Transfer Student to Fordham Rose Hill Answering Questions

Colleges and Universities A-Z Fordham University
21

@transfer98 I personally did very well at a community college and was accepted, so I think you have a very good chance of getting in, even with time off from school. To me, taking time off from school to find out what you value (i.e. what school you want to go to and where) shows commitment and self-awareness, which is great.

Did you include mention of why you took the semester off in your application? If not, you could reach out to the Office of Admissions and frame your question like this: “Hi, I recently submitted my application to Fordham University as a transfer student. I am reaching out to ask if my application might be impacted by the fact that I took the spring semester off. During this time, I spend time figuring out …”

22

thanks so much @atp1234 !

23

Thank you so much for doing this OP. I registered specifically to ask you a few questions as I hope to transfer from a Community College to the Gabelli School of Business this Fall.

My grades are pretty good, I have a 3.8 GPA with one semester to graduate so I am cautiously optimistic. I am however worried about the essay part of the application. I am not much of a writer and I have difficulty writing about myself. How important is the essay, and do you have any advise on how to get over this hurdle?

Second question is if I can qualify for a merit scholarship with my GPA? I am also looking into Pace for Finance and they’er offering as much as $25,000 scholarship. The only reason why I am considering them over Fordham is because of that financial break.

Last question, is Calc 1 a core requirement for Finance? I’ve already taken Pre-calc and would consider taking Calc 1 before transferring to Fordham because it is A. cheaper at my CC and B. the professor I’ll take it with is one of the best Math teachers I’ve ever had.

24

I would be very careful about classes taken at Community College. They may just be transferred as electives and not applied towards the major. The calculus professors at Fordham are excellent and I suspect that Fordham will not take Calculus from CC.

25

@WWILL02761 Hi! Thanks for taking the time to ask these questions!

3.8 is very good for college! Recall that the average high school GPA for acceptance is 3.7, with a 3.6 for students who actually attend. Generally, I would say that with this GPA you have a very high chance of getting in.

  1. Be sure to have your teachers send in the Common App recommendation early. I was so confused on the process of selecting recommenders. Don’t be nervous asking for recommendations from instructors who know you well.

  2. If you have any supplementary materials, send them to Fordham. They might say you don’t have to, but if there is something else that you want the university to learn about you, send it! E.g. resume, cover-letter, recommendations, references, awards. In the application process, I have always been a fan of the notion of “mailing your brand.” In other words, showing the admissions officers who you are by taking the initiative to go to the post office and mail something meaningful to you. Or, by going to the campus on a non-tour day to ask questions.

  3. Regarding calculus and the likelihood of transferring credits, I must careful to promise anything, since I am not admissions/enrollment services. However, I will tell you that every single one of my courses transferred from CC to Fordham, down to calculus and the freshmen Geology class that I took. Granted, these classes were taken during my first two years, when most underclassmen are taking their general classes. As far as I know, you will need to have calculus to graduate from Fordham. My advice is to take calculus at CC and hope that it transfers (as I noted before, my course did). Fordham’s calculus class is considered one of the toughest classes at the business school according to one of the deans. Take it now and limit the potential for your Fordham GPA to be hit.

  4. You might be thinking to yourself, “How will I ever keep up my grades at Fordham? I feel like my CC classes are worthless compared to the rigor of Fordham’s classes.” This is a bad attitude to maintain. You are going to do great at Fordham! Arguably having the community college experience exposes you to different educational environments and may cement your desire to excel at Fordham. Once you have passion to succeed, nothing can stop you! Take it from me, my GPA at CC and Fordham is about the same. I took stats 1 at community college and stats 2 at Fordham. I got one of the highest grades in the class. So far, there has never been a time when I have felt unprepared for the rigor of Fordham. Yes, it is much more challenging, but you can manage it. The only way to excel in life is to challenge yourself.

  5. Regarding the essay, keep in mind that Fordham uses the common App (or at least they did when I applied last year). If you decide to apply to other schools using the common application, you can save some time.

Yes, drafting essays is the worst part of the process, but they are important for your application. When writing the essay, keep a positive picture of walking onto campus as a STUDENT of Fordham University in New York City, New York! :slight_smile: Your hard work can pay off!

Before I give some practical advice on how to have a great essay, I’d like to offer support goodwill: You have excelled in community college. You are passionate about being a Fordham scholar and about furthering your understanding of business and the world. During your time at community college, you determined a goal and now are moving towards that goal.

Regarding the essay, I would focus on writing about a challenge that you have overcome. For me, this challenge was being an absolute/literal failure in high school to an honors student at CC. I learned about myself during this process. I began to appreciate the awesome power of education. I became involved in various activities and made my community a better place. To sum it up, I would suggest writing about a challenge you overcame or something that you learned about yourself. Second, speak to how you have been involved on campus or in community. Third, elude to why you want to go to Fordham. How can a Jesuit/ethical/whole person understanding contribute to your growth and your ability to make meaningful contributions to Fordham and your community? There are a hundred thousand schools. Why Fordham?

