Finding the right combination of higher education, service, and community isn’t easy. But Fordham University believes that striving for excellence + caring for others + fighting for justice = an education that’ll change the world. If you agree, Fordham might just be the right place for you to call home.
While Fordham leaders love the person you are now (why wouldn’t they?), they’re just as excited to see whom they can help you become. Using a core curriculum rooted in the liberal arts and sciences and guided by Jesuit and Catholic traditions, Fordham strives to nurture the humanity and intellect of its students, so you can go out into the world and make your mark.
For a clearer sense of what Fordham is looking for in its students, you can get an extensive, by-the-numbers look at its offerings, from enrollment and tuition statistics to student life and financial aid information, on its Common Data Set. And for insights into how the university envisions itself and its role, and how it wants to grow and evolve, read its strategic plan.
What is the Fordham University supplemental essay prompt?
Fordham University Supplemental Essay Prompt #1
You may choose to answer one (1) of the optional questions below. Keep in mind that your response is a maximum of 300 words. Choose the question that you think will help the admission committee get a better understanding of your unique perspective and potential contributions to our community:
- At Fordham, we expect students to care for and engage with their communities and be active citizens for positive change. Please share an experience you had that caused you to develop a new perspective, change your point of view, and/or empower you to take an action or be courageous. Your response should include examples of your personal growth (e.g., what did you learn, did your point of view change, did you develop new skills or strengths?). (300 words)
- Fordham, as a Jesuit university, recognizes the dignity, uniqueness and potential of each person. A Fordham education is student-centered and rooted in close collaboration among students, faculty, and staff. Describe how you would contribute to our campus community as an actively engaged learner and leader. Specifically draw on your personal story, identity, experiences, strengths, and perspectives. (300 words)
- Our motto is “New York is my campus, Fordham is my school.” New York City is a diverse and global city that provides Fordham students with a special kind of educational experience, full of both challenge and opportunity. What has prepared you to embrace the unique opportunity of living and learning in New York City? (300 words)
How to Write the Supplemental Essay Prompts for Fordham University
how to write Fordham Supplemental Essay Prompt #1
Optional Prompt 1: At Fordham, we expect students to care for and engage with their communities and be active citizens for positive change. Please share an experience you had that caused you to develop a new perspective, change your point of view, and/or empower you to take an action or be courageous. Your response should include examples of your personal growth (e.g., what did you learn, did your point of view change, did you develop new skills or strengths?). (300 words)
There is a lot packed into this prompt, and it’s asking you to cover a lot in just 300 words! This means you’ll have to be strategic AND make sure you’re hitting each and every point they’re asking you to. We’re here to help you do both.
First things first, parse out each element of this prompt, going sentence by sentence. If you’re a person who likes bullet point lists, you’re in luck:
Fordham wants to know how you’ve actively created positive change, and this should be the framework for your response. What have you done that has left a lasting impact on your community?
Next, they’re asking you to get specific. Was there a defining moment, a significant experience that let you see the world through a different lens or that pushed you to stand up and be brave? That’s what they want to hear about.
Finally, and this is the big one, Fordham wants to learn what you learned. The idea is that you somehow emerged from this significant experience having grown and learned something about yourself. Be self-reflective, be specific, and be focused!
One option for this prompt is to treat this as essentially a “Community Essay” focused on how your engagement led you to develop “a new perspective, change your point of view, and/or empower you to take an action or be courageous.” You can find our comprehensive guide on how to write the Community Essay here. Or, if you’re short on time, here’s the abbreviated version:
Step 1: Create a “communities” chart by listing all the communities you’re a part of.
Keep in mind that communities can be defined by ...
Place: Groups of people who live/work/play near one another
Action: Groups of people who create change in the world by building, doing, or solving something together (Examples: Black Lives Matter, Girls Who Code, March for Our Lives)
Interest: Groups of people coming together based on a shared interest, experience, or expertise
Circumstance: Groups of people brought together either by chance or external events/situations.
