Putting the finishing touches on our East Coast road trip and Furman just came up in the search. Liking the hiking and other stuff read about Furman, so now thinking about touring and had a few questions if anyone can answer any…this is for two kids DS19 and DD20:
DS19 is starting to think premed route or biochemistry research. How is Furman with prep for med school (newbie on med school research too!) or opportunity for research coops /jobs post grad if go that route?
My DS is more into baseball versus football…but I’m sure he’d like going to the football games for fun. Is this sufficient to “fit in?” Does it matter if he’s not a huge football enthusiast? We are touring Clemson also and wonder if that is okay there as well.
We’re from northeast and very interested in attending college in south. Family most likely moving south in a few years as well. Are out of staters able to adjust well at Furman? Does being out of state even matter?
DD20 is a B student and very shy. Wants to study psychology and read that Furman is good for this major. Also reading that it is very rigorous as well? Do B students struggle at Furman? Should we look at other colleges for DD20?
Both kids probably not interested in frat or sorority…is that a big scene at Furman? We’re trying to figure out if it is okay not to rush at other schools also. Where we live it’s available but doesn’t really matter if you don’t join frat/sor but it seems bigger in southern colleges from what I’m reading (but not really sure about that either.)
Furman has an excellent admittance rate for medical schools and other post graduate learning. The undergraduate research and internship opportunities at Furman are stellar. Furman has a partnership with the Greenville Healthcare System that provides all types of internships and other opportunities. Furman is a permanent beneficiary of the Duke Endowment (1 of 4 colleges) and for the last several years has used that money to strengthen its integrated learning concept which includes a promise of internships to every student. Google Furman Advantage for more details.
Furman is rigorous but doable for a B student. It is not for the fainthearted but it is rewarding. You have to put in effort but on the other hand, the professors are interested in educating their students and are always available to help. I also think they are usually fair. The psychology department is well regarded but it is tough. When you visit, talk to someone in the department for their take.
Socially, it matters not on whether your son is a football fan nor whether either one joins a frat/sor. My daughter is a rising Junior. She rushed Freshman year but did not join. A lot do this just to meet people and make friends. I think she has been to only 2 football games but many more baseball and soccer matches. Football is big at Clemson but not all the students go to the games. I think Frat/Sor are probably bigger at Clemson but that is probably because with a larger student body, a frat/sor makes for an easy social community. However, your son might get hooked on Clemson football, happens to the best of us ;).
Being OOS does not matter at Furman. More than 70% are OOS and they are from all over the country. There are a lot of Southeastern kids but they are a hospitable group. If your family is looking to move south, Greenville is a great place to relocate.
Both of my Ds graduated from Furman - D1 '10 and D2’15. D2 was a Biology major focusing on pre-med, and is finishing up her 3rd year of med school. I’ve posted a few times with info about her experience, and opportunities for aspiring med students at Furman:
Furman has good pre-med advising - very supportive and even helps students get shadowing experiences at the Greenville Hospital System which often is left to the student to figure out. D spent 2 summers doing research internships - once at a medical school, and one at the CDC. Faculty members can help facilitate offsite internships
My daughter was OOS (NJ) and had a wonderful experience at Furman. It doesn’t matter one bit where you are from as it is a very friendly and welcoming school. I agree that it is rigorous but doable. DD had a wonderful social life but was always back in the library by Sunday night.
Football is not nearly as big a deal at Furman as it is at Clemson. DD isn’t really a football fan but she did enjoy taking part in the social aspect of the games. Sometimes she went to the game and other times she went to the tailgating beforehand and skipped the actual game. That always amused me because I went to an ACC school and couldn’t imagine missing even one minute of a football game.
My daughter was in a sorority, which she enjoyed very much, but it certainly isn’t necessary to join one. One nice thing about Furman rush is that it’s in the spring semester so there is plenty of time to get acclimated first and learn more about them. Clemson rush is fall semester.
WOW this is great info! Thank you @GRITS80@dheldreth@buddyparent for answering my questions so thoroughly !!! We booked our tour and we are very excited. I will post back our thoughts after we visit…and apply I think it will be a great fit for both DS19 and DD20.
A couple of my friends are interning with the admissions office this summer, so I hope you have a good tour! As far as internships/co-ops, Furman has been so supportive and helpful throughout the process. I ended up taking an unpaid internship out of state this summer, and through the Furman Advantage summer fellows program, I was granted a very generous stipend to cover my living expenses. A lot of people I know that are pre-med are doing research on campus, (and being subsidized for it) interning at the med school/ hospital downtown, or they accepted research positions at large universities for the summer. The pre-med advisors are super helpful and routinely meet with prospective students, so definitely ask the admissions staff who they can put your S in contact with!
Thank you so much @pineapple1203! It is great to hear the support Furman gives. I am very glad because I am new at how the pre-med track works. We will definitely talk to the admissions staff. Can’t wait!
Furman is excellent at taking B students (and late bloomers), providing them with a rigorous academic experience, offering one-on-one pre-med advice, and turning them into A+ students for graduate school.
It does not matter where you are from to go to Furman, BUT it does matter what your home state is when applying to med schools. Furman is well known to southeastern med schools but may not be as known at northeastern med schools. Northeastern med schools are more difficult to get into than SC med schools. If you plan to move to SC do so by their 3rd year to gain in state status for med school applications.
Also start with a light class load for their first semester. Avoid the bio/chem/calc combo and give them a semester to adjust to college. This class combination turns most pre-med students into business majors before Thanksgiving.
Good luck.
I think it will be a great fit for both DS19 and DD20.