<p>Hey all! I just thought I would start a thread for all who applied for Furman merit scholarships. I think we are supposed to be notified late march, but I'm not sure about on campus interviews. If anyone hears anything, post it here! Good luck to everyone!</p>
<p>Does anyone know when invitations will be sent out for the Lay and Duke scholarships?</p>
<p>In previous years they have been sent out at the end of February, so we could hear back as early as the middle of this week</p>
<p>a friend of a friend has already received something in SC.</p>
<p>Does everyone get a letter, or only those who are selected for the scholarship?</p>
<p>My D’s letter was dated February 24th. This was for last year. I am not sure if they inform you that you were not selected. The scholarship days should be in the next 4-5 weeks.</p>
<p>Good luck to all!</p>
<p>I received an invitation to interview for Duke/Lay today in FL! A friend in SC got a rejection letter so it looks like you’ll be notified regardless.</p>
<p>My daughter received a rejection letter. See below. However, we are not clear what was covered since the scholarships were not mentioned and the text reads “unable to offer you this scholarship”. If you don’t mind can I ask for your stats.<br>
My daughter’s stats = 1400 on the SAT, GPA of 4.62, is ranked 16 of 360 in her class, several AP courses (and passed exams) & extensive record of extra curricular activities and community service. </p>
<p>____<strong><em>part of email below</em></strong></p>
<p>Thank you for your interest in the Furman’s merit-based scholarships. We
appreciate the time you have taken to apply, and we enjoyed learning about your
achievements.</p>
<p>This year, as a result of our record number of applications for admission, we
also received scholarship applications from a record number of outstanding
students, making the selection process extremely competitive. Unfortunately, we
regret to inform you that the scholarship selection committee is unable to
offer you this scholarship. However, you are still eligible for other forms of
aid and scholarships, and you will receive your financial aid package around
March 1 with more details.</p>
<p>I’m sorry to hear of your results! I have a 4.0 uw GPA, 5.2 w GPA, 1530 sat, valedictorian, 15 AP/IB classes, president of two campus organizations, all state musician, organizer of service program, and girls stated and girls nation participation and awards. Has anyone else heard good news?</p>
<p>Don’t know what to make of it if no word either way.</p>
<p>Furman gives out academic scholarships that there is no application for, I think that may be what the wording of “you are still eligible for other forms of aid and scholarships” is referring to</p>
<p>I was also rejected…my stats are: 4.0 GPA unweighted 4.4 weighted, 1500 Sat, 8 ap classes, 4th in a class of 100, service clubs and leadership in the clubs, lots of drama stuff and community service.</p>
<p>I guess the question still is “what were you rejected for?” all of their merit scholarships or only the top two named scholarships? best of luck as things shake out</p>
<p>unodosytracy & bookmark94 - Thanks for the info on your stats. If “this scholarship” is SAT, GPA driven, it looks like the cut off point for SAT scores is between 1500 and 1530 and the GPA between 4.4 and 5.2. My D may have the GPA at 4.62, but her SAT wasn’t good enough at 1400. We still don’t know what “this scholarship” is. No package in the mail today. Our hopes are that the referenced scholarship was the Duke and Lay. Since unodosytracy was invited to interview for the Duke and Lay, maybe the Hollingsworth is still on the table.</p>
<p>Financial aid information including scholarship info should be coming soon because it said in the email March 1. So I guess we will find out then!</p>
<p>This does not bring solace, but the above data on students who were turned down is truly astonishing. Since Furman has become a “test optional” school, I would have thought the first year or so, the mean SAT would stay in the upper 12-1300 on the SAT. When Wake Forest went test optional several years ago, their applicant pool stats went up as well. I hate to see exceptionally qualified students not supported financially when tuition is in excess of 50K.</p>
<p>I don’t know if this is helpful but I thought I would chime in. My D had around a 1250 and a weighted GPA of around 4.2. She did not apply for any named scholarship. She applied and was accepted to many schools last year but once she was accepted to Furman I started worrying about the costs. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on how you look at it, we were not going to be eligible for any “need based” scholarship. We were pleasantly surprised to receive a scholarship of $12 per year. I know there is still $38 K to pay but at least for us it took some of the sting out of writing that check. I had to particularly struggle with the fact that she was accepted to UGA and could have gone there for a fraction of the cost. I guess the reason I am writing this is that with stats like the poster listed you are sure to get the highest level of automatic scholarship. As for my D, she is in her freshman year and thriving and I have no regrets. Furman is simply worth every penny.</p>
<p>I am another parent that feels Furman has been a very worthwhile investment for our family. Much like the families here, we did not qualify for fin. aid so it became very important to look at schools that gave merit aid. Furman was the answer for us, child was able to secure the Townes scholarship. It was hard work though. The scholarship day was much more intense than what my child expected. (I was overwhelmed myself)</p>
<p>I read an article recently in Furman’s magazine that discussed the new approach the school is taking to admissions and making Furman even more competitive.</p>
<p>I’ll attach the link then you’ll need to scroll down a few pages to see the article. It might shed light on the reasons they have cut the huge aid packages, outside of the named scholarships. I have noticed they have added many new smaller ones and one specific scholarship that is intended to help families that are experiencing unemployment. </p>
<p><a href=“Furman University | Top Private Liberal Arts University in Greenville, SC”>Furman University | Top Private Liberal Arts University in Greenville, SC; </p>
<p>Best wishes to everyone looking for the right school for their child.</p>
<p>When my D applied, she did not qualify for any of the scholarships or other types of merit and financial aid. However, when she applied for her Stafford loan, Furman granted something called a Furman Award. It was not much, $4,000 a year. I was told that some type of award is usually granted when a student completes a FAFSA. The Furman Award and Stafford loan really help in our case.</p>
<p>D is a very happy, and overworked, sophomore at Furman. She is already whining that she will graduate in 2 years and miss her college life. Good luck to everyone!</p>
<p>Has anyone else who applied for the scholarships not heard anything at all? It seems many have received a rejection email and some said they received a letter saying that they are a finalist but we have heard nothing at all.</p>