Finally, have people review your essay. Bring it to the writing center at CC and ask for their advice. Show it to your parent (s) or close friends.

  1. Fordham > Pace in my humble opinion. (sorry, just had to throw that out). Fordham offered me about $30,000 in merit aid each year. I think that you have a similar chance of getting such aid. Should Fordham offer you less than Pace, you could go to the financial aid office (no need to make an appt in my opinion) and ask to have them walk you through your aid package.

I could go on forever, but I have to go to my strategy class! Good luck and feel free to reach out with other questions!

26

Omg, that was a long post!

27

Oh my, you are so detailed. You’ve given me a lot to chew on.

I am fully aware Fordham > Pace. That is why I am putting most of my efforts into getting admitted to Fordham.

The plan is to take Calculus 1 during the summer. It’ll be vigorous but I am prepared. I am transferring with a an Associates in CIS to Finance so only the Business courses will transfer. I’ve taken the opportunity of taking some Math and Business classes in addition to the required courses for the degree in anticipation of transferring.

Thank you for the tips on the personal statement. That is where I’ll need most help. I have bookmarked this thread to use as one of my guides.

I am glad to hear about the scholarship. I’ll keep my fingers crossed I am almost as lucky as you.

Thank you so much for all the helpful advice!

28

@WWILL02761 If you are accepted/decide to attend Fordham check with your advisor to be sure that the calc class you take over the summer (if you don’t take it at Fordham) will be transferable. Look at this link. https://www.fordham.edu/info/23527/summer_course_information/6004/non-fordham_summer_courses

29

Thank you for the link.

I better get on it before Summer then!

30

Hi, I was wondering what your stats were from your previous school before you were accepted to Fordham? I am currently a freshman at Loyola MD and am really considering a transfer here. I had a 3.86 GPA the first semester, and I have all A’s or A-'s throughout the first part of my second semester. Fordham was my dream school last year but I didn’t get in. I am applying to the Gabelli School of Business. Thanks!

31

@njkid2021 Thanks for taking the time to ask your question. Here are my stats. Your grades look very good! Please let me know if you have any other questions! Good luck!

GPA in community college: 4.00/4.00 (48 credits)
HS GPA: 3.2, with a 4.0 the last 1.5 years
Letter of rec: 9/10
EC: Board member in city organization, committee member, officer in club, work full time as manager, volunteer with disabled children, etc.
ACT: Not great, took in HS. I don’t believe that I sent it in.
Essay: Pretty short, but very impactful. It focused on overcoming a major challenge in my life.

Financial Aid: 50% off tuition.

You should begin to be in touch with Fordham regarding your interest. There is certainly no harm in informing them of your interest in excelling so that you may attend Fordham.

32

Hi! I am planning on transferring into the Gabelli School of Business in the Fall of 2017. One concern I have is being completely behind in all my classes especially because of all the core requirements. Do you even get to pick your classes or does the school pick them for you? I am going to be a commuter student so I’m afraid if the school picks my schedule I’m going to have the worst times and have a ton of commuter conflicts.

Also do you have any advice as far as still making friends/putting myself out there despite transferring as a sophomore and living off-campus.

Oh and any recommended places to eat/explore near campus?? Thank you!!

33

Hey,

Thanks for the question. I entered as a junior and my credits nearly matched the average for junior standing. I am going to take a few summer classes. Alternatively, I could “overload” by one class or so each semester. The transfer dean picks your classes for you and will work with you so that you know exactly what classes you need to complete prior to graduation. He is very helpful, I promise. Once admitted in the spring, he gives you a document listing how all of your credits transfer over. Depending on how your courses transfer, you might be advised to take a few summer classes at your current institution. I’m sure that the dean will work with your schedule. As he proudly says, “he makes the world’s best schedules.” He is 100% correct.

Living off-campus will be a good experience for you. When I transferred, I was a bit worried about living off campus, but everything worked out very well. Nearly all of my roommates are transfers too, so we got to experience Fordham together. Fordham has something called IP cohorts. As part of your participation in this, you will have so many opportunities to meet your students. When you are with 30 of the same people day in and day out, you will make friends. One of the best ways to meet friends will be for you to participate in clubs. We have about 150 of them here and they are open to everyone. Nobody will know that you are a transfer student, unless you tell them. Whenever I have told people, they say, “no way! That’s awesome! Where are you from?” When you arrive in fall, message me if you ever want to meet up or have any other questions.

