<p>17 k scholarship at tulane vs 0 at fordham, no word of aid yet. which is the more prestigious school? which do other universities hold in higher esteem (transfer after freshman year is probable)? I have always wanted to live in manhattan, but don't think fordham is worth the economic hassle. At the same time, I really don't have much of a desire to live in New Orleans. What should i do?</p>
<p>robertwolfe - well, you really have answered your own question. You should probably go to Fordham, unless it is a severe hardship economically. It sounds like you really want to experience NYC and hey, there is nothing wrong with that! As much as I love Tulane and New Orleans as places to spend 4 years in school, you should absolutely go where you think the overall fit is best. Forget about prestige. Frankly, even though Tulane has an extremely good alumni network in NYC and is well thought of, I suspect Fordham is at least equally so, although for all I know the locals look down on it (maybe in comparison to Columbia? I have no idea) or they might think it is great. I can picture both scenarios. I can tell you that a friend of mine has a D that is a freshman there this year and she loves it. Like you she wanted to experience NYC. So I would say decide if it is worth you stretching your budget (cause a lot of what it takes to enjoy NYC also takes money. Not everything of course, but it is an expensive city overall), and if you decide it is, go for it.</p>
<p>Or, try Tulane out for a year. It isn’t like you are giving up a scholarship at Fordham, whereas you would be at Tulane. If you really don’t like it after a year, transfer. You would be no worse off except one less year in NYC. Since they accepted you already, they would probably take you as a transfer also.</p>
<p>Granted, I’m probably a bit biased…I’m a current freshman at Tulane and absolutely love it here, but I would definitely pick Tulane over Fordham. </p>
<p>I did a summer program at Fordham (Rose Hill Campus), had a great time and loved New York City. Early on in my college search, I was dead-set on going to college in NYC. I’ve had a great time during my visits there, but New Orleans is definitely one of those cities that you have to visit to really experience. I had almost ruled Tulane out until I visited a month before May 1st of last year. I was almost certain I would end up at a different school. But, driving along St. Charles Ave. in New Orleans completely changed my mind. The neighborhood is absolutely beautiful. The campus is great, but you have to experience Uptown New Orleans before you completely rule it out. Great restaurants, shopping, cultural experiences, plus Audubon Park.</p>
<p>In comparing Manhattan to New Orleans, Manhattan may initially seem like the better choice overall, but, from my experiences, New Orleans is DEFINITELY more college student-friendly. First of all, everything’s a lot cheaper - including public transportation. Second of all, New Orleans is COMPLETELY unique in its identity. New York is pretty sweet, but, for me, home is only 45 minutes away from Chicago, which is pretty similar in scale and activities, but a lot cleaner. On the other hand, living in New Orleans makes me feel as if I’m living abroad. It feels like a hybrid of American, European, and Caribbean cities. Third, weather. Don’t get me wrong, I like the cold and snow, but I love being able to wear shorts almost year-round.</p>
<p>I know you don’t really want to live in New Orleans. But, before you write Tulane off, visit. I did, and it made all the difference in my college decision.</p>
<p>Great post, Ben, and great story. Glad you are loving it as much as I did!</p>
<p>My son was also accepted at Fordham with a $16,000 annual scholarship and at Tulane (no money). Since we live on Long Island, Fordham is about a 35 minute car drive away. I want my son to go further away than the Bronx. We will be attending Destination Tulane on Tuesday (the 14th) and will see how my S likes it. His first choice was Wake Forest (waitlisted). He was offered a GT (Guaranteed Transfer) to Cornell and was given a list of courses to take in his first 2 semesters at another school. He was also accepted to all his safety schools. So he has a lot to think about in the next 2 weeks. If we were offered some money from Tulane, it probably would be a slam-dunk. Any advice, comments, etc.?</p>
<p>MartiniGirl - I think all you can do is make an appointment with the financial aid office while you are there, lay out your situation including the other offers, and see if they can do anything. Just don’t be upset or angry if they say no. At this point in the process there isn’t a lot left I don’t think, but then you have nothing to lose. They may not react too much to the offer from Fordham; it is a fine school but the average stats of last year’s incoming freshmen are significantly lower than Tulane’s.</p>
<p>If he decides he loves Tulane and you can afford it, go for it. I guess it depends on his reaction to the school, at least to some degree.</p>
<p>Thank you, fallenchemist, for the detailed reply.</p>
<p>robertwolfe - I had similar concerns when my D was considering Tulane. So I contacted the Tulane Alumni groups in Boston, San Francisco and Seattle to ask how Tulane was viewed in their cities. (They were universally enthusiastic, and recommended Tulane highly.) You might try doing the same. Good luck with your decision.</p>
<p>Their undergrad programs are basically held in the same regard. Fordham has a top 25 law school and its business school was ranked 27 last year in BusinessWeek so if your interested in law or business, and want to practice in the NY area, you might want to check out Fordham.</p>
<p>My son received $20K from Fordham Rose Hill and $24 from Tulane. He applied to Fordham because he wanted to attend college in, or very close to NYC. He applied to Tulane because it was a free application and I convinced him it was an excellent school. After visiting both last week, along with NYU where he was waitlisted, GW and American in DC and Boston University, all of which gave him no money, he definately preferred Tulane over Fordham, but still hopes to get into NYU. He is still concerned that New Orleans might not offer enough to hold his interest for 4 years, but he loved the city and the school. He’s got a lot of thinking to do before May 1st, but feels very lucky to have so many great choices.</p>
<p>Skater Girl - I have to disagree with you about the undergrad programs being held in the same regard, although technically that is a subjective statement and untestable. First of all law school is not undergrad, and business school is obviously a narrow focus of the undergrad experience (although Tulane has been internationally recognized for some of their unique business school programs). I agree, if you are interested in law and practicing in NYC, Fordham Law should be high on your list. But for undergrad, I would say Tulane is a notch or two higher than Fordham. Why? Because I think that the biggest factor of what a university education is about is the quality of your peers and how they challenge you. Sure there are numerous other factors, both tangible and intangible that go into deciding on a university as a personal decision. There is no question also that for some people, going to school in NYC is an education unto itself. Of course so is New Orleans, just a very different off-campus education than NYC. But if one agrees that being challenged by fellow students that are as smart or smarter than yourself is one of the best parts of a university experience, then Tulane has an edge there by virtually any objective statistic. That is not to put down Fordham at all. It is a very fine school where one will obtain an excellent education. I am just pointing out a fairly significant difference between the two academically, as there is between Tulane and a few dozen schools in the tier above it.</p>
<p>LuckyMe - If he really loved the school, he should go. I can promise that if he devotes himself to his studies, gets involved in campus activities, and seeks out opportunities to get involved in the community, he will never be bored in his 4 years there. He obviously felt a “fit” there, and that is what is important. I wish him the best of luck, whatever his decision.</p>
<p>I think if you visit both campuses, your decision should be easy, you will know what fits for you. Culturally, they are so different. I grew up in New Jersey and when someone suggested I apply to Emory, I was flabbergasted. Me, a Yankee, going to the deep south? I was prepared to hate it. I went on the Experience Emory weekend when I was a senior in HS and fell in love with Atlanta and the campus. (Granted, this was a long time ago, but people tell me they have the same reaction now). I loved my experience in the south, but that was me. My daughter is going to Fordham LC next year. She never for a second considered staying in the south (we live in FLA now). NYC is where she wants to be, and Fordham LC was a great fit for her. Only you can tell where you will feel at home. Someone I know has a son who applied to law school at GW, NYU, UF, Emory, and various other places. He thought for sure he wanted to go to DC, but visited Emory and fell in love. I’m not pushing or suggesting Emory, my point is, until you visit Tulane and see if that is a good fit for you, you won’t know. I know some people who won’t let their daughters apply there as they are concerned about the neighborhood, but then again, I heard the same thing about Fordham RH. We visited the RH campus and I would be fine if my daughter went there, but, again, there is a major difference in where the campuses are located and the surrounding neighborhoods. It’s a decision only you can make. And prestige is relative. We live in Florida, as I said, and everyone I’ve told that my daughter is going to Fordham is very impressed. Yet I’ve heard from friends “up north” that they don’t think Fordham is as impressive as, say, NYU. If you visit Tulane and are still “iffy” I’d say take the scholarship, spend a year there and see what you think. You can always transfer and then you’ll have a better idea of what you are really looking for in a college. Good luck.</p>
<p>Martinigirl, Luckyme … Wow! If my son got that kind of money to Fordham I wouldn’t be stressing all these months! He has a week to make a decision…he only wants Fordham but only received $4700 in scholarship money. He got 14,000 to 19,500 to schools like Iona, Pace, and Seton Hall but he wants Fordham. How did you get that much money? Can I ask how high your sons’ SAT’s were?</p>
<p>Emilio - Those posts were all made last year. these people might not be looking at CC any longer.</p>
<p>What wuold you do? Almost full scholarship to Iona (Honors classes) or Fordham with $4700?</p>
<p>Emilio - I have never been to Iona so I cannot say what I would do if I were the one going to college. If what you are asking is what would I recommend to someone else, it completely depends on what they would have told me about their family’s financial situation, what they are looking for in a school, and a variety of other factors.</p>
<p>Iona is a pretty campus but there really isn’t much to do right off campus other than go the the McDonalds or a deli. Did happen to see that oneof the Kentucky Derby horses wa owned by and Iona grad (that was surprising) so the jockey wore Iona colors.</p>
<p>Just a side commentary…</p>
<p>Oh, and the cops like to catch speeders on North Ave. near Iona and the HS. Be forewarned</p>