<p>agree. Fordham, sadly, is not known for giving out gazillions of overly generous aid packages. Its a very complex process and some kids seem to get the offers and other kids don’t. I do know this: if you have a very high SAT and/or go to a school Fordham likes, then the aid will be generous. Fordham gets over 27,000 applications a year. For some reason, they still have an admit rate in the high 40’s, which astounds me. I don’t run financial aid and don’t see what they see, nor know the restrictions they work under. The Ivy League Schools and some others, like Davidson and Richmond have large endowments and can offer enormous aid packages without loans. Fordham is not in that situation. We aren’t poor, but we aren’t “loaded” either, in endowment terms. </p>
<p>If was in charge of the world, the entire scholarship and financial aid world would change radically…more radical than our present Administration in DC. I wouldn’t punish the rich, but I would ask them to shoulder more of the burden, and remove that burden from the middle class. SAT scores are what schools use both for scholarships and for financial aid (even if they say they are needs blind…that is not precisely true…they may make an admissions decision needs blind, but then make a financial aid offer which is less than stellar). Fordham cannot possible house the 11,000 students it accepts each year…and they have no intention of really letting those people set foot on campus. The real ratio to examine is the one where students accept what Fordham offers…and for Fordham that is 1700 students from the 11,000 accepted. Thus, some offers will be mediocre to lousy because Fordham knows they will go elsewhere. And for many kids, they go to a less expensive school, or sometimes to a higher ranking school. (NYU btw is also not known for overly generous financial aid). </p>
<p>I hate it that kids with their hearts set on Fordham get disappointed with the financial aid offer and have to choose another school. I know we likely lose wonderful students. And yes, that means kids with loaded parents sometimes come to Fordham. Its a complex matrix. I am fearful that private colleges will price themselves out of contention very very soon…and state schools will become more competitive and push everyone down a tier or two. Its happening already in my home state, where tier 2 state schools are now as competitive as tier 1 state flagship was 5 years ago…its shocking! Its a conundrum for our entire society. Making Fordham affordable should be a major objective of the Administration, in my view. (Columbia had someone plop down 400 million restricted SOLELY for scholarships/financial aid…I sure wish someone would do that for Fordham…and yes, Fordham has billionaire alumni!) </p>
<p>Finally, you should all know that regardless where you attend college, it is what you make of it, and even if you are at your third choice school because of finances, you will be fine and be successful in life if you do your best and keep your chin up. </p>
<p>Its very unjust, it seems to me, to put such a burden on middle class…even upper middle class families, to set aside money or take on so much debt to educate their children. Its very scary. And it irks me to no end…in ways you cannot imagine, to see kids walking around Fordham, let alone other schools, with scholarships whose parents have enough money to finance the New York Yankees payroll. But it is what it is.</p>