I have a bit of a problem - advice?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Fordham University
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<p>So I applied to Fordham and was accepted to the LC campus as a theatre major. Fordham gave me really good financial aid and pretty much eliminated the competition. However, now I have a little bit of a problem. When I was applying I was a little worried about being at the LC campus. I REALLY want a more traditional and typical college atmosphere with the sports and the fields and clubs/events etc. and I really love being in an environment filled with other kids like me. I went to visit the LC campus during the spring review and I wasn't too impressed... Not that it isn't a nice campus, because it is, it's just really not what I want out of college... Also I come from a tiny place and the thought of being right in the middle of the city honestly kind of scares me.. On the same day I decided to visit the Rose Hill campus (since I am planning to do some classes there) and after literally a minute on the grounds, I absolutely loved it... It's pretty much everything I'm looking for in a college...</p>

<p>So since the president's review I've been having a bit mental breakdown... I really just CANNOT see myself at Lincoln Center... I'm the kind of person that you'd never suspect was interested in Theatre and any of the arts and I know LC has more of a reputation for having more artsy people which really worries me cause I don't think I'll fit in at all.. </p>

<p>I was thinking about doing an internal transfer but that's not really an option since I can't do my major at Rose Hill and more importantly, all the financial aid I got was in relation to being a Theatre major and without that, Fordham is certainly not affordable for my family..</p>

<p>The other school I was considering was Penn State (which of course has the whole traditional college experience) but needless to stay, their reputation of giving horrible financial aid came very true for me.. </p>

<p>I really don't know what to do and I'm just really worried and frankly quite sad cause I won't be getting that college experience I've really wanted for many years... </p>

<p>Any advice?? :(</p>

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<p>Sorry to hear that. Unfortunately you are correct in that you can’t be a theater major and go to RH. BUT you can take classes at RH, get involved in extracurriculars at RH, go to sporting events at RH etc. There is a van that goes between the two campuses (the RamVan) that is free if you are taking a class and I think $3 if you are not. You can also take a subway between the two campuses. This will require some effort on your part, but spending time at RH should be do-able. </p>

<p>And once you get used to it, I think you will find that the LC campus, while not a traditional campus, is in a fantastic area in Manhattan which offers so much. In fact, most people are more intimidated by RH’s location in the Bronx than they are by LC in Manhattan.</p>

<p>It sounds like LC is the most viable option financially at this point. I would suggest you go to LC with an open mind. From what I gather (and hopefully someone will chime in) the theater students develop close friendships and love the program. Ultimately a good college experience will be decided by the education, friendships and experiences you have and not the physical campus.</p>

<p>Good luck whatever you decide.</p>

3

<p>All true ^^^. But also speak to your advisor at Fordham when you get there.</p>

<p>It sounds like this is a fait accompli now anyway and you dont have other choices. So…</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Embrace Fordham Lincoln Center and don’t make hasty judgements.</p></li>
<li><p>In all things in life, we can’t really dwell on the past or what could have been. We have to dwell on the present and the future and what is. </p></li>
<li><p>You might make fabulous friends at Fordham Lincoln Center. Not everyone at LC is in Theatre and Dance. They had a LOT of Fulbright Scholars there recently. Think about that. </p></li>
<li><p>If you are a Theatre major its clearly something inside of you that you enjoy. Nothing wrong with that. Are you a male? IS that what is irking you? You wanna be with some of the typical jocks at Rose Hill? Don’t forget that Alan Alda and Denzel Washington Jr. are Theatre graduates at Lincoln Center and they are highly respected. </p></li>
<li><p>Lots of LC kids get into Medical School and Law School as well. Yes, its smaller and a completely different type of lifestyle than Rose Hill, but don’t be afraid of Manhattan.</p></li>
<li><p>Part of being at Fordham, whether its in the gritty Bronx or high paced Manhattan, is being in New York and all its splendors and fun. Its two educations in one, which is why we say, “New York is my campus and Fordham is my school!” That is not a syllogism. Its a meaningful and accurate motto.</p></li>
<li><p>Cold feet is NORMAL for all incoming freshmen. I have seen it at Duke and UVA and Chapel Hill and all over. The best antidote is to buy the gear, embrace the school and immerse yourself in all things Fordham. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>Nothing is forever and nothing is permanent (except what history you make with your life…the past is not fixable, only the future.) You may turn out to LOVE Lincoln Center and Manhattan. You may enjoy the best of both worlds. And yes, you are VERY welcome at all sporting events. IN fact, I would recommend you get some buddies and pile in the ramvan and make it a group thingie…like a fraternity brotherhood…the Lincoln Center Boys arriving at Jack Coffey Field for some “ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL???” I’m serious. Make friends at Rose Hill. Eat dinner on Arthur Ave after the games with them. (no drinking until you are 21.) </p>

