<p>My son is interested in Fordham Rose Hill because he'd like to go to school near NYC and it has his major. He liked the campus tour, but I felt the students we saw looked very conservative in their clothing styles, and the young men almost all had short hair. I wondered whether we were seeing all the business majors, and if all of the more "artsy" students are segregated at Lincoln Center. We saw just one group of guys with longer hair playing Frisbee. </p>
<p>Also, I read here (and on other sites where current students discuss their colleges) a lot of comments about underage drinking at the bars near Fordham RH. Although I read about the "wellness dorm" it seemed that drinking is a popular activity not just on the weekend but on Tuesday nights as well. I know that drinking happens at all schools, but the frequency that it was brought up in relation to Fordham gave me pause. </p>
<p>My son is an athlete who doesn't drink or smoke, but he's politically liberal, and lives in a city that's not NYC where his friends are from all over the world. At his public school, there's a lot of tolerance among the students for kids who are different in any way because there are so many different groups represented at the school. I wonder whether he'd find that Fordham lacks that diversity, too. (Not to mention that we're not Catholic...)</p>
<p>I'd love to hear from current students or parents of current students. Thanks!</p>
<p>My S is a senior at RH in the business school. Like most schools, Fordham has many different types of kids. I would say that my S is conservative in dress (yes, he may have been one of the kids with short hair that you saw on campus) but he and most of his friends are very liberal in their belief system. I’m guessing that there are more liberal schools around, but I don’t think that the kids at Fordham should be stereotyped as conservative. </p>
<p>My S loves the location of RH where he is on a traditional campus with easy access to NYC.</p>
<p>From what I see when I walk on campus, it appears that Fordham is relatively diverse. In terms of religion, my S has friends who are Jewish, atheist, Hindu and just about everything else and they all seem fine. The Jesuits are educators first and foremost and have great respect for other religions. That said, you do have to take two theology and two philosophy classes as part of the core. One theology class is required and the second is an elective where you can take something like Religions of the World. I have to say that I wasn’t sure about the core when my S started Fordham but he has been exposed to so many different things through it, that I believe it was great for him.</p>
<p>In terms of drinking, my S did not drink at all when he started school and found the wellness dorm to be a great place. He lived in a wellness community during sophomore year as well. Even now (over 21) he just will have an occasional beer with dinner or something. There is a group of people who do drink as part of their regular social scene, but he has found lots of people who do not. And just so you know the Tuesday nights out happen because most students do not have classes on Wednesday. </p>
<p>I don’t know directly, but it does seem that the LC campus gets the more “artsy” crowd as the theater and dance programs are there. I would guess that athletes need to be at the RH campus because that is where the sports facilities are located but I’m not sure.</p>
<p>Good luck in your search. Hopefully a current student will chime in with more information for you.</p>
<p>Thanks for the encouraging news! I’d also like to hear from current students, not only about the drinking and whether a liberal student would feel comfortable, but what they’ve liked the most and the least about their education at Fordham. And how good the professors are at mentoring and concern for students.</p>
<p>Hi, I’m currently a freshmen at Rose Hill. They have really buckled down on the drinking this year and it isn’t as rampant as one might think. Out of the schools I considered and stayed overnight at, which include Penn St., George Washington and Villanova; Fordham and Villanova had the least drinking. There is absolutely no drinking on campus and the majority of students do not drink. As a result of a more selective class this year, there are more serious students than in years past and is poised to be even more selective next year. You are right about the artsy kids being at Lincoln Center though. There are many liberal students and the College Democrats club has a large presence, as we had David Axelrod speak to us last week on campus! The professors are very accessible and interact a lot with students and really treat students as individuals and want them to succeed and learn.</p>
<p>This is all very encouraging to hear! My son is also applying to GWU, so that’s interesting to hear. I think his overnight stays once he hears where he’s admitted will be key to his decision making.</p>
<p>The faculty really make a school, and having them be interested in students as individuals is very important to me. I went to an Ivy League school, and even though I was in the honors program in my major, the majority of my professors projected the attitude of being so much above interacting with mere undergrads. I really don’t want that experience for my son after the great mentoring he’s received at his public high school. </p>
<p>I wonder why Fordham made the decision to separate out its drama and dance students? I imagine the LC location is more attractive to them, but it does seem to suck out a vital part of campus life. Do the drama and dance students perform at the RH campus at all?</p>
