Do I have any chance for Fordham?

ghostbuster
Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:04:25 +0000

First of all, Fordham is a Jesuit college. The Jesuits do not force anyone to be religious or attend mass or subscribe to Catholic doctrine. Never! The Jesuits are open, tolerant, inclusive and thought provoking. You may or may not have any Jesuit professors, depending on what classes you take and who is teaching what that semester.

Fordham is diverse in many ways, including religious diversity. You might have jewish professors, lutheran professors, catholic professors, professors of no particular faith. 40% of the Student Body at Fordham are not self identified as Roman Catholic. I dont know about clubs for your particular faith, if you are not Catholic, but that would depend on the number of students in attendance who are. To be certain, you will find students of your faith in New York and perhaps there is some interface with them as well. Fordham has lots of clubs of all kinds. You can call Fordham’s office of residence life and maybe they can answer your question directly. Go to the website and see what you can find.

Even for Catholic students, there is nothing mandatory about “faith.” All Fordham students take the core requirements which include two theology courses and two philosophy courses. You have a lot of choices in those groups, but in all respects they are not doctrinal. My kid’s freshman year Theology professor was a Lutheran, who is the Resident Lutheran minister at Princeton (he was a Doctoral student at Fordham at the time.) A fabulous professor. Its an exploration of the general principles of faith and reason, not doctrine of the Church.

Mass is offered daily for those who wish to attend, and several times on Sunday. Many students attend mass on Sunday evening in the University Church, an historic landmark on campus.

Some non Catholics come to Fordham and undergo a faith transformation, facilitated by their intellectual development with the Jesuits. Some have decided to become Catholics and even a few have become priests…and Jesuits. But just as many pass through the doors and make no particular religious effort and do just fine. Fordham also offers retreats for students, particularly freshmen dealing with stress and lifestyle anxieties. Its open to all, but it does have a Catholic element to it, being run by Campus Ministry. They are outstanding retreats (upstate where the university owns property) and beneficial to all who attend.

Your religious heritage will be respected at Fordham, whatever it is. Fordham is not a place for proselytizing from anyone. Most students keep their faith personal, except as discussed in classrooms where appropriate.

CBA is a business school. Some kids take a minor in theology or religious studies or philosophy. You are free to do that as well. But most CBA students are very much engrossed in the business world, internships or going onto get their MBA’s.

Finally, if you are deeply religious and live a very modest lifestyle (no partying etc.) you should be warned ahead of time that college life anywhere is often shocking. Teenagers gone wild is the most common theme. Even kids who state they are religious and church going. Its very hard to find a school where misbehaving doesnt occur. Except a really strict Christian school, of which there are a few in the country, if that is what you want to do. However, even with all the dorm drama going on, you can/will find people like you who are studious, religious, respectful of others and the rules, and who stay away from the party animals and kids who are immoral. In one sense, its a good experience to be confronted with people who are “out there” , a dose of real life. That doesnt mean you have to or will be forced to. I know plenty of kids who have successfully navigated those waters and found a tight circle of friends who work hard, find healthy things to do in their free time and otherwise practice their faith with reverence. It takes all kinds, and you will certainly see that at Fordham and most colleges around the country.