culture, academics, environment and location all attributed to this experience.</p>
<p>If she had attended Fordham, she would have been one of the brightest students at the University. At Georgetown, she was one among many with equal and superior intellect. The quality of the education at Georgetown does surpass Fordham. That is just a fact and anyone who says it does not, is uninformed or not being honest. The quality of Georgetown’s education is far superior.</p>
<p>That being said, your son will most likely excel at Fordham if he applies himself, and if his focus is on medical school, his superior grades at Fordham will be an advantage. His grades may not be as good if he attends Georgetown - it all depends on where he falls among his peers. While he may be tops in his high school, he may not be tops at Georgetown. </p>
<p>Georgetown has the hospital right on campus, so that is an advantage for a pre-med student.</p>
<p>Also a full-ride is a HUGE consideration. Georgetown generally does not give scholarships. They will give financial aid. My son is enjoying his experience at Fordham. He is doing well and definitely not working as hard as his sister. His college experience is very different from his sister’s exprience, but he is happy and that means so am I.</p>
<p>I’d suggest you visit the schools during their open house weekends. Cornell was very, very nice too, but I thought too large, and not very catholic. Good luck with the Ivy’s. He may have several more great choices shortly. Univ of Miami, I believe, has a great medical program. Did he apply there?</p>
<p>NYmama, I sent you a private message.</p>
<p>Far superior? Uniformed? Geez. Sounds more like prestige-itis to me.</p>
<p>Can you please spell out in detail how courses and professor’s credentials at Georgetown are far superior? </p>
<p>I give you the SAT scores of incoming Freshmen. Traditions? Doesnt Fordham have those? </p>
<p>Not saying your kid or any kid wouldnt have a superb experience at Georgetown. Not saying its not a fabulous school, particularly the pre med and also the Walsh School. But I will tell you that the quality of an education has to do with a LOT of what the student brings and how hard they work. </p>
<p>Your daughter worked hard at Georgetown? Kudos. My daughter worked to exhaustion at Fordham and was rewarded handsomely, and btw got into some pretty prestigious graduate programs, including Columbia Unversity.</p>
<p>People, particularly in the northeast, tend to be prestige hounds. What would we do in THIS situation? Can’t deny a Georgetown admission letter isn’t powerful. But money talks and prestige walks. Its not like Fordham isnt worth anything or is somehow an easy school. </p>
<p>Georgetown IS full of rich kids, legacy kids and government powerbroker’s kids. For some, that is what they are all about. Fine. Good luck. </p>
<p>Fordham is a top tier Jesuit school with nothing to be ashamed of. Fordham graduates get into top Law schools (including Yale and Harvard) and Medical Schools (Yale and Harvard and Cornell). </p>
<p>Being Fordham alumni, I would hope that you would encourage a STRONG candidate with a full ride to attend Fordham…because Fordham wants and needs these stellar candidates in their incoming classes. Georgetown can fill their roster all day long with kids like this. A dime a dozen there. I am all about helping Fordham and encouraging kids to attend Fordham…making the Fordham experience fabulous for all. And it is.</p>
<p>Btw, I lived and worked in DC for several years. ;-)</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your post sovereigndebt! You always give me lots to think about.</p>
<p>Big vote for Fordham here. Disregard all posts about education quality of prestige-- a full tuition at a decent college like Fordham is not something you ignore. Plus, your son is very likely to get into the Honors program. I am in the FCLC Honors program and most kids here also received full tuition scholarships. Not saying it’s a guarantee, but there is a good chance. Honors program + good grades is a good formula for grad school admissions, and that’s without the internship opportunities NYC will offer.</p>
<p>I got into way more prestigious and “better” colleges than Fordham. I chose Fordham mostly because it’s not terrible, I like NYC, I didn’t feel out of place when I visited, and I am graduating without debt in a time where student loan debt is one of the biggest and most notorious problems in education.</p>
<p>It would be irresponsible for any adult to encourage a Strong candidate toward one school simply because, as you say, a school “needs these stellar candidates in their incoming classes”. This decision should NOT be based on what the University needs but based on what is best for the student and the student’s family.</p>
<p>No interest in arguing with you mama. Its your opinion, which I don’t share. I believe its irresponsible to send a kid to a school, turning away a full scholarship, if they are intending on attending medical school which is extremely expensive, particularly when that decision is based on prestige and a mythical belief that its vastly superior in content and professor’s credentials. Nor did I state that choosing Fordham should be made exclusively on the notion of helping Fordham. </p>
<p>We don’t agree. Fine.</p>
<p>I would just like to say Gl.</p>
<p>What does GI mean?</p>
<p>I say go with the best package. Med school is $$$$$. Jesuit core is good at both. Both exciting cities. Unless you like one mascot more than the other 
Rams or Hoyas???
…but GTown’s bull dog is pretty cute!</p>
<p>Thanks for your comment, marybee333! I really appreciate all of you who took the time to comment on our predicament. It is really helpful to get different opinions.</p>
<p>I won’t vote for either G’town or Fordham but just give you our experience. By way of background I attended Georgetown Law and our daughter faced a similar decision before the Great Recession–Fordham with major scholarship or a top 30 school in the NE with no money. She was interested in medical school and was going to take pre-med courses and major in biology. She agonized for some time and finally picked Fordham. We are from the SW so this was a major culture shock for her to absorb. </p>
<p>To make a long story short she loved Fordham, did extremely well, stayed in NYC after graduation to work at a medical school on a research project for a couple of years, applied and was accepted at several good medical schools. She is now completing her first year. She would tell you that she never regretted her decision to go to Fordham. I certainly concurred given the difference in the financial outlay and the cost of medical school.</p>
<p>About the only real difference that i see in preparation for medical school is probably the strength of the science programs. Georgetown has more to offer in this regard including a new building. Fordham is improving in this area but is not yet there.</p>
<p>Thanks, phoenixdad for offering your opinion. Best of luck to your daughter in med school.</p>
<p>Congrats to one fabulous kid. Med school admission is based on GMATs, grades and recommendations. Your kid must do well on tests, to get the Fordham scholarship, so will do fine at Fordham. Med schools also want volunteer/community service in the health field. No problem getting that when you are at Fordham, and on scholarship, your kid will have the time to do this.</p>