My name is Helena, and I'm an International Student

Meet Helena, a Fordham College Sophomore with a double major in Visual Arts and Art History:


I've been traveling for as long as I can remember. I have lived in Australia, Chile, and Malaysia, and could not be happier with my current location in New York City! The vitality of this city is amazing, and I can fully attest that this is THE place to be as a college student.

Having spent three years of high school at the International School of Kuala Lumpur, I understand all the challenges that come along with being an international student. It's hard enough to go through the college application process, but trying to decide where to spend the next four years of your life from across the world is a whole different story. Since I grew up surrounded by so many varied cultures and viewpoints, having a multicultural college experience was very important to me. Fordham has certainly not disappointed! The Jesuit ethos of inclusion, coupled with the fantastic location in one of the most globalized cities in the world makes Fordham an ideal school for students seeking all kinds of cultural experiences.

Fordham's main selling point for me, aside from the stellar academics, was the wealth of opportunities that being a student here has afforded me. In addition to the learning that takes place within the classroom, students are encouraged to pursue a host of educational experiences through internships, extracurricular activities, and fun excursions to the city! There is no end to the growth one can experience here.

All the best with your college search and we hope to see you soon!

My name is Li, and I'm an International Student

Meet Li, a current sophomore at Fordham and a student from Shanghai, China.

Can you tell me a little bit about your school in China and how you first became interested in Fordham?

Well, I went to a key high school in Shanghai. Initially, I decided to go to a college in Shanghai. However, some of my friends were enthusiastic about applying to American universities and invited me to take the TOEFL and the SAT. I took the tests to get a taste for the prestigious ETS standardized tests. My parents thought that studying abroad experience would help me broaden my worldview and be beneficial to my personal growth. My father helped me choose some universities near New York where my aunt lives. My father’s friend who is very familiar with American universities recommended Fordham to me and this was the first time I heard about this school. After I did some research, Fordham’s famous business program attracted me. Further, its beautiful campus and great location in NYC impressed me a lot. Finally, I decided to apply.

That's a pretty drastic change--wanting to go to school in Shanghai and then coming to Fordham. Were you worried at all?

Honestly, I do not know what my biggest worry was, because I had too many confusions and I was not sure whether I would be able to adapt to another culture and the new life before I came here. I had never been to the US before I started college. Therefore, I had limited knowledge about everything in the US, including going to school there. It was the riskiest thing I did in my life to come all the way to America alone without knowing anything.

Without any preparation, I came here with thousands of questions about everything. What housing should I choose? How can I pay for the tuition? What classes should I register for? Where can I get cheap textbooks? Even more importantly, what is a meal plan? However, fortunately, there are always students or people here to guide you and help you. After several months, everything became smooth to me.

What was your biggest challenge?

Since American classes are very different from Chinese classes, I spent a period of time adapting to the classes here. It is easy to understand the lectures in English. However, classes like history and philosophy focus on participation and sharing your own opinions. American students are very active and are encouraged to question and engage in discussion with their professors. In addition, I lacked in backgrounds and vocabulary in some subjects like theology and western history, I had difficulty joining the participation. Thus, I studied hard after class, and I turned to professors for extra help. My professors were very accessible and friendly, and really helped me out. Now, not only can I participate in class discussions, but I also feel free to share my knowledge of Chinese culture and history with students and professors in class.

What are some things that you have been involved in at Fordham?

One of the most rewarding experiences I have had at Fordham was a Global Outreach trip to San Diego. Global Outreach is a student-led program at Fordham, facilitating service and learning immersion experiences for students. After a competitive application process, I was selected as a member of San Diego team. Initially, I was seeking a relaxed trip to California for spring break. However, everything changed afterwards. Six months before the trip, our team started to hold all kinds of fundraising events. To prepare for the trip, we joined a midnight-run in Manhattan, reaching out to New York's homeless population. Faced with such social injustices, I suddenly felt the responsibility on my shoulder to contribute much as I can for social equality. Eventually, we were in San Diego working with and helping homeless kids. Those kids were in a great need for love, and their stories inspired me to continue my volunteering journey. I am now continuing community service at LIFT (a NGO for individual client meetings for find jobs and applying public benefits) in the Bronx.
The Global Outreach trip not only helped me get to know more about the social environment of American society, but also allowed me to help others within my own abilities.

Thanks, Li!

My name is Michelle, and I'm an International Student

Where were you born?

I was born in Manila, Philippines and am a Filipino citizen; however, a month after I was born, my family moved to Beijing, China. I spent most of my life being raised there, and is where my home still is.

How do you first hear about Fordham, and what interested you?