<p>Rose Hill is far from being devoid of the arts, or arts talented students. The students at Lincoln Center who are performing arts majors almost all have auditioned for extremely competitive spots. The kids at Rose Hill often do theater for fun, or music, or art/drawing. You can also take some classes at Lincoln Center, assuming they aren’t limited to theatre majors etc. Part of the core requirements at Fordham Rose Hill include music history or another arts related course. There are many, many talented students at Rose Hill. You might examine (with your son) the course offerings in the Bulletin to see. Faculty at Fordham are, if anything, very warm and supportive. Mentoring is commonplace and encouraged. (Not to be confused with being easy graders!)</p>
<p>Not sure if LC students perform at RH, but my S has been to LC to see a few student productions (he has had friends involved in building sets etc.). There are student productions at RH as well. There is a van (“Ram Van”) that goes between the two campuses for $3 or so each way or they you can take a subway. Also, students can take a class on the other campus (then you get free passes for the van to go back and forth for class).</p>
<p>The theater and dance programs are competitive and relatively small --you have to audition to get in so it is probably smart to consolidate them on one campus. I know the dance program is tied with Alvin Ailey at LC, not sure if the theater program has a similar tie in. There are also majors that are only at RH (business school, maybe biology).</p>
<p>AdeleRose, my S is a Sophomore Theatre major at LC. It is my understanding that there are several theatre groups at RH and they are not open to theatre majors. But the students majoring in Theatre probably wouldn’t have time to perform at RH anyway given the demands of their schedule with the various LC productions they are involved in. However, there are MANY talented people who choose NOT to major in Theatre for a variety of reasons. I’m sure Fordham RH has plenty of talent and I have heard from a Jesuit who resides at RH that the productions are quite good!</p>
<p>It seems to me as though you are looking at the campuses as being less than whole bc a percentage of the population is at the “other” campus whichever one that may be. I believe that each is its own vibrant community…different college experiences for sure, but neither lacking in what is available to the students. Fordham has something for everyone and the Ram Van makes it easy to travel back and forth between the campuses if desired.</p>
<p>If your S’s major is also available at LC, why not tour that campus as well and see which is the better fit for him? And if he needs to be at RH for sports, keep in mind that he liked the campus tour. Have faith that if he can picture himself as part of the Fordham community, he CAN fit in and enjoy 4 happy and productive years at Fordham! Best of luck! :)</p>
<p>Oh and by the way, my very “artsy” S has short hair and dresses conservatively quite frequently…he’s even worn suits to some of his classes! :D</p>
<p>It’s really hard and incorrect to make generalizations about colleges. At any college in a major metropolitan city like NY, you’re going to get a diverse group of students, ethnically, racially, religiously, socially, and economically. Being one of the top institutions in New York City, and with increasing diversity and national presence each year, I think that typecasting Fordham should be the least of your concerns.</p>
<p>Just wondering if any of the Fordham people could tell me about housing? It looks like Lincoln draws a more artsy campus crowd (which in our case is a positive) but it also looks like there is very limited housing?</p>
<p>Also – confused – there are two campuses, do you apply to both of them (separately)?</p>
<p>Is there a lot of crossover on the part of students going back and forth between the two campuses for classes and events?</p>
<p>PS I should say that I saw the Ram Van posts so I know it exists but I am wondering do students actually take advantage of it? Is there a sense that there is a vital connection between the two campuses? Just wondering.</p>
<p>My daughter is at LC, but she is in the Women’s choir which meets at RH, so she takes the Ram Van back and forth every week. She has a pass so she doesn’t have to pay. She has a couple of friends who go there who are also in the choir, so she goes early and meets them for dinner in their dining hall. It’s a highlight for her because the food is better over there… </p>
<p>The Ram Van is $3 unless you have a class or some other reason to go and you can get a pass. If you are just going to visit, or see a sporting event or something, then you have to pay.</p>
<p>She filled out her app without my help, but I believe you have to tell them which campus you are applying to. Certain majors are only at one campus, like Theater is only at LC. </p>
<p>Housing is very tight, my daughter is in a triple this year, which seems to be the norm in each freshman suite to have one triple.</p>
<p>Yes, you apply to one school (LC, RH or Gabelli) and it is possible to transfer internally although it is harder to transfer to LC bc of the limited housing. There is also a box to check if you would consider an offer of admission without housing. My S did check the box bc we are within commuting distance and he still got housing. </p>
<p>He was tripled freshman year and didn’t want to be, but it ended up being totally fine and saved almost $4k. However, I imagine, judging by all the stuff I saw the girls bringing to campus on move in day, that it is a little harder for the girls to manage!</p>