<p>So I have about two weeks to make a decision. I have narrowed down my choices between Bard College and Furman University. I know they're on the complete ends of the spectrum -- it's why I'm having a difficult time deciding. </p>
<p>Unless I get accepted off the Waitlist at either Wesleyan or Washington & Lee, I will most likely be attending either schools.</p>
<p>I plan on majoring in either Psychology, Neuroscience, or Biology. I plan on applying to Medical Schools in the future. I know that Bard's Science department is expanding, but I don't know much about Furman's.</p>
<p>I want a typical college experience with: parties and all. One of my drawbacks about Bard is the student body. It seem as if the majority of the students are introverts/socially awkward, yet intellectuals. Furman on the other hand, gives off more of a jock-school, where I would fit right in, but is conservative. How is Furman in terms of treatment towards minorities?</p>
<p>My financial package would appear something like this:
Bard - about $5,000/yr loans
Furman - about $9,000 yr/ loans</p>
<p>Any information regarding both/either schools would be very much appreciated!</p>
<p>dont know much about Bard but Furman is a great choice if you want to go to medical school.</p>
<p>Furman is not a jock school. Its not a party school either. You’ll be fine at Furman if you’re a minority. My two d’s are minorities and both loved it.</p>
<p>Furman pre-med majors get special coaching and their grads have a great record of acceptance to med school. The Furman student body is a pretty happy one; my take on Bard is that the goodness-of-fit there may be a higher risk than at most schools.</p>
<p>Agreed. The party animals at Furman have to travel to Clemson to party. Its a dry campus. Its preppy and largely conservative, but its not oppressive. The faculty are fairly liberal. W & L is a huge party scene…in the frats and sororities where about 80 percent pledge. Its a very good school, but also very elitist and very hard to get in. 17% admit rate. </p>
<p>Furman has the advantage of being in lovely Greenville, SC, which has a nice downtown with cafes and shops. W& L is an hour or more to any city of any size for shopping or restaurants. Lexington is pretty but very small.</p>
<p>Wow, opposite ends of the spectrum indeed. I would pair Wesleyan and Bard on one end and Furman and W&L on the other end of the spectrum of student bodies.</p>
<p>My strong suspicion is that if you are, after visiting I hope, trying to make this choice that you should probably go to Furman. </p>
<p>Both are fine educational choices, as are your waitlist schools, but I have a very hard time seeing my Bard Senior son at Furman as it is a much more conservative (in all senses of that word and in a non-pejorative use of the term), no doubt still with any sort of partying you want to try out though, place.</p>
<p>I do think that it might be somewhat easier to be a science person or pre-med at Furman than at Bard. Bard has been working on upgrading its science facilities, as you probably know you don’t have to major in science to go to med school but it is the more common route, but I think they may still have a ways to go.</p>
<p>Have you factored in Bard’s rural location? “walking and talking in the woods” is a very good description of Bard. It has a very arty/NYC/Hipster vibe vs. Furman’s Southern/SC/Preppy vibe. Which type of people are you more comfortable hanging out with? Do you see yourself living in the NorthEast or in the South when you are out of school?</p>
<p>I would agree with CTParent. Those two schools are pretty much opposites regarding culture and fit. You need to ask yourself which one you think would fit you better. My guess is that you would get a great education at either one. Have you visited both? Where do you live in relation to both campus? Distance from home is a factor for some. How much does weather play into your decision? If Science is your interest, Furman has brand new, state of the art facilities. The Sciences Building is stunning. Our son is graduating from Furman in a few weeks. He loves it!</p>