Researching this program for S who may be a recruited athlete. School location, size and culture seem perfect but have not found much about the seemingly good business program. Any insight into faculty, curriculum, culture and outcomes would be most appreciated.
If you haven’t been to the school I recommend you visit before making any final decisions.
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We are very far away from applying and getting and understanding of realistic athletic/academic combos. Any concerns that you think would arise from? The business program seems a bit limited in scope, specialization and faculty… we are comfortable with the specifics of SC overall as we often vacation in the Low Country if that is what you had in mind.
I second the recommendation made by @dragonflies1.
Furman University is a bit sheltered and more like high school than like a university. Students are very image conscious. In the recent past, Greek life was the dominate campus culture. For some, it could be great, but for those who are not Southern, white, Christian, & preppy, it might not be the most comfortable choice.
For status conscious students who prefer a more higher education atmosphere, SMU might be an interesting alternative.
P.S. Some Southern schools to consider if you are attracted to Furman University:
The University of the South at Sewanee
Wake Forest University
Washington & Lee
Rhodes College–especially for pre-med students
Mercer University in Macon, Georgia
The University of Alabama
Any other college or university in South Carolina should offer a somewhat similar preppy culture.
@gablesdad: What is your impression of the culture at Furman University ?
P.S. For a recruited athlete on full scholarship, it could be a great experience because it extends the high school experience of blending athletes into the full campus experience as opposed to separating athletes as is the reality at many Southern Division I universities.
Thanks @Publisher, insightful as always. We are very early on with S and this is largely a dream list. His strong preference is South, preppy, business and country clubby (very different from D), but challenging and his sport suits that background. Lower ranked Div 1 or any rank Div 3. Too early to tell re grades and score, but EC profile will be strongly around his sport.
List we have so far is:
Emory
WandL
Davidson
WandM
Richmond
Rhodes
Furman
Sewanee
Centre
We are not familiar with quality or environment at Elon, Wofford, Mercer or Berry. We like the overall quality rankings of Niche and were trying to stay in “A” and above.
My son (graduating this year) is considering many of the schools on your list (Furman, Samford, Centre, Mercer, Berry). I’d add Samford to your list to look at. It definitely fits the southern, preppy, country club vibe. It’s got strong ties to the Southern Baptist Convention but provided that doesn’t bother you, it would be worth a look. For what it’s worth, I would not characterize either Sewanee or Berry as nearly as preppy as the others. Sewanee in particular seems to attract more “quirky” smart kids. Or at least that was our impression when visiting.
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Thank you. Any other impressions from your visits? Also considering business? Will research Samford. Have you thought of Hendrix or Trinity U?
While Emory University is a great school in several respects, I would be hesitant to describe it “country clubby”.
Wash & Lee, Davidson, Richmond, & Furman all satisfy the country club atmosphere quality being sought. Duke University & the University of Virginia also have plenty of students who fit the preppy, country club description.
Outside of the South, Colgate, Bucknell, & Dartmouth College satisfy your criteria.
Again, not in the South, but Claremont McKenna College might be of interest.
Rollins College in Florida. Vanderbilt University. SMU in Dallas, Texas.
P.S. The University of Mississippi–especially if admitted to the Honors College with an academic scholarship–and the College of Charleston Honors College with a substantial academic scholarship might be of interest.
Maybe Wake Forest University (WFU) ?
Correct. Emory NOT “country clubby” at all … but maybe also Spring Hill College in Mobile, AL and some of the many liberal arts schools in Ohio. I don’t think Vandy has that vibe either - more of an urban/medical/diverse feel to it.
Also maybe Wofford …
Is Emory also more urban, medical, international stusemt diverse?
Yes. Beyond the obvious question of location - city/suburb/rural) and since Emory has 2 lovely campuses, simply look at the previous class profiles or common data sets of each school to see tremendous detail. Everything from the breakdown of majors, admissions stats, outcomes and all sorts of student characteristics (all the boxes checked or not checked on one’s application), as well as home state or country and on and on ! Alternatively, College Board, Naviance and SCOIR all have snapshots in pie graph form for an overview type look …