Step 2: Use the BEABIES Exercise to generate your essay content.
Once you’ve chosen a community, map out your content using the BEABIES Exercise.
That exercise asks:
What did you actually do? (Tip: Use active verbs like “organized” and “managed” to clarify your responsibilities.)
What kinds of problems did you solve (personally, locally, or globally)?
What specific impact did you have?
What did you learn (skills, qualities, values)?
How did you apply the lessons you learned?
Step 3: Pick a structure.
The Narrative Structure works well for students who have faced a challenge in or with this community. Otherwise, the Montage Structure works well.
Consider answering these three questions in your essay if you choose the Narrative Structure:
What challenge/s did you face?
What did you do about it?
What did you learn?
How do those things shape how you will contribute to Columbia? (Ideally with some Why Us detail)
Here’s an example essay written for a very similar prompt for Villanova.
Example:
Growing up, most of my childhood friends were Asian. I never thought much about it; it seemed normal to me that all of my friends had similar backgrounds and perspectives.
However, when I was introduced to the storytelling world of Instagram, I realized what a homogenous environment I’d been living in. On Instagram, I wrote stories with a diverse group of friends like Fio, who identifies as nonbinary, and Cindy, who is on the autism spectrum. Meeting Fio allowed me to gain a better understanding of my brother, who identifies as transgender, while working with Cindy showed me that there are many ways to approach creativity. Having different kinds of friends is important to me because it allows me to consider issues in society from their points of view.
I was able to use this experience from Instagram when I volunteered at Harbor House Ministries. There, I noticed that Jennifer, a girl with ADD, was experiencing some difficulties fitting in. I volunteered to be her buddy, because I felt that, after working with Cindy, I was in a unique position to help her. I noticed that she behaved better when she wasn’t overwhelmed, so during recess, I introduced her classmates to her in small groups. Her behavior improved, and others became more comfortable around her.
By trying to understand people’s needs, I’m able to be more inclusive. At Villanova, I want to continue using my experience to help others, while also gaining new perspectives by meeting diverse new friends. (249 words)
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Tips + Analysis
Set the stage. It’s important to give your reader some context before just jumping into the details of your story, and this writer does an excellent job of that in just two sentences. After reading the first short paragraph, we know this student’s cultural background, a little about their childhood, and a lot about their perspective. Your readers will thank you for your clarity.
Show readers the active part of “active citizen.” This prompt gives you the opportunity to contextualize your experiences through the lens of positive change, so fill your readers in on the details of your “activity.” This student doesn’t just say they want to continue to work towards inclusivity; instead they show us precisely how they’ve already done that. They have been active agents of change, and readers learn the specific ways in which they’ve enacted change.
What did you learn? When answering this prompt, it’s so important that you address this final piece. Not only does it ensure you’re fully addressing the prompt, but it also helps you bring your essay to a clear and relevant conclusion. Once you’ve shown readers what you’ve already accomplished, let them know that YOU know there is more to do. And if you can frame this through the lens of contributions you hope to make to Fordham specifically, even better!
how to write Fordham Supplemental Essay Prompt #2
Optional prompt 2: Fordham, as a Jesuit university, recognizes the dignity, uniqueness and potential of each person. A Fordham education is student-centered and rooted in close collaboration among students, faculty, and staff. Describe how you would contribute to our campus community as an actively engaged learner and leader. Specifically draw on your personal story, identity, experiences, strengths, and perspectives. (300 words)
This is a fairly standard “how will you contribute” prompt.
Essentially, a way to think of this kind of prompt is that it’s a combo of “community/identity/background” and “why us” prompts: use some of your response to show how you’ve become who you are, and then show how those experiences shape what you will bring to the college through linking to specific opportunities/groups/details. Connect your unique upbringing, in a very broad sense of the word, with what the school offers and how you will make a great team.
