<p>^^You may also be surprised to learn that in Fordham Class of 2014 FB discussions A LOT of students chose Fordham over NYU and other higher ranked schools including Ivies. My S is the only one from his LI public HS attending and he’s pretty happy about that! :)</p>
<p>This thread is exactly what I thought it would turn out to be…another chance for people to beat their chests and cut down competition. Sad.</p>
<p>Fordham is not in the same league as Iona or Manhattan. Anyone who thinks that is sadly mistaken. Manhattan is, however, a fine engineering/math school, for those intending on that major. </p>
<p>And driving down Fordham Road is no measure of a school. Fordham Road has long been the dividing line between the North and South Bronx. In the worst of days (late 70’s) when Howard Cosell stated, “the Bronx is burning!” on national television (he was a native of the Bronx), Fordham University did indeed have contingency plans to leave the community if things spread north and got worse. Thankfully, due to considerable efforts by the Mayors of New York, and the Fordham Community, the Bronx blight was stopped and indeed has cleaned up considerably, and Fordham is very proud of its efforts at community service, and educational support. Many Fordham students work in social justice programs and educational tutoring. Shame on people on this website for attempting the malign Fordham and the Bronx when so much good has been done! Shame Shame Shame!</p>
<p>Fordham’s Bronx Campus, known as Rose Hill, is one of the most beautiful campuses in America. It borders the world famous New York Botanical Gardens and the Bronx Zoo. Its adjacent to Riverdale, a very upscale section of the Bronx, near Manhattan College, with a large Jewish population. Many students at Fordham come from very good schools in the 5 boroughs, including the Bronx, as well as New Jersey, Connecticut, Long Island, Massachusetts and over 40 states. There were over 25 students from California, Texas, Florida, Illinois and a few other states at Fordham last year. Its a highly respected national research university with a storied past both academically and athletically. Fordham can stand with any university on its own merits.</p>
<p>I commend NYU and Columbia, as well as Sarah Lawrence, CUNY, Hunter College, St. John’s, Iona, Manhattan, Hofstra and all the other NYC metro area universities. I refuse to engage in school bashing. Its unprofessional and really rather silly.</p>
<p>And yes, narcissism reigns supreme on College Confidential. Thankfully it seems to have waned a bit in the last few years, but sadly it still seems to be a dominant characteristic of many posters.</p>
<p>Fordham desires to recruit bright, but also students of character. They are committed to social justice. (I am a conservative, by the way.) Fordham wants students who want Fordham. </p>
<p>If another student selects Vassar, Columbia, NYU or any school ahead of Fordham, then we wish them the very best and say adieu. </p>
<p>End of story.</p>
<p>Many Fordham students go onto Columbia and NYU graduate and professional schools. But many Columbia and NYU students also come to Fordham for graduate and professional school.</p>
<p>"Its adjacent to Riverdale, a very upscale section of the Bronx, near Manhattan College, with a large Jewish population. "</p>
<p>The Fordham Road area is adjacent to the Major Deegan Expressway, correct? And Riverdale is not adjacent to it but rather discretely separated from the Fordham Road area , on the other side of the Major Deegan expressway, right? My aunt’s family fled the Fordham Road area in the 60s and moved to Riverdale, because one neighborhood was actually nothing like the other. The separation provided by the highway, and the fact that these neighborhoods are not adjacent in any real sense, was a key reason that the Riverdale neighborhood stayed desirable, when much of the rest of the Bronx declined. These neighborhoods bear no relationship to each other. Probably many people in Riverdale rarely or never set foot in the Fordham Road area.</p>
<p>And I doubt a large number of Riverdale’s Jewish population (which has a high orthodox representation) that you referenced are attending Fordham, which still has the reputation of being a catholic-affiliated school. Though some do, I imagine.</p>
<p>“Fordham desires to recruit bright, but also students of character. They are committed to social justice. (I am a conservative, by the way.) Fordham wants students who want Fordham”</p>
<p>I would hope that Iona and Manhattan colleges also want to recruit students of character, who want them. What college wants someone attending who doesn’t want to be there?</p>
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<p>In the next breath, s/he says:</p>
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<p>FWIW, Columbia:Fordham::Fordham:Manhattan</p>
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<p>Including some Fordham parents.</p>
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<p>Take a look in the (proverbial) mirror. </p>
<p>It should be duly noted that in this thread, most of the people (including me) who argue that Columbia/NYU are more intellectual than Fordham have no personal ties to Columbia/NYU. We are being objective observers, unlike the Fordham boosters, most of whom are Fordham parents (except for the one who allegedly went to the same secondary (?) school as both Fordham’s president and director of admission).</p>
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<p>We are being objective observers…therefore our OPINION is correct? LOL! And who’s arguing? The point is there are intellectuals at all of these schools! </p>
<p>You don’t think much of Fordham? So what?!! “Fordham boosters” do? Again, so what? You KNOW what they say about opinions. :)</p>
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<p>No, it means that our opinion is MORE LIKELY to be correct because it is unbiased.</p>
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<p>OPINION being the operative word!!! ;)</p>
<p>I think your “Fordham boosters” know from their personal connections that Fordham does in fact have an intellectual student body and that is enough at least for me. We could go on and discuss what basis you have to say otherwise but what is the point? You and I clearly think differently on the subject. However, as the objective observer, I do expect that you have at least audited a variety of classes to gauge the students at all of the schools that you claim to know so much about and that your results ARE actually 100% free from bias. And while I also wonder if an opinion could ever really be 100% free from bias, I think that’s probably for another conversation! 
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<p>Personally, I don’t understand why it’s so hard to see that you will find some really smart and some really stupid people in EVERY college! And that even some of the smartest people do some of the stupidest things!! :D</p>
<p>I also imagine that if my S, a future Fordham theatre major was discussing theatre history with his friend, a future Columbia science major, the future Columbia student might seem “less intellectual” just as the reverse might be true should they be discussing biochemistry. Current classmates headed to different schools in the fall. Both brilliant in different areas. BOTH intellectual. </p>
<p>BTW, I DO think that Columbia and NYU are among other excellent schools including Fordham in the NYC metro area that people should consider depending on what they are looking for in an undergraduate or graduate program/experience. But they aren’t the ONLY schools worthy of consideration. I mean, hello! There are a lot of schools in this area! There’s something for everyone!! :)</p>
<p>King’s College in New York, I hear ;)</p>