I attended the International School of Beijing, which has long standing relations with European, Australian, and American colleges and universities. Because of this, my junior and senior years I was able to attend college fairs and college visits through our counseling department. Fordham's international visit from the International student recruiter, Monica, was what initially exposed me to the school and was what made me gain interest in attending. My initial interest in applying to Fordham was almost based solely on the appeal of attending a school in New York City that still maintained a strong campus life.

What would you say your biggest challenge was in coming to study in the US?

Growing up I had no doubt in my mind that I would attend school in the US. But my biggest fear coming into Fordham was not being understood as an specific kind of "international" student. Mainly because even in my 'home' of Beijing I was still considered "international", I just assumed that where I was coming from would be a point of confusion. I was also very cautious about applying to a suitcase school (a school where all the students are from nearby and go home every weekend) and made sure that I applied to places that had very prominent on campus student life. Fordham does have a lot of students from the Northeastern US, but there are tons of students from all over the US. The campus life at Fordham really appealed to me.

My biggest challenge did not involve getting used to the curriculum or learning about American social norms, but really was more of getting used to independence and how to balance responsibilities as an independant person, away from home and family.

Now that you've been at Fordham for a few years, what would you say has been your most rewarding experience?

One of the most rewarding experiences that I have felt makes my time here worthwhile is my involvement with school activies. When I get involved and take on responsibilities there is a sense of fufillment and purpose in what I am doing whether it be for my own enjoyment or for class or extra credit. Fordham has many clubs and cultural organizations, and I've really enjoyed the things I have been involved in and the people I have met.

My name is Elizabeth, and I'm an International Student

Meet Elizabeth, a current sophomore at Fordham Rose Hill with a double major in Art and Art History, and a concentration in drawing and painting. Elizabeth is from Washington DC, but was born overseas and spent most of her life living abroad. As she came from a government family, she moved around a lot as a child, frequently switching international schools.

I recently sat down with Elizabeth and asked her some questions about her transition from living overseas to attending high school and college in the US.

So, first of all, where overseas have you lived?

My parents both work for the US government, so I was born on a military base in the Philippines. I attended elementary school in Indonesia, before moving to Peru for middle school. My family and I moved back to the US where I attended high school in DC.

Wow, so you've really moved around.

Yeah, definitely. See, I was really used to moving around and going to international schools, and I had a great time. Then my family and I moved back to DC, and I went to high school in Maryland.

How would you describe the transition? What was one thing that really stuck out to you?

The biggest shock when I started going to school in the US was that Americans were the majority, rather than the minority. I'd gone to international schools for my entire life, and then I went from that to going to a very small, Catholic, all-girls school in Maryland. It was a huge change. For one thing, there wasn't as much diversity as I had been used to. I felt like an oddity, like I didn't fit in. I stayed at that school for one year and then transferred to a co-ed Catholic high school. That was better, but I still felt kind of left out. Most of these kids had been going to school together their whole lives, and had grown up in DC, whereas I had always been moving around.

What drew you to Fordham?

I was really drawn to Fordham's location and diversity. It made me feel comfortable, like I hadn't felt at those schools in DC. My transition to college was actually pretty easy. I loved the fact that Fordham was in New York. I was looking for the diversity that I didn't see in high school, and Fordham gave that to me. The great thing is that New York City attracts people from all over the country and all over the world, from all different walks of life. So, it was a place where I felt comfortable as "an international student" because I didn't feel like I stuck out.

What specific things about Fordham struck you?

I wanted to go to a Catholic, Jesuit school. Yes, there are many Jesuit colleges throughout the US and in DC, but the fact that Fordham was in New York gave it a real edge for me. If you're looking for a Jesuit school where you will have fantastic opportunities, Fordham is your school. Being an Art major in New York City has also been a fantastic experience for me. I really take advantage of our location. Every weekend, I head into the city on the Ram Van and go to galleries and museums for homework, class, or just for fun. I love that I can go to the Metropolitan Museum and see classic older works of art, and then hop on the subway and head down to Chelsea to see the work of new, avant-garde, and upcoming artists. The old and the new interact, and, I feel, really enrich my experience.

What was your biggest concern going to school in the States?

I really didn't want to stick out. When you come from overseas, you just want to feel comfortable. You don't want to stick out, and just be "the international kid." What I really loved about Fordham was that everyone was so open and friendly, and really helpful in catering to my special needs. Also, a lot of students--even from the US--are not familiar with New York, so in many cases, you're all learning and experiencing new things together. My biggest fear was coming to a place where everyone knew each other and what was going on, and feeling like I was in an unfamiliar place. At Fordham, however, you adjust with everyone. Everyone is so welcoming willing to help you along. In that way, Fordham made my adjustment less scary than I thought it would be.

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