What We're Looking For
Let's do great things together.

Fordham’s Office of Undergraduate Admission has always employed a holistic admission process, and that will continue to be our policy as the world recovers from the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic. As you have had to adapt to online classes, with limited access to co-curricular and summer activities, and fewer opportunities to take college entrance exams, Fordham has adapted in the way we evaluate your applications in the context of this new reality.
You’re looking for more than just a college—you're looking for a place you can call home. We’re looking for students who can add to our community too. In our admission process, 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. And not just on the academic front, but in every aspect of their lives. 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 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. Have you been involved in anti-racism work, or in identifying and dismantling anti-Black racism in your school or community (e.g. Black Lives Matter)? Have you been involved in other social causes around the environment or climate change? Have you taken on additional family responsibility in the midst of the pandemic? 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?
Reviewing your application holistically means we look for students who are a good match for Fordham. Our primary focus is that you will 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 personal characteristics and 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 a virtual visit, too. 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 enroll@fordham.edu; we’d love to answer any of your questions!
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