We are from California and on a trip to visit our Vandy daughter we did a quick tour of Tennessee and the Carolinas with our D18.
I wanted to visit Greenville because I had heard it is beautiful (and it is!)
We visited Furman and found it to be impressive but very, very quiet because school was not in session.
Any experience or additional info about this school would be greatly appreciated as most Southern schools are a black hole around here 
Both of my daughters graduated from Furman, one Poli Sci/ pre-law and one Biology/ pre-med. Both had great academic and extracurricular experiences. What specific questions do you have? I’ll be glad to answer any questions that I can.
My son is a freshman at Furman and he’s enjoying it so much he doesn’t want to come home. He is getting challenged academically even though he did very well in his high school in Maryland (1390 on SAT). In addition, he has a relationship with all of his profs - which is one of the great things about Furman. The profs actually know his strengths and weaknesses and they are working with him to make him stronger. Outside of school he’s been going on hikes throughout NC and Tenn, hanging out in Greenville, and just being around kids that are like him (motivated to study, but find time to enjoy life too). Furman has kids from all over the country now - although a lot come from the Atlanta area. If you have other questions, I’ll check back in and answer what I can.
I have a relative that attended Furman, and I have been on campus and have heard great things about their academics.
As Furman’s reputation has grown, they seem to be greatly reducing their levels of merit aid. My relative’s younger sibling had very competitive stats but could not get enough aid to attend Furman. She ended up with 95 percent of full ride at a smaller LAC.
If your child will require a lot of merit aid, I would encourage you to research carefully before making Furman a top choice.
If money is not a factor, I would put Furman at the top of your list. It has a stellar regional reputation. Not sure of how well it is known nationally, or if it would affect a job search outside of the South.
@dragonmom3 ^^ this is true, and probably is something a student might want to check out if looking at schools far away from home. Currently about 70% of students are from outside of South Carolina. Younger Ds roommates and closest friends were from Maryland, Massachusetts, and Texas.
For what it is worth, my son received $37000/year in merit-based aid.
NavyNole, if you are comfortable sharing, what were your son’s stats? I assume he received one of the named scholarships, yes?
Actually, no - he didn’t even get an interview for the big ones. He got $25000 Bell Tower (general merit scholarship) and then a $12000 scholarship from the department he is majoring in. The named scholarships are really tough to get. He took 14 AP courses (he’s already classified as a sophomore), 1390 on SAT, captain of cross country and indoor track - and didn’t get invitation to interview. If you look at the thread from last year for the named scholarships you’ll see what kind of stats got people in. But as you see from our experience, there are other ways Furman can make going there affordable.
It seems to be very quiet in general, but I think that it adds to the serenity of the place. It’s very peaceful there. Everyone seems to know each other. If your daughter likes small schools, it would definitely be a good school to consider.
You may want to check out the thread below for discussion on Southern LACs. It is informative and wide-ranging. My daughter is a freshman at Furman and she loves it despite the fact that she thought she wanted a bigger school. Furman offered the best merit aid and she made her choice based on cost. She could not be happier.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1671635-southern-lacs.html
Wow, that is a great thread!
Just the kind of info I am looking for.
Thanks!!
I have two children who have/currently attending. Both received excellent educations. Eldest established relationships with professors that grew her and challenged her. My eldest published work with the encouragement of her professors, had great internships that led to her career.
My youngest is still attending, loves her classes, was offered an internship while a freshman and will have a great research job this summer as a sophomore/junior. These all came about in part because the professors get to know students well.
As important to me, Furman is a campus full of interesting people. The campus life can be enriching and fulfilling. Many volunteer opportunities on campus.
Both my children have/had named scholarships. These open up even more opportunities for students.
Thanks for the personal story.
We did have a good impression of the campus we we visited last summer but it was very, very quiet… we only saw a few locals walking their dogs- who were quite friendly btw.
And we LOVED Greenville! What a gem.
None of our friends have even heard of it.
Anyway, our daughter will likely apply early, but we are cautious about finances…
@melabella My son does not attend Furman , but was invited to scholarship weekend last year. The info that we were given At the weekend is they received 1200 applications for scholarships. 48 people were invited to interview for 10 Hollingsworth scholarships ( in state worth 35,000 and 5,000 additional stipend,) up to 8 Townes ( OOS for 25,000) and 4 Duke scholarships. ( Full tuition ) My son’s stats were as follows: Instate UWGPA 3.98, WGPA 4.95, 4/452 ( top 1%) 32 ACT Eagle Scout, Captain of Academic and Science teams, participated in Science Club, volunteered at local science center , NHS, BETA club, hundreds of volunteer hrs. He did not get offered Hollingsworth.
Sounds like it might not be affordable for us.
Where did your son end up going?
@dragonmom3 My son attends the Honors College at the College of Charleston as a William Aiken Fellow. He chose CofC Honors over Furman, Wofford , Clemson including Calhoun Honors, and Winthrop. Definitely the best choice for him. He loves it. Just the right size school, great programs and support, lots of study abroad and research opportunities . He had pretty much decided that CofC Honors was his first choice before his interviews at Furman. Not receiving the Hollingsworth solidified his choice between Clemson and CofC Honors.
@NavyNole - Do departmental scholarships require a separate application or did he just find out he had received it? And if he just found out, at what point in the process did that occur?
Thanks!
There was a separate application for his departmental scholarship - it was short. He found out about it in early April, if I remember correctly. I don’t know if every departmental scholarship works this way or not.
Thank you, NavyNole!
Doesn’t anyone know when the major scholarships or departmental scholarship invites are issued? I think this year they did away with the application and are simply choosing applicants.