While there are many things outside of “community” that might fit this prompt, if you’re looking for a way to brainstorm ideas, that’s a good place to start. (But keep in mind that you’ll want to include some “how will you contribute” details in your essay—this isn’t just a “tell us about a community” prompt.)
For a full guide to “community” essays, head there, but here’s the short version, plus how to add “how will you contribute” elements:
STEP 1: DECIDE WHAT COMMUNITY YOU WANT TO WRITE ABOUT
Create a “communities” chart by listing all the communities you’re a part of. Keep in mind that communities can be defined by...
Place: groups of people who live/work/play near one another
Action: groups of people who create change in the world by building, doing, or solving something together (Examples: Black Lives Matter, Girls Who Code, March for Our Lives)
Interest: groups of people coming together based on shared interest, experience, or expertise
Circumstance: groups of people brought together either by chance or external events/situations
STEP 2: USE THE BEABIES EXERCISE TO GENERATE YOUR ESSAY CONTENT
You’ll find detail on the BEABIES Exercise + a chart you can use at that link.
STEP 3: DO SOME “HOW WILL YOU CONTRIBUTE” RESEARCH
You’ll want to offer a few specific ways that show how the experience/s you’re discussing in your essay will allow you to contribute to the college. The easiest way to do this is to do some “Why Us”-like research and find ways you’ll engage with and contribute to the school’s community.
STEP 4: PICK A STRUCTURE (NARRATIVE OR MONTAGE)
STEP 5: WRITE A FIRST DRAFT!
Example:
I embody both a young Muslim woman passionate about civil liberty and a global citizen whose identity transcends her nationality. After witnessing migrant workers in the Middle East left at sunrise in desert mountains with only a broom and a single meal to last the day, I found my calling as an advocate.
At Fordham, I want to pursue these human rights questions in courses like Professor Durkin’s Development and Globalization, where I can delve into discussions about reproductive rights, genocide prevention, and prison reform. By joining the Humanitarian Student Union, I can work alongside my peers to directly engage with social justice issues. And as an Indian classical dance enthusiast, I look forward to joining Fordham Falak.
And some day, in addition to being a world voyager, I will become the first hijabi United
States Ambassador to the United Nations, a journey I embarked on at Fordham. (148 words)
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Tips + Analysis
Show them how you can be a teacher and a student. The prompt wants you to think about who you are as a “learner” AND a “leader,” as someone who can guide others and can be guided by others. Dig into your background and experiences to find moments in which you got to be both. This writer positions herself as an advocate (leader) and also lets her readers know the specific environments in which she hopes to learn more (learner). She is clear, specific, and detailed.
Let them know you work well with others. Remember all the times you heard you needed to learn how to work as part of a group? Well, here’s your chance to make those lessons count. Fordham asks specifically about collaboration, so don’t ignore this part of the prompt. In essence, readers want to learn the ways in which you’ll contribute to their school community, and this student addresses this question head-on (“I can work alongside my peers to directly engage with social justice issues”). This concise but impactful statement lets Fordham know she plans to use the strength that comes from collaboration to further her advocacy work. Who wouldn’t appreciate that in a prospective student?
Demonstrate impact. Many students might worry that they had an impact on only one person, or that the impact on their community wasn’t important enough. To that, we say: Give yourself more credit. If you can say you made an impact—big or small, one person or one nation—then you made an impact. Embrace it. And, by all means, write about it. This student begins to explore what she’ll do with her Fordham education—engage with social justice issues and be the first hijabi U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations—but we would’ve loved to have seen her also state the impact she’ll make on her issues of interest and in her communities.
And here are a couple more example essays, written for other schools’ versions of this prompt. Though note that ideally, you’d spend a bit more of your word count on the “how will you contribute” elements.