My advice is to see the Rose Hill campus and tour the Bronx. Fordham is small enough that you will be able to see the entire campus but large enough that you will be exposed to various mindsets. On another day, take the train from the Fordham station (literally 30 seconds from campus, you will not miss it) to Grand Central Station. From there, tour Midtown (Times Square, MET, Central Park, etc.). If you have an extra day, see lower Manhattan! The fact that Fordham is so close to Manhattan is what cemented my decision. It never gets old!

*Rose Hill (The following is based upon an email provided to me by a dean when I asked about where to tour)

Keating Hall – This is the home of our liberal arts college (Fordham College), but many classes and lectures occur in this building. In the basement level is our award-winning College Radio Station, WFUV.

Hughes Hall - This is the home of our Gabelli School of Business, and many classes and lectures occur in this building. Stop into the first floor to see the trading room.

Duane Library – This is the former library building and this is where our admissions office is located (2nd floor).

Walsh Library – This is our main library on the Rose Hill campus. This is one of my favorite places on Earth. It is gigantic! I got lost my first time visiting.

University Church – This is a beautiful building. The stained glass windows came from a special church in France and the altar came from the Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC.

O’Hare Hall – Near the Rose Hill Ram Van office and parking garage. This houses the university bookstore.

McGinely Center – This housing the gym, food court, career center, and much more.

*The Bronx

Walk to Auther Avenue for lunch or dinner. Go where ever looks best for you.

Walk up East Fordham Road.

Let me know if you have any other questions. You are going to do awesome!

34

I was recently admitted as a transfer student to rose hill for Fall 2017. I was just wondering how long it took to receive a reply about your transfer credits and did you also get a paper copy in the mail? Also I am planning on attending spring preview and can I make an appointment with the dean to set up my classes then or do I not do that till summer orientation?

35

Hello! I also applied as a transfer for Gabelli for the fall of 2017. If I get rejected from Gabelli but get into the regular college at Rose Hill (my second choice), I will do Econ for a semester at the regular college and try to transfer in to Gabelli. Since I am transferring in as a sophomore, will I be offered housing on or off campus?

36

@collegetransfr12 Hi, so sorry for the delayed response! I was away from my computer during spring break. I received the paper evaluation on May 10, 2016. Regarding spring preview, I don’t believe you need / or are able to set up an appointment so early. It doesn’t hurt to reach out to the transfer dean / office of admissions. Fordham will take care of you when you register. You will not be left alone to fend for yourself, I can assure you. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I’ll be at spring preview, and might run into you there!

37

@beachguy20 Sorry for the delayed reply. I believe that you will be offered off-campus housing. I think it is rare for transfers to have on-campus housing, all though I do know of one girl who did receive on-campus housing because she asked to live in a “integrated living community.” I would reach out to the Office of Res. Life to see if it is possible to live in such community. If you want to hear more about my off-campus experiences here, please let me know! I love helping out.

38

@atp1234, I walked by the off campus Fordham apartments with my friend one time, and there was a guy on his deck screaming, “Yo what up, douches!!” And a girl screaming back at him across the street. If I have to live off campus, I would rather get an apartment in Manhattan by Grand Central or somewhere in Westchester or Rockland County where I’d be surrounded by adults. I know I shouldn’t be judging by one person, but the off campus housing seems quite crazy. I have a friend committed to a living learning community who I could room with, but I don’t know how I would get into that dorm. I definitely want to live off campus junior and senior years, but I feel like I should be on next year and get an apartment with either my high school friend or people I meet there for junior year.

39

@beachguy20 Hey. I appreciate the question and can certainly relate to your concerns–I was born in a small town on the opposite coast and had never been to the East Coast until May 2016 when I went on a tour. I’m sorry that you had that experience.

I’d strongly argue against living in Manhattan if you are attending school at Rose Hill. I think that is really an unnecessary commute each day. If you can find somewhere in one of those counties, you could consider it to; however, depending on your major, you will need to be on campus frequently for group meetings, etc. I’d argue that those who live closer to campus have it “easier.”

The area surrounding off-campus housing units tend not to be my favorite parts of living Fordham, but I’m really glad that I made the decision to attend. I feel that if I would have engaged in a private living situation as you mention, I would have experienced more stress. With off-campus housing, electricity, water, heating, etc is paid. If something breaks, it’s fixed. Security guards arrive at night and leave in the morning, further serving as a security measure. After 10PM, a free shuttle runs between campus and all of the off-campus housing units. If you ever feel unsafe, Public Safe is in the area and will pick you up in their patrol cars.

One of the most important things that you should be aware of in the area is to be certain to be aware of your surroundings. Of course, this applies everywhere.

I’d also like to mention that each housing unit has a roughly equal mixture of females and males whom walk to and from campus without harm each day.

40

Ok awesome @atp1234. I greatly appreciate the advice. The guy and girl were yelling at each other jokingly across the street because they were friends, but the guy was very drunk. I just don’t want that to be the norm because that makes me very uncomfortable.