<ol>
<li><p>I know it is a Catholic school, but how religious is it? Would it make someone not very religious like me uncomfortable? I do not mind taking theology classes, by the way.</p></li>
<li><p>Can one take all of their classes at the Lincoln Center (if I want to be a Liberal Arts major)?</p></li>
<li><p>How is the financial aid?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Easy. First, its Jesuit and Catholic. The Jesuits are special people who provide a very strong ethic and ethos in their teaching methods and overall experience. Fordham is about 60% catholic. You wont be pressured to be religious. You will take 2 theology courses, but they are more philosophical in focus. Some kids who come in the door unreligious have actually become theology majors! It happens. Its a very strong department. </p>
<p>You can go to LC and take all your classes at LC. Or you can go to the main Rose Hill campus and take most of your classes but some of your classes at LC if you want. Liberal arts majors are found at LC and RH. LC does tend to have a high percentage of Theatre and Dance kids, however. But they also had 11 of Fordham’s 14 Fulbright scholars from there as well. You pick. </p>
<p>Financial aid is average for the most part. File your CSS with your application. File the FAFSA in January. Your SAT scores and gpa may be factored into that (though schools deny it), as schools routinely offer the most money to the students they want the most. If you are a National Hispanic Scholar that will help a lot. </p>
<p>Its a great school. Its a highly competitive academic school. Come prepared to work very hard for four years.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>I was told that there are several majors that you cannot do if you are at LC. For example, Biology.</p>
<p>Just to clarify one point, when you apply to Fordham you are asked to pick the campus you want to attend. You apply directly to the Rose Hill (Bronx) or Lincoln Center campus as an undergraduate. As mentioned above, just check to be sure your major is at LC. But if you want to take all or most of your classes at the LC campus be sure to check that off on your application.
Also I agree for with the comments about theology. The Jesuits are there to educate, not to push religion on anyone. You don’t have to be religious to attend Fordham. My son has friends there who are Jewish, Hindu, athiest and they all are just fine. That said, there are two required theology courses. The first is a mandatory course for all students. The actual material covered in that class seems to vary a great deal depending on the prof. The second course is an elective so there are choices that I beleive most people can be comfortable with (such as a Religions of the World class).
As for aid, I think it is pretty standard. If you are well above the profile of a typical Fordham student (SAT, GPA) you will have a good shot at merit aid.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot!</p>
<p>TheJuan–
Don’t forget the students are mostly 18-22 yrs old and their parents are not there pulling them out of bed on a Sunday morning! The Catholic students are not walking around the campus muttering rosaries — they’ll go to church when they want to, but Catholic college students are young adults same as any others and most of them are not making a big fuss about their religion to their hallmates.</p>
<p>As I posted on another thread – it isn’t religious at all. I have never even seen anyone go to church on a Sunday.</p>
<p>^^^^ but you are at LC, are you not? That is a horse of a different color than Rose Hill. Many students attend mass at Rose Hill on Sunday and some even go to mass during the week in various chapels, particularly if a favorite Jesuit is saying mass there. I also know a lot of kids who go into Manhattan on Saturday to do shopping, then go to 530pm mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, then get supper before heading back to campus.</p>
<p>My S, who goes to RH and never attended Mass in his life, except for one or two funerals, attends Mass on campus every Sunday.</p>
<p>My child has been at Fordham for two years, went to Catholic high school and still has not stepped into the Fordham Chapel or attended mass there. Its there if you want, no one notices or worries if you don’t participate, but I would recommend doing the volunteer programs</p>
<p>emptynester: Is your kid at FCLC or FCRH?</p>
<p>The University Church at Rose Hill is a national treasure and historic national landmark, with the altars from the old St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the stained glass windows from the King of France, courtesy of Bishop Dagger John. Its quite large and not a “chapel.” There are other smaller chapels in several locations around the Rose Hill campus however. </p>
<p>The Sunday evening mass at Rose Hill is specifically for students and is often very crowded. Some students prefer to attend mass at the 11;00 am traditional service which is attended by faculty and nearby residents and some alumni who travel there. </p>
<p>I also recommend getting involved in community service volunteer programs as that is part of the Jesuit ethos. They can be highly rewarding helping the less fortunate. </p>
<p>Its very true nobody will force you to attend mass. Some kids express their faith or belief system in a different manner and that is okay.</p>
<p>There is a Fordham LC Mass across the street at St. Paul’s on Sunday nights at 8pm. It’s fairly well attended according to my S who participates in the Music Ministry. That said, yenrod answered OP’s first question very well on another thread.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/fordham-university/1045192-how-religious-fordham.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/fordham-university/1045192-how-religious-fordham.html</a></p>