Example:
A large aspect of my identity is my low-income family of eight. As one of the eldest siblings, I was expected to financially contribute as soon as I could work. The majority of my summers were spent shelving products, filing papers, and answering customers’ questions. I quickly discovered the difficulty in earning a paycheck and appreciated my parents more. My family has been my rock—ever since we faced homelessness. Homelessness allowed me to understand my family’s financial situation, but most importantly, it resulted in bonding emotionally. At that moment, family was the one thing I knew I could call home.
Over time, the comforting feeling of my family began to disappear. As my parents are devoted missionaries and pastors, I regularly hear their conservative perspectives of Christianity. Throughout my life, I’ve shared similar personal values with my family, denying my bisexuality up until last year. This identity realization impacted me emotionally and physically. I was afraid to come out to anyone, worried that my faith would be questioned and I’d be treated differently. I felt powerless and miserable; mental struggles sometimes limited my motivation. One day, I sought professional help and found solace with my school counselor. After spending endless nights contemplating coming out, I told my close friends. I found acceptance from some and learned who were my real friends, the support system that I’m grateful for. My true identity hasn’t changed. Rather, coming out allowed me to be more open-minded, inclusive, and taught me to value conversations where I can bring a fresh perspective.
Above all, I’ve learned that my experiences shape me into the multifaceted person I am today. They propel me to openly contribute to my Entry, the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, and most importantly, the everyday interactions with my Williams peers and faculty members. (300 words)
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Example:
At the Student Diversity Leadership Conference in Seattle, I joined a mixed-race affinity group where I articulated how liberating it felt to discuss intersectional issues I hadn’t felt I could share as a mixed woman of color in a predominantly white school. With support from group leaders, I realized that my labels don’t restrict me, but can be an opportunity to foster conversations about aspects of my identity that make me unique.
I manifested my new approach towards dialogue in Actualizing Beloved Community, a group that addresses social justice challenges and facilitates student programs to include diverse perspectives. I found peers who share my ideals, and I learned to appreciate views of those who don’t. These lessons culminated when I interviewed a panel of queer women of color for Women’s History Month on an episode of The Refresh, a series that engages St. Andrew's community in socio-political conversations. Students reflected how listening to these women’s experiences opened their minds beyond our school’s former echochamber.
I hope to facilitate similar programs to include diverse voices through Columbia’s Women of Color Collective and Mixed Heritage Society, in which I and my peers can learn from the experiences of those from different backgrounds. (200 words)
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how to write Fordham Supplemental Essay Prompt #3
Optional prompt 3: Our motto is “New York is my campus, Fordham is my school.” New York City is a diverse and global city that provides Fordham students with a special kind of educational experience, full of both challenge and opportunity. What has prepared you to embrace the unique opportunity of living and learning in New York City? (300 words)
We find this prompt interesting because it’s actually asking you to think outside the confines of Fordham, when typically schools want to know why you want to go to THEIR school. Instead, essay readers are hoping to learn why you want to spend the next few years of your life in New York City. Sounds easy, right? New York is pretty awesome.
But there are some potential pitfalls you could fall into, so the name of the game here is FOCUS.
What your application reader wants to hear is how you envision using New York as an extension of the learning community you’ll get at Fordham. What they DON’T want to hear is how you’ve always wanted to go ice skating in Central Park (although, you should definitely do that). Look at the language in the prompt… it’s all about the EDUCATIONAL opportunities New York can provide you, so make sure to consider the Big Apple through this lens. Try to connect the city-as-a-classroom to Fordham-as-a-classroom.
The word “challenge” pops up in this prompt, and although it’s quick, it’s also pretty significant. Living in New York City isn’t for everyone, and Fordham wants to know that you’ve considered what life will be like in this bustling metropolis. It’s busy and crowded and always in motion, and your essay reader wants to make sure you’ve given some thought to whether or not this is an environment you can thrive in. If it is, then show them!
Because this prompt is new, we don’t have an example written for it, but the below essay (written for an older “Why NYU” prompt) and tips/analysis can point you in the right direction.
