Furman is very supportive & has many opportunities for advancement as would a larger school. