<p>I came across this nice little story in the NY Daily News:</p>
<p>Unstoppable St. Francis Prep valedictorian Sal Cocchiaro, turns down $480G in Ivy-caliber scholarships for full ride at Fordham
Why pick Fordham over other top colleges offering him scholarships such as NYU, Harvard, Princeton, Vassar, Dartmouth, Georgetown and Cornell?
“I spoke to a former St. Francis Prep student named John Ketcham who’d chosen Fordham over Ivy League schools four years ago,” says Sal. “This year he was valedictorian at Fordham while I was valedictorian at Prep. He said it was the best decision he made.”</p>
<p>Many people told the whiz kid he was making a major mistake by choosing Fordham, but he has no regrets. “It came down to being comfortable. I was amazed by Princeton after my first visit. But I liked it less and less on my second and third visits. The parents were all rich. The kids were pompous. I felt inadequate.”
He liked Fordham more with each visit.
“Down-to-earth students,” he says. “Great business honors program with 20 students per semester. Continue my religious education. Close to home and the family aspect of my life, which is very important to me. Again, Fordham, like St. Francis Prep, made me feel comfortable, a place to excel.”</p>