Fordham asks for one optional supplemental essay on top of your Common App personal statement, and you choose one of four prompts with a 300-word maximum. Fordham is test-optional, and roughly 74% of the Fall 2025 entering class did not submit scores, so your writing carries real weight in the read.
The word "optional" is a trap. With an acceptance rate near 58% and a mission tied tightly to Jesuit values and New York City, the students who skip the supplement hand an easy advantage to the ones who write a vivid, specific 300 words. The core challenge is small and exact: in a single tight paragraph, prove you understand what Fordham actually is and how you would add to it.
01Care made concrete. Fordham's Jesuit identity centers on care for others, the whole person, and being a citizen for positive change. Essays that show service as a habit, with a specific person or community in view, land far better than abstract talk about wanting to help.
02New York as a teacher, not a backdrop. The motto is 'New York is my campus, Fordham is my school.' Strong essays treat the city as a classroom that will challenge and stretch you, not just a fun place to live. Show what in your life has prepared you to learn from a dense, diverse city.
03Reflection over resume. Fordham repeatedly asks for personal growth, a changed perspective, a new point of view. They reward students who can name how an experience changed them, not just narrate what happened. The 'so what' is the point.
04Contribution, specifically. One prompt asks how you would contribute as an engaged learner and leader. Fordham wants applicants who picture themselves there: a club they would join, a question they would carry into a seminar, a community they would build.
4 prompts for Fordham, each broken down with annotated examples.
Citizen for positive change (growth)300 words (you choose 1 of 4 prompts; supplement is optional)
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.
Jesuit values and contribution300 words (you choose 1 of 4 prompts; supplement is optional)
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.
New York is my campus300 words (you choose 1 of 4 prompts; supplement is optional)
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?
Something you are proud of (open)300 words (you choose 1 of 4 prompts; supplement is optional)
Is there something that you are proud of that you would like to share with the Admission Committee?