Fordham University - is it right for me?
Get to know more about Fordham University!
Established in 1841, Fordham University is a private research university located in New York, run in line with Jesuit educational principles: service; respect for the individual; the pursuit of excellence. The president of Fordham is always a Jesuit, and every Fordham graduate has to acquire a foundation in liberal arts and to follow the core curriculum, before specialising. This approach ensures that the traditional Jesuit goal of providing well-rounded education and cultured individuals is met.
Fordham University has an acceptance rate of 45 per cent, and a student population of around 15,500, drawn from 65 different countries. Fordham’s postgraduates number some 6,000 and the university is well-known for its high research output, as well as being ranked in the global 100 best universities for business, education, English, history, law, psychology and social work. Indeed, Robert Kennedy once joked that his law offices existed purely to employ Fordham graduates!
One of the most striking features of Fordham is the excellent feedback provided by its current and past students, who single out its brilliant and kindly teaching staff, the strong sense of community and their sheer enjoyment of studying at this outstanding university.
What is Fordham University’s core curriculum?
You will take 17 courses from 9 disciplines:
- English
- Mathematic reasoning
- Social science
- Philosophy and ethics
- History
- Fine arts
- Religious studies
- Natural Science
- Modern languages
- Classical languages
Once you have completed these courses, you are free to choose one of 50 specialisms, or even create your own course.
What are the entry requirement to Fordham University?
The SAT average at Fordham ranges from 1300-1480, but you would be well advised to aim for 580-670 in the critical reading paper; 590-680 in maths; and 590-680 in writing – if you want to improve your chances of being accepted.
Remember that Fordham Law School and the Gabelli School of Business are particularly heavily over-subscribed and there is strong competition for places.
Where is Fordham’s campus located?
Fordham has three campuses. The Rose Hill campus is situated in the heart of Little Italy, in the Bronx, just by the Botanical Gardens, which Fordham students can visit without paying. Rose Hill covers 85 acres , and has been called one of the prettiest campuses in the US. It boasts Gothic architecture, ivy-covered buildings, cobblestoned streets and huge lawns and is blessed with excellent transport links to Manhattan – as well as the campus Ram Van , which links Rose Hill with Westchester and Lincoln Centre – the other two campuses.
The Westchester campus is a three-storey building which houses:
- Fordham School of Professional and Continuing Studies
- Gabelli School of Business
- Graduate School of Education
- Graduate School of Social Service
and is set on 32 landscaped acres of grounds.
The Lincoln Centre campus is, as its name indicates, based in the very heart of Manhattan at West 60-West 62 between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues, and is home to performing arts, dance, theatre, the Fordham School of Law etc.
Approximately 7,000 of Fordham’s students attend the Lincoln Centre campus , which sprawls over eight acres of prime real estate, housing the university’s graduate schools of Business, Education and Social Services. A block away from Broadway or Central Park, students can take advantage of university housing, or share an apartment anywhere in New York.
Whichever campus ends up being yours, you will be able to enjoy the university’s vast collection of artworks, which are displayed around the campuses and in New York’s galleries. If you opt for Rose Hill, Fordham also has a Museum of Greek, Etruscan and Roman Art on site, to enjoy in your free time.
Fordham as a research centre
The university works in collaboration with a vast number of research centres, including:
- The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre
- The Bronx Zoo
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine
PhD students can take classes at a large number of New York schools.
Sport at Fordham University
Fordham’s Rams athletics teams are renowned for their successes in football, basketball and baseball – they even introduced the latter to Cuba and Latin America. It is said that spectators used to shout out ” one damn, two damns, three damns” and, in order to remove the swearing, it was decided to call Fordham’s teams The Rams, to make their chants less offensive. Indeed, rams feature prominently on campus . Fordham has 22 sports teams and competes in NCAA Division One. You can play ice hockey, go sailing, try your hand at lacrosse, diving or softball – to name but a selection of the sports on offer.
Accommodation
The university has 11 halls of residence and nine integrated learning communities, where students can choose to live in dorms or share apartments. All undergraduates are guaranteed accommodation for four years, and postgraduates can also apply to live in halls. Meal plans are offered, for term-time.
Can I study abroad with Fordham University?
Yes.
Fordham has 130 study abroad opportunities, ranging from internships to language or cultural immersion courses, and running from six weeks to a year. The university also has a centre in London, which specialises in business, theatre and liberal arts.
Fordham alumni
Lana del Rey
William J Casey, the head of the CIA
Donald Trump (who transferred after two years)
and Denzel Washington are well-known Fordham alumni.
Fordham traditions
The Victory Bell, which was taken from a Japanese aircraft-carrier , was presented to the university by Admiral Nimitz and currently stands outside Rose Hill gym. It is rung vigorously every time the Rams win a game.
Each semester, the beginning of exams is marked by the professors and administrators cooking student a very popular Midnight Breakfast.
And finally…
President Nixon was denied access to the Fordham campus when students staged a sit-in to protest his presence.
JFK and President Truman, however, were warmly welcomed and addressed the students.
