<p>S got accepted to Sarah Lawrence College and Fordham University. I want him to go SLC, he'd rather be in Fordham. What's the better school, really? He wants to be in Communications. He dancesnot formally trainedso the attraction of the Alvin Ailey Dance Center is a factor for him wanting to be in Fordham. Then again I tell him Rahm Emanuel went to SLC, which is why he applied to the college in the first place. </p>
<p>Can anybody help me here? Thanks.</p>
<p>I believe the Fordham Alvin Ailey program is open only to dance majors --it is an exceptional program, but not really available to students outside the BFA program. I don’t think your son would be able to take classes via the Fordham program as a communication major, though the Alvin Ailey studios do offer open classes to the public (at an extra cost, of course). (You’ll want to double check, but my daughter is a dancer majoring in an academic subject; she applied to Fordham Lincoln Center a as a last-minute safety on her college list, but I’m pretty sure we checked it out and the dance classes were not available to her.)</p>
<p>SLC presents a more challenging course of study overall. If he likes to write, likes small classes that require that he think, he should be quite happy. Very little rote study at SLC.
The dance program there is headed by Sarah Rudner, whose dance pedigree is impressive. The department itself is strong all-around and even without formal background, he would have lot’s of varied opportunities to participate as a non-major.</p>
<p>The Fordham experience he would get in non-conservatory dance would be quite different. He would have the core requirements and unless he auditions for the very competitive BFA program, his dance exposure will actually be very limited. If Ailey is the draw to F-LC, he should contact someone there and find out what his potential access to the program might be. That said, the F-LC is a more traditional school than SLC.</p>
<p>Thanks, calmom.
Thanks, hop.</p>
<p>I really appreciate this.</p>
<p>S also got into the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and Pitzer College in Claremont, California. But right now he’s down to choosing between SLC and Fordham, with him leaning a little more towards Fordham.</p>
<p>Any more opinions out there?</p>
<p>You should probably post questions in the respective forums for the schools on this board. You might get more responses.</p>
<p>My D was in same boat, although she was accepted into the BFA program at Fordham. She ultimately wanted an academic setting rather than a conservatory and has never looked back. She dances at SLC and loves the school. It’s small, writing focused, and right outside NYC .</p>
<p>Your son would not be able to take as many dance classes outside the BFA program, but Fordham and the Lincoln Center location are terrific. He would be getting a fine education at either school.</p>
<p>Sarah Lawrence!!</p>
<p>Mama BO–has your son visited Sarah Lawrence or Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus? I’d urge him to do so if he hasn’t. The two are very different.</p>
<p>BP, I had initially thought to do just that, go into the particular forums, but the rah-rahs go louder in there and I wanted unbiased opinions. </p>
<p>Bromfield, S is an international student. He won’t be getting to the US until a week or so before the fall term starts. I’m here right now, though, and will perhaps be in a position to check the two schools out, and hey. Entering the equation is Pitzer College, which he happens to like, too. Oh, dear.</p>
<p>BP, I had initially thought to do just that, go into the particular forums, but the rah-rahs go louder in there and I wanted unbiased opinions. </p>
<p>Bromfield, S is an international student. He won’t be getting to the US until a week or so before the fall term starts. I’m here right now, though, and will perhaps be in a position to check the two schools out, and hey. Entering the equation is Pitzer College, which he happens to like, too. Oh, dear.</p>
<p>First of all, SL and Fordham are very different. SL is in a little corner of suburbia and is a small LAC, mostly female. Fordham LC is in the midst of the upper west side NYC and is truly a Manhattan school. Big, big difference in atmosphere. At Fordham, he would live in a high rise apt style dorm; at SL more the traditional college dormitories. The SL kids tend to be more artsy as a group.</p>