The Wall Street Journal Labels Fordham a ‘Hard-Charging’ Institution

The Wall Street Journal called Fordham a “hard-charging” institution in a March 30 article titled “College Admissions: The New Safety Schools,” where it touts the University as one that is increasingly selective and competitive. The Journal story led with a Fordham student whose grades and SAT scores made him a likely candidate for admission to Harvard. However, he and thousands of other top students were rejected by Harvard and other Ivy League schools, whose selectivity makes admission often unattainable even for the best and brightest. The Journal ranked 50 colleges in four categories – the New Ivies, safe, safer and safest. Fordham was ranked among 11 universities, including Colgate and Boston College, that are “safe” schools (still selective, but regarded as first-tier back-up schools to the New Ivies). The New Ivies are schools that were once considered back-ups to the Ivies and are now similarly selective. Fordham College accepted 63 percent of its applicants last year. The Journal predicted that Fordham’s acceptance rate would drop to 50 percent in the next five years. But the University is well ahead of that prediction. The acceptance rate is likely to drop to 50 percent next year, according to John Buckley, the dean of undergraduate admissions.