Academic Achievement and Rigor
A Fordham education is rigorous. We don’t just expect our faculty to challenge you to be your best; we expect you to challenge yourself, too. When we evaluate your transcript, we reference information provided by your counselor or school profile, we’re looking to see a challenging curriculum—ideally the most rigorous you could have taken within the context of what has been available to you at your school. Some schools may offer AP courses, while others might offer an International Baccalaureate diploma program. Still others offer honors courses, while others may offer none at all. Course options may have been limited due to COVID-19. How have you been able to challenge yourself?
For most students, this will mean at least 16 academic credits in the following areas:
- English (4 years)
- Science (3-4 years)
- Mathematics* (3-4 years)
- Social Studies (3-4 years)
- Foreign Language** (2-4 years)
If you are enrolled in domestic curricula outside the United States, you should consider our curriculum expectations as similar to those expected for admission to selective universities in your home country. All school documents must be submitted directly by your school counselor or another school official assisting with your application. They may upload the documents via the Common App for secure and efficient submission. If for any reason, that is not an option, your school official may email us these documents directly to [email protected]. We can’t accept documents emailed directly from students as official for application review. Any school document not written in English is required to be submitted with a translation. If your school does not provide a translated transcript, a certified local translator is acceptable.
*Since quantitative analysis is a critical part of the curriculum in the Gabelli School of Business, applicants to this college should have coursework in precalculus and/or calculus (either course is preferred) or an equivalent level course.
**Please note that while the Office of Undergraduate Admission does accept American Sign Language (ASL) to fulfill our foreign language entrance requirements, ASL is not taught at Fordham University. However, students can pursue a proficiency evaluation to be exempted from the Core Curriculum foreign language requirements. Learn more about our foreign language placement.