What We're Looking For

Let's do great things together.

We want to bring together students who are going to do great things—to strive for "more" as a class.

This notion of “more”—magis—is a thread that runs throughout our Jesuit education. It’s what inspires our students to pursue an Honors curriculum, participate in a Google competition, or pursue a National Science Foundation fellowship. We’re looking for students who aspire to become the best versions of themselves that they can be. We don’t expect this from a few “special” Fordham students—this is what we hope for all Fordham students.

Our goal is to find people who aren’t going to sit on the sidelines. Do you volunteer in your community? Have you been involved in other causes that address economic inequality, animal welfare, or the environment? Have you taken on additional family responsibility? Do you have a part-time job to help out with expenses? Are you looking at New York City as a place where you can learn as much outside the classroom as inside?

Fordham’s Office of Undergraduate Admission has always employed a holistic admission process. Reviewing your application holistically means we look for students who are a good match for Fordham. Our primary focus is that you’ll be academically successful and bring personal qualities of integrity, perseverance, and leadership to our campus communities. 

• We consider each element you submit to us as a part of your application (required and optional) as a part of the greater whole. No one element is looked at in isolation.
• We look at you as a whole person (cura personalis), taking into account your lived experience, as well as your academic experience and qualifications.
• We honor your school and community context, referencing information provided by your counselor and school profile.

As we consider your application, we seek to get to know you beyond the requirements and numbers, including how you will give back to Fordham and/or your local, national, and international community via service and social justice. This is integral to our mission as a Jesuit University as we seek to educate global citizens and people for others (homines pro aliis).

We hope you’ll want to get to know more about us, too: This website is a good start; we’d love to connect with you during an on-campus or virtual visit. Get in touch with the admission counselor who works with students from your region, and you can chat with current students about their experiences. Or, just drop us an email at [email protected]; we’d love to answer any of your questions!

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