Example:
For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved cities, but when I first picked up National Geographic “The Cities Issue,” I discovered I could make a career from the intricate and multifaceted hubs where millions of people converge. I want to immerse myself into where history lives and evolves through architecture and design; where the environment, technology, and government intersect; where there’s a myriad of languages, cultures, music, and food. Only cities have it all, and NYU gives me more options to explore cities than anywhere else.
I love unexpected connections—in “The Cities Issue,” I learned about urban environments through rat populations. In Gallatin, I will continue exploring in nontraditional ways; especially through First-Year seminars like “The Lives, Deaths, and Rebirths of Public Space” and classes like “Architecture as Narrative.” New York City will be the ultimate classroom—a city of unexpected connections waiting to be discovered.
Flipping through Nicolas Ruel’s double-exposure photography of cities, I learned it’s impossible to understand complexity from only one viewpoint. NYU will encourage me to explore the full spectrum of what makes a city, and Gallatin specifically emphasizes branching out. In taking classes across Metropolitan Studies, Sustainable Urban Environments, and more, I will mix disciplines freely; whether architecture, engineering, history, or Social & Cultural Analysis. Gallatin’s focus on interdisciplinary studies means my education will be nuanced and relevant in an unparalleled way.
I could spend days poring over the ideas Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill propose for creating a sustainable urban future. I want to be part of something visionary, and captivating research is happening at NYU. I hope to get involved with Professor Solly Angel’s Urban Expansion research at the Marron Institute to explore the far-reaching impacts of urbanization, and collect data on lighting with the CUSP Urban Observatory to examine the intricacies of our relationship with cities.
When I read “The Cities Issue,” I imagine myself in Singapore’s SkyPark and Tokyo’s Yakitori restaurants. At NYU, I won’t have to imagine—I can study abroad anywhere from Accra to Shanghai, since it’s crucial to gain a global perspective. I look forward to “Seeing London’s Architecture” and “Street Food & Urban Farming.” I especially want to study abroad in Madrid to continue working towards fluency in Spanish and explore La Gran Vía y El Retiro.
Everything that makes a city amazing—the intersection of every discipline, a diverse group of people, boundless opportunities, and thought-provoking experiences—I will find at NYU. (400 words)
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Tips + Analysis:
Let the tone of your essay mirror your content. This student’s excitement about New York nearly jumps off the page. How do they achieve this so well? It’s in the words, the pace, the sentence structure. Language like “immerse,” “converge,” and “connection” highlights what it is that this student values about NY. Their sentence variety creates an immediacy to their writing. They manage to speed things up and slow things down from one paragraph to the next. In many ways these details mirror what life in NY might be like. Let your writing enhance and reflect your content by using all the linguistic tools you have available to you.
Details, details, details. This writer doesn’t just tell us that they love cities (and NY in particular); they also tell us why, and this is a key reason why this essay is so strong. You know how you had to do some homework to learn about Fordham? Well, being specific about what you love about cities shows you’ve done your homework about NY as well. Educate yourself about the things in NY the average tourist doesn’t know. Where’s the best bookstore? Is there a cultural center that will be part of your NY community? What off-campus resources are available to you that relate to your major? Find the answers to these types of questions and include them in your response.
Ways to tweak to fit this prompt. Because the above was written for a Why Us, it includes a lot of details about NYU classes, professors, and programs. And for a normal “Why Us” that’s a good thing. But for this Fordham prompt, you’d want to replace those with details about New York itself, and the opportunities you want to take advantage of outside of Fordham to learn and grow. (Though you’d want the same level of specificity and “so whats.”)
Special thanks to Jessica for contributing to this post.
Jessica has a Ph.D in English from the University of Southern California and teaches English at a Los Angeles-area independent school, where she has also been English department chair and a class dean. Sandra Cisneros is her hero, and she loves books, her awesomely-sarcastic family, the beach, cozy sweaters, and more books. Oh, and her sweet pitbull/lab mix named Ruby.
Top values: Curiosity, equity, wonder
