Why?! Shouldn't this school be more esteemed?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Fordham University
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<p>As someone who's been at fordham for quite awhile, I'm always willing to point out fordham's negative attributes (to show that the school isn't perfect-- no school is perfect for that matter). I think, however, that greg has turned from being insightful to just pretentious. When you made it clear that you were at fordham simply because it was your safety school that proves my above point. When somebody goes to forum for a school that they weren't happy with and, in turn, clearly states that it is inferior, a huge safety, and is less esteemed that their current school that is just sad.</p>

<p>Furthermore, you made a point about Fordham not being top-50 material b/c of its average sat score being in the 1200's... I can think of two schools off the top of my head that have lower/the same avg. sat's than fordham and are in the top 50-- penn state and university of washington ..and I think that rankings really don't mean that much at all, however, I just wanted to clarify.</p>

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<p>Thanks, Rain....my point exactly.</p>

<p>My other point is that while no school is perfect its really silly to go around knocking any school. I saw kids in the Ivy Forum (we have several friends attending) knocking one Ivy over another. Really silly, pretentious, arrogant and immature in my opinion.</p>

<p>I dont knock any school for academics. I do comment on the "buzz", or culture of a school and how we felt when we were there, or how their graduates/students come across in job interviews or social settings. WashU in St. Louis is a tremendous school. It was one of my D's top choices. We were very concerned however about the frenetic lifestyle and the unhappy faces we encountered the day were were there (Arts and Sciences day when they give you an entire day filled with activities....which I might add was done very well....I have nothing but admiration for that school....except its students who appeared a little too caffeinated if you ask me. Alas, my D was waitlisted along with a lot of other kids and we didnt get called off the waitlist in May. We heard they took fewer than 25 kids off the list, but I dont know if that is correct or not. But had they called, we would have had a difficult decision to make. In the end, it all worked out very well, my D is extremely happy at Fordham so far, and it looks like she made the right choice of schools. </p>

<p>The Univ. of Washington is an outstanding school that is highly respected in many areas, including marine biology. But its a HUGE state school, has a lot of research going on. Its not uncommon to have freshmen classes there of more than 500 students. Chem, Biology, English 101, Psych 101 etc.</p>

<p>Emory is also an outstanding school with a growing national reputation. Its a highly selective school. But its not a sports paragon on any level. </p>

<p>Oh well, I think we have talked out this issue.</p>

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<p>Personally, I don't think Greg is that much off the mark in this particular thread. But let's put things into perspective. There are over 3,000 colleges in the US, and Fordham is ranked according to USNWR in the top 3% very consistently - this is outstanding for a liberal arts university. Does it really matter if the school is in the top 1%, 2%, 3%, 5% or even 10%? When we look at students and their class rank (based on whatever grade criteria), I think all of us would agree that being in the top 5% of the class, or about top 5% of the SAT scores on a particular testing would be excellent. </p>

<p>Somehow, we can't approach colleges and ranking in the same perspective. Too much mental energy is placed on college rankings by many students and quite a few parents. What always seems to be missed is the focus of how a particular college will take that emerging "adult" mind in an 18yo, which is hopefully coming out of the turbulence of adolescence, and helping to evolve it into an adult that will offer positive contributions to society.</p>

<p>I'm doing a copy/paste from a thread that I responded to about 6mths ago, and it represents my take on Fordham:</p>