<p>My kid took classes at Lincoln Center and never once complained of an attitude problem between kids from different campuses. The change of venue was a good thing. </p>

<p>But if after one year at Lincoln Center you are still not happy, work with your advisor on how to fix that and what financial aid can do for you.</p>

<p>In the meantime, you have some financial aid/scholarships…and that is no accident and clearly you have talent, or it wouldnt have happened. Congratulations on being admitted and welcome to Fordham.</p>

<p>Its all good!</p>

4

<p>Lc is about five minute walk to central park!!! Talk about amazing location!! Not a far walk to the Theaters, Columbus and Amsterdam avenues, there’s a trader joes not to far, and everything is easily walkable</p>

<p>So go in positive and you will love it</p>

<p>And in the winter you’ll be glad everything is so close!!!</p>

5

<p>^^^ You are not kidding about LC being so ‘close’… My daughter loves that when the weather is bad, she doesn’t even have to go outside to get to classes. You can go between the dorm building and the classroom building without having to put on a coat or boots or carry an umbrella.</p>

<p>One time she had to walk across the campus at RH on a rainy night and she was soaked and freezing! She’s so glad she’s at LC!</p>

<p>Good Luck JoeFordham! You might decide you love it there. Make sure you get out, explore the city, learn how the subways work. Go out with friends to different parts of the city and it will be less intimidating.</p>

6

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<p>I was pretty excited to read that Alda went to Fordham, but upon further research found that his bio states that he graduated from Fordham in the Bronx, not LC.</p>

<p>I think a lot of this comes down to “fit.” My daughter, also accepted for theater, loves Fordham LC.</p>

<p>JoeFordham2016, have you considered calling Fordham and explaining your problem? If you are quite unhappy there, you can initiate transfer applications in the fall. However, transfers tend to get less financial aid than incoming freshmen. </p>

<p>If you are set on being a theater major, you can look into schools with more of a campus-y feel, such as Indiana University, or even Bard College (which my daughter and I visited this week, trying to figure out which school she should attend.) Bard has a non-auditioned theater major, but they have a tremendous facility (as in a theater designed by Frank Gehry) and other wonderful options. In terms of atmosphere and ambience, it is as far from Fordham LC as you can imagine. Another thought is to take a gap year and reapply to schools based on what kind of program where you would feel most comfortable, ruling out places like Fordham, NYU, and acting programs in Boston that are going to feel more urban and frenetic.</p>

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<p>My son and I attended an accepted student event for Fordham on Tuesday (yes, just a few days ago) and the Assistant Admissions Officer was CLEAR that you can take classes at both campuses OR transfer if you make the request. On Monday morning call Admissions and ask to speak to one of the admissions officers. Don’t get answers from the person who took your call unless they are an official counselor or other such role who knows the situation. Tell the officer you want to transfer from LC to RH and you need to know the process. Some universities DO NOT permit this, but Fordham DOES. Here is the website with the information about internal transfers. [Internal</a> Transfer Process](<a href=“Fordham University”>Fordham University)</p>

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<p>@laplatinum - While internal transfers between campuses are allowed, the OP’s problem is that the theater major (the program which he was accepted for) is only offered at LC and it sounds like the financial aid necessary for the OP to attend Fordham are tied into being a theater major. Therefore by leaving LC, he/she would have to give up the theater major as well as the related scholarships. Internal transfers work only if the major is offered at both campuses (which is the case for many, but not all majors).</p>

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<p>It is possible that Fordham will work with him to transfer his major and scholarship. For example, he might want to transfer to Rose Hill as an English major (like Alan Alda.) If his grades and GPA are good enough, they might be willing to work with him to bring this to effect. Or maybe not, but unless he asks them, he won’t know. </p>

<p>If his heart is set on majoring in Theater and he knows he would be unhappy at LC, he could always go to a different theater program where he was accepted and take out more loans.</p>

10

<p>Yes…I missed that. Alan Alda did attend Rose Hill. Sorry about that.</p>

<p>The bottom line for the OP is that he must decide who HE is. I suspect that what is going on is an internal struggle about who he is and what he wants from college…and a future career. We can’t decide that for him.</p>

<p>I recommend he attends LC for a year and go from there.</p>

11

<p>I have to agree with glass harmonica here regarding the importance of fit. Fordham Theatre is a wonderful program but LC is not a traditional college experience and while you can certainly try to get over to Rose Hill for some classes and activities, the reality is that you will just not have an abundance of free time as a Theatre major between classes, lab hours and rehearsals.</p>

<p>I think first you need to reflect on whether you think this is simply a case of cold feet or whether you truly feel that LC is not a good fit for you. </p>

<p>If you decide that it is the latter then think about how strongly you want to major in Theatre. You cannot major in Theatre at Rose Hill but they have an active theatre scene albeit extracurricular. Perhaps you might consider majoring in something else and see if the FA office can transfer your Theatre scholarship to an award that can be used at Rose Hill.</p>

