Fordham University

I've had a pretty good year here. As far as observable facts go, theres a good percentage of white catholic suburb kids with a white picket fence. This is hardly surprising, given that it's private and tuition is 34,000 per year. Then on the opposite side you have more ethnic types, usually commuting, and mostly on scholarship. My experience is that Fordham is pretty generous with scholarships, Depending On The Year. If they have a surplus one year, they give out 6k to everyone. If they dont, you're likely to get less. There are a few mid-range kids too, though most types gravitate towards either catholic WASP or hispanic/black. There are asians, but the school does not pretend to be in China (like, say, MIT) Other types of diversity, besides socioeconomic and race, are pretty much the same accross the board. There are as many nerds as jocks as artsy and political types, though most artsy types are at Lincoln Center.

If you're looking to get in, the best advice for any college is that they're not looking for well rounded students, rather a well rounded class. The ideal student would be...cone shaped? Pretty good in general, with one outstanding point. My grades were all over the place; I had everything from an F and D's to straight A's depending on year. My test scores were good but not exceptional (1340 SAT, 30 ACT), and I was in about 3 serious extra curricular activities. 0 sports. My saving grace was the essay, as I'm a very good writer. (ironic, as I hate writing, and only do so when forced) I'm pretty much evidence of the fact that when Fordham says it looks at the whole person, it *means* it. Social life, academics, sports, clubs, and such are all available in their information, (www.fordham.edu) so I won't repeat all that here. The only thing I might question would be safety, as it's in the Bronx NYC. No matter what they say, the neighborhood is not this little cheerful group that chills with the students between classes. So leave the diamond encrusted cell phone at home. Academics and Professors are generally stellar in terms of quality, and I've heard very few complaints. The food is also on the up and up, though I haven't seen a huge change.

1st Year Female -- Class 2013

Education Quality: A+, Perceived Campus Safety: C+

Fordham was not my first choice, and I think I've only met one or two other students who had really hoped to come here before we got our acceptances and rejections. That being said, I'm now preposterously glad that I ended up here! I absolutely love it. The campus is gorgeous, and with Manhattan just a 30 minute "ram van" ride away, I'm never bored.

Students and faculty (for the most part) are friendly and approachable. You cannot beat a Jesuit education! I really feel like the university cares about me as an individual, which has a lot to do with the president's (Father McShane) method of treating every student at Fordham as though he/she is the most important student. Father McShane has big plans for Fordham, and its prestige increases each year. The only negative I can think of is the caf food, but with Arthur Avenue just a few minutes' walk away, I can hardly complain about that!

1st Year Female -- Class 2011

Education Quality: A+, University Resource Use/ spending: B+