<p>Ok...since I am a grad of Fordham Rose Hill (from 20yrs ago) I feel the need to respond to BP's previous post.
I, too, was a Bronx native -- for the first 26yrs of my life. The Rose Hill campus is amazing, which was one of the things that attracted me to Fordham. I also commuted to it throughout my undergrad years. I would be careful in saying that it's "terrible" for commuters. It's just the nature of the beast, so to say, that if one is not living in a place 24hrs a day, the bonds to that location will be different than those who do. By residing on campus, by default, the campus is going to be your home...your community. Your daily existence with all of the daily minutia that goes with it becomes intertwined with the existences of your fellow resident students -- for better or worse. As a result, the college experience is much different as compared to a commuter. Being a commuter is not better or worse, but different. It really depends upon what you're expecting out of your college experience. To fully appreciate this experience, then I would recommend residing on campus. For me, twenty years ago, the commuter's "world" was the better of the two options for me at that time and the other responsibilities that I had.
The many comments from others that Fordham's food "sucks" is a very relative perception. I've been on Fordham's campus too many times to count in the past year, which also meant sampling their dining choices too many times to count. The only thing that I can say is that I'm envious of the choices that you have to eat at Fordham. My advice to students: enjoy and appreciate what you currently have. My life is so busy with my work schedule that the 30 minutes I get to quickly eat lunch or being exhausted by the time dinner comes around makes my current dining menu very monotonous. Unfortunately, this is what 21st century life is about for many of us. Again, what is considered good or bad in life and what is considered to be worth its cost is very relative. You may be looking back 20yrs and remembering McGinley's dining hall to be pretty good when compared to your what your culinary choices may be on a daily basis when you're older.
The most disconcerting part of the previous post, at least to me, refers to the "Jesuit Education". The importance of a broad based liberal core curriculum, which stresses theology, philosophy, literature, mathematics, science, and other liberal arts exposures, is the mission of Fordham, now, and 20yrs ago. Just look at Fordham's Mission statement, it includes:
"Guided by its Catholic and Jesuit traditions, Fordham fosters the intellectual, moral and religious development of its students and prepares them for leadership in a global society."
Look at Fordham's description of a Jesuit education:
"Fordham draws its inspiration from the dual heritage of Christian Humanism and Ignatian Spirituality, and consequently sees all disciplines as potential paths to God....Fordham recognizes the dignity and uniqueness of each person. A Fordham education at all levels is student-centered, and attentive to the development of the whole person. Such an education is based on close collaboration among students, faculty and staff....Jesuit education is cosmopolitan education. Therefore, education at Fordham is international in its scope and in its aspirations."
So...yes...one does need to take theology courses if attending Fordham. And...no...Jesuit education is not a "bunch of crock." The education at Fordham, or let me say the "Jesuit" education at Fordham, is very special. If you cannot understand why this education is very special, and also unique, then you're missing the true "magic" that is going on at Fordham. With all honesty, I did not really appreciate it 20yrs ago as much as I should have. I was too busy in trying to use Fordham as a stepping stone to achieve future educational and professional goals in my life (and mind you, I was a theology minor). But as the saying goes, "Hindsite is 20/20." Hopefully, my son will be a bit more wiser in this respect, then I was, when he attends Fordham this coming September.
So, when you say that "I still haven't met a person that actually came to this school because of the Jesuit education", that more than likely is an exaggeration. And for those current students that do not appreciate the Jesuit education yet, I hope they do before they graduate, because otherwise it's too late -- they have missed out on a period of their lives where the primary goal should be expanding the mind's understanding of oneself and the world that one lives in.</p>

<p>So, Greg, and for others thinking of applying to Fordham, what I had said above is the result of being educated at Fordham. I didn't learn these ideas in high school, nor in graduate school. Fordham is what truly exposed me to ethics, morality, and God in a formal, academic way. Fordham's Jesuit education has the potential to impart on you life changing and a lifetime of evolving ideas on these concepts.</p>

<p>--jack</p>

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<p>In terms of academic quality, comparing Fordham to Emory is like comparing Kia to Aston Martin.</p>

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<p>when looking at posts by some of the posters here, there is alot of putting down other schools and treating Emory like it is the best place on earth...I always consider the source from wence comments come</p>

<p>If you feel the need to bash other schools to make your school look good, what can one say? typical bully behavior</p>

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<p>not transferable, please find a life and not go around bashing schools that i assume you know nothing about.</p>

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<p>I'm not bashing Fordham or inflating Emory. All i'm saying is that I think it's difficult to compare two schools that have very different peer groups. Please find objective data that would otherwise not support my case.</p>

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<p>after reading your other posts about other schools, there is a definate pattern,,,, nuff said</p>

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<p>Emory is best known for math and science. Its a secular school. Funded by Coca Cola. I never bash any school for academics, as that is really bad form and largely a fool's errand. </p>

<p>My D is at Fordham because it is Fordham. That means because its Jesuit and because of its excellent education. People who leave Fordham as graduates are very well prepared for graduate school. </p>

<p>If you think you can do better than Fordham or would be happier somewhere else, then by all means go for it. But in my experience (and I am in my 50's), people who walk around the office and play "credentialist" all day long comparing their stats and degrees and putting down others or making snide remarks with a tone of condescension, usually end up in the unemployment line. That is fact. Humility wears a lot longer than arrogance, my daddy taught me.</p>

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<p>Emory has a strong Greek life, something my D did NOT want in her college, that was a very important factor for Her</p>

<p>Fordham has no sororities or frats in the traditional sense</p>

<p>I know many kids who want greek life, and others who don't want to go an where near it- would I bash a school because it has greek life, would I make assumptions about a school because all those that posted about themselves for the class of 2011 were males, most of whom were of Indian or other non-white backgrounds with similar stats, interests, etc, should I judge a school for the posters who have shown snobbery on this site, that would be wrong of me and would do a disservice to that school</p>

<p>My D fell in love with Fordham, she is appreciating the core curriculam, she loves the location (she did not want a school that was in the south for a number of reasons- transporation, weather), she loves the Jesuit philosophy of teaching, the social justice part, the radio station, the library, the program she is, the people she has met, the profs...she is even dealing with the food</p>

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<p>Emory is much more than math and science, that shows your ignorance about the school. So far I have only heard subjective rhetoric for reasons why Fordham is better than ______ top school. The fact that I challenge this logic has apparently branded me a "Fordham basher."</p>

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<p>your are also a vandy basher, and several other schools, seems Emory is tops in all things, and we aren';t the only ones wondering about that</p>

<p>I been doing some reading up on Emory....have fun!!!</p>

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<p>and there is more to a school than just its #s- a whole lot more</p>

<p>what is it about Emory that attracts such narrow minded people who only see a school by its #s....curious</p>

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<p>And I didnt say Emory is ONLY about math and science but those are the standout programs.....from what I gleaned from many people and from a current Emory student majoring in ....math and science...and from another who turned down Emory...and is majoring in math at another university.</p>

<p>So I am not ignorant on the topic at all. Nor am I an expert on Emory.</p>

<p>Its a great school. Have fun. But please stop bashing Fordham here. You should be delighted its moving up in the ranks.</p>

<p>When it comes to my D, I simply want her to have a really good academic experience/challenge, have a lot of fun, learn a lot about life (through positive experiences), have great support for her values, have incredible internship and job opportunities and make lifelong friends. We believe she will attain all of that at Fordham. </p>

<p>She has a friend who turned down Duke to go to NCState because its engineering program is stronger and because he felt more comfortable at State. </p>

<p>No college is perfect and no college is suitable for every applicant/student. If you are happier at Emory and thriving, I congratulate you and wish you well. Nobody wants to see any kid at any college being unhappy. These four years are too much fun and too important to let that happen. If you were unhappy at Fordham and moved on, then you made the right decision for YOU. But please dont put Fordham down because it wasnt your best fit school.</p>

<p>I can tell you that I went to an undergrad college ranked lower than Fordham. I can also tell you I wouldnt trade those four fabulous years for a million dollars. I learned a lot, it was a life changing event and for that I give generously to my alma mater. I then went on to a prestigious graduate school and excelled.</p>

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<p>I've said this several times, and here's one more: Fordham may make lots of people happy, but that doe snot make it the best thing since sliced bread.</p>

<p>I'm wondering why folks are trying to extensively compare Fordham to Emory. They are not comparable - It's like comparing UPenn to Temple. Fordham's CBA is ranked #50 and Emory's Goizueta Business School is ranked #4, for undergrads. My comparisons of the two institutions were quite cursory...</p>

<p>Greek life was something that didn't exist at Fordham, and I could never figure out why - do any of the parents know why?</p>

<p>Fordham's educational experience is unique and certainly is not for everyone, especially non-catholics. However, this "uniqueness" does not make Fordham's academics extraordinary.</p>

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<p>It is easy to think whatever school you associate with is the best and has the brightest future when in fact many other schools are pursuing similar ambitions and opportunities. </p>

<p>Greg: Your argument is futile here because rankings and objective data are "useless" according to many Fordham posters. That said, I strongly agree that rankings are far from the absolute definition of a school, but I acknowledge that the objective numbers are the only metric that can be used to filter out bias. This is the reason why US News is largely regarded as the most prominent ranking and used to define school peer groups. Thus, while Emory is grouped with schools ranging from Northwestern to Georgetown, Fordham can be compared to schools such as SMU and Baylor (see US News).</p>

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<p>Bias? Oh come on boys.....as if you arent biased about Emory? No, my remarks actually shadow the remarks of many college presidents who openly disdain college rankings. </p>

<p>I didnt compare Fordham to Emory....YOU did. I never said it was better, YOU did.</p>

<p>I simply responded to the original poster and did my part to get the word out about the wonderful opportunities that Fordham has to offer. If you are non Catholic and you felt out of place, I am sorry, though Fordham is only about 60 percent Catholic, I think.</p>

<p>A good percentage of their faculty is not Catholic.</p>

<p>You can "group" Emory with Georgetown and Northwestern all day long. You missed my point. You guys clearly are elitists who prefer to walk around and chat stats all day long and sneer at lower ranking schools. That is very unbecoming and really rather sophomoric, if you ask me. It doesnt sell well in job interviews either. </p>

<p>The "metric" I was using on Fordham had nothing whatever to do with SAT scores. It had to do with the Jesuit ethics and ethos.</p>

<p>Fordham proudly remains a substantial Jesuit university, something that Georgetown can no longer claim, sadly.</p>

<p>If you really understood Fordham and did your homework BEFORE you attended there, you would have known going in that it did not have a Greek life. Most Jesuit Schools don't. They have a different view of what college should be about. IF you want Greek life, then go to UVa, or Emory, or Washington and Lee where Greek Life is the ONLY life.</p>

<p>Some people need that, some people dont.</p>

<p>But I am really done arguing with you boys. And it doesnt speak very highly of Emory that you come on Fordham's thread and bash it.</p>

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<p>also to the Tufts thread, vandy thread and others.....Emory can have them..</p>

<p>fried...is your student having fun?</p>

<p>My D is having a blast, went to Manhatoon yesterday, to the museums, some shopping, etc</p>

<p>Loves the school, loves her dorm and is so happppppy</p>

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<p>I'm still having trouble seeing how my call for objectiveness when comparing schools equates to "bashing" Fordham.</p>

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<p>There are several Jesuit schools that have a thriving Greek Life: Marquette, Creighton, Loyola-Chicago and Loyola-New Orleans just to name a few. Additionally, there are non-Jesuit Catholic schools that also have fraternities and sororities such as Villanova and Marist.</p>