<p>If you are certain that you want to major in Theatre and certain that LC is just not the right fit, then I would suggest you consider taking a gap year so that you can investigate other Theatre programs at schools that you can afford and would be happy to attend.</p>

<p>As I said before, Fordham Theatre is a wonderful program and I congratulate you on your acceptance and scholarship…it’s just not the right fit for everyone. My S is a sophomore Performance & Playwriting major so if you have any further questions about the program or life at LC, please feel free to ask! Good luck with your decision! :)</p>

<p>And p.s. I think Alan Alda graduated before LC even opened!</p>

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<p>Thank you all for replying. Everything that has been said here really, really helped. </p>

<p>This really has been an internal struggle…I know I’m the kind of guy that wants the whole traditional college experience. I know that I would benefit from and really enjoy such an environment. It’s sort of been something I’ve been looking forward to for many years and the fact that I wouldn’t get that environment, at least not full-time, has really made me sad and depressed. </p>

<p>I wouldn’t call myself a jock exactly but I tend to socialize and relate to those types of people much more than the artsy type and I guess that’s one of the things that has me worried, thinking that I might not fit in. Sovereigndebt, what you described with getting a bunch of people from LC together and all going to the football games and other sporting events is ideal for me. I’m definitely the kind of person that’s huge on school spirit and pride and I love going to the sporting events and being involved with all of that. That’s mainly why I applied to a school like Penn State (which was the other option before finances were concerned) since it’s well known to have that kind of environment. I really like the fact that Fordham has D1 sports and I’d love to be able to attend a lot of the games. I just really hope I’ll meet others who share that same interest. </p>

<p>I’ve talked with my family about some other possibilities and they want me to consider the thought of community college. They’d prefer I go to Fordham but they want me to have options and not feel like I don’t have a choice. I am thinking about it since it’ll give me time to really figure somethings out. At the same time though, I think I would regret it in the future. I’m not the typical theatre person and people are usually surprised when they see me in school plays and other theatrical events. I really do like theatre though and I worry if I changed my major without trying it first, I’ll one day be really upset with myself. I really like the program at Fordham and based on just that, it was definitely one of my top choices.</p>

<p>I really, really want to try and spend a lot of time at the RH campus. My brother and I were looking through all the ways of connecting to both campuses and I wanted to ask, are LC students allowed to join clubs and organizations at RH? And if so, does LC make it very possible, or is it something you kind of have to do on your own? There was one club that looked perfect for me and that was the Hellenic Society. I’m part greek (which is a really big deal in my family) and I think that would be the perfect way to meet kids at RH and hopefully make some friends there too. I want to try and join many clubs at RH (if it’s possible) right away and then sort of find the right one and hopefully meet a lot of people that way. </p>

<p>I also found out something else that made me feel a little better. I really want to do a minor/double major in another area (such as English or Communications) and I spoke to someone on the phone (from the admissions office) and she told me I could do a large amount of classes at RH and even do an entire minor there. </p>

<p>There are so many things I love about Fordham and that’s why I kind of feel like if I didn’t go and try, then I’d really regret it one day. My mom’s side of the family is from California and when I told them I got accepted at Fordham they were all really impressed. My grandfather said that he’d heard of Fordham and its strong academics all his life and the fact that his grandson might go there for college made him really proud, which in turn made me really proud of myself. </p>

<p>If I do end up going to Fordham then I’m really going to try and spend some time at RH. I think the fact that the whole college experience is available at RH (which is more than a lot of NYC universities can say) really makes me want to put in the extra effort and try and get as much of that experience as possible. </p>

<p>Im still going to try and figure everything out, so if anyone has anymore advice, then I’d really appreciate it. </p>

<p>Once again, thanks for all the advice. I really appreciate it.</p>

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<p>Okay, my friend. The answer is staring you in the face. You do Theatre at LC and minor in English at RH…which you will start in Sophomore year. </p>

<p>Remember that while LC is about Theatre and Dance, its not the only thing going on there and they have phenomenal classes in the liberal arts and sciences. I know this for a fact. They had a Cambridge Scholar in Mathematics a few years ago…tantamount to the highest award in math you can get! </p>

<p>Being at any campus is fine…but in the end, its up to you/individual to determine how that works for you. Don’t be depressed…be determined! Make your own path. Get some buddies together and do the Football games…sit with students and make friends at RH…they would love that. </p>

<p>As far as Theatre goes, that is really all about you internally and I can’t help with that, other than to say “to thine own self be true” and don’t worry what others think. If you are concerned about people razzing you about being in Theatre…be strong and be proud and stand tall. You clearly have talent. </p>

<p>I am not a huge fan of community college route except for kids who have severe financial constraints and for those truly not ready for the rigors of a liberal arts school. </p>

<p>Its up to you to decide what you make of any college experience. PennState is a fine school…but its huge. Just huge. Is that what you want? Huge classes? Wont happen at LC I can assure you. </p>

<p>I reiterate my prior comment: come to LC and give it a real good college try. Make the best of it. Pour your heart and soul into it…and enjoy both campuses. ALL FORDHAM STUDENTS ARE WELCOME at sporting events. And while the RH kids are going to hang with each other, if you are a good natured person, reliable and friendly, you can make friends there and be amongst them at games and for basketball in the winter. </p>

<p>Its a tremendous school on all accounts. You should be proud of yourself. Walk tall and be confident. </p>

<p>I have enormous respect for actors and dancers. (I have a neighbor whose kid is at Julliard, next to Lincoln Center!) Just be yourself and be determined to make your path, make friends and do it all. </p>

<p>I STRONGLY recommend football games and going to Arthur Ave for eats after the game. </p>

<p>Good luck young man, welcome to Fordham and wear that Maroon and White with pride! Go Rams!</p>

14

<p>^^^I agree, I’d give LC a chance. And yes, you can join clubs on RH with no problem. Combining experiences at LC and RH might end up giving you exactly what you want in terms of having a full college experience in a major you love. Nothing in life is perfect, but I hope this will work for you.</p>

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<p>I live about 10 minutes from the Fordham campus and I double the recommendation about Arthur Avenue! And picnics at the Botanical Gardens across the street…the zoo…It was either last year or the year before that Bono came to Fordham for a private concert!</p>

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<p>Thank you all so much for everything you’ve had to say. I’m really, really grateful and can’t tell you how much I appreciate all the advice. </p>

<p>I have talked about it with my family for the past couple of days and I don’t think community college is a good option. Fordham is a prestigious school and I feel proud to say I was admitted there. If I went to community college, I think I would regret it in the long run. </p>

<p>I think I probably will give LC a chance and try it for a year and see what happens after that. I do like the theatre program (I like the fact that it’s a BA and not a BFA, cause I like many aspects of theatre and want to try a little bit of everything) and I think I should really give it a chance before I write it off. I’m going to try and minor/double major in English or maybe communications, cause I’m also really passionate about writing and researching and can maybe see myself doing something like that as a career in the future. </p>

<p>I definitely will go determined to spend time at RH. I’m going to try and join a lot of groups (I’m actually quite happy about the Hellenic Society offered at RH) and go to all of the sporting events at RH. I’ve spoken to a few RH kids on Facebook and I think I have a lot in common with them and so hopefully I’ll be able to make some good friends there too. I’m also definitely going to try and take a lot of classes at RH. I really do want some of that typical college experience and so I know I’ll take advantage of all that RH has to offer. </p>

<p>I even know a guy that used to be in my high school that now goes to RH (we weren’t best friends or anything but I still know him fairly well) and maybe I’ll let him know I’m going to Fordham.</p>

<p>I’m going to give Fordham a chance, at least for a year. I know I’d be making a mistake if I didn’t. Although my major is at LC, I won’t let that stop me from spending a lot of time at RH and really get the whole Fordham experience. </p>

<p>Once again, thank you all so much. I’m finally starting to feel better about all of this!</p>

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<p>Fabulous! Good decision. You wont regret it. Now get the gear and GO RAMS!</p>

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<p>My daughter is graduating in December, she majored in Communications and lives at the LC campus, but minored in Business. Her last three semesters, she was on the RH campus about as much as she was at LC because Business classes are offered there. </p>

<p>I think you can spend as much time on the RH campus as you’d like, but do know that for either campus, there is quite an extensive core curriculum that you have to take, and I believe that is offered on your main campus. We were told, when D got accepted, that classes on the RH campus are offered to RH residents first, so it is hard to get in to those classes if you live at LC, but my D had no problems getting into any of the classes she wanted at RH. I am not sure, though, how it works with your core classes.</p>

<p>I think once you are there, it is easier to negotiate a transfer between campuses, so if you start at LC and really think you’d prefer to be at RH, you could see if they would let you transfer there, but keep your major at LC, but, remember, then you’d be doing the traveling in reverse, as your major classes and probably related activities would be on the LC campus, so you’d be traveling into Manhattan more than you’d be taking classes at RH.</p>

<p>There’s always the possibility that after a semester or a year, you may change your mind about your major, and pick something that is offered at both campuses or at RH only, which would make a transfer easier.</p>

<p>Just things to keep in mind.</p>

<p>PS, altho LC doesn’t have the traditional campus feel, it is still a campus, albeit a small one, and the LC students tend to be very close, since there aren’t as many of them, so you do get a sense of community there, and still know that you are part of the larger Fordham university. You can always cultivate your social activities at RH if that is your desire, and spend free time and weekends there. It’s just a 30 minute ram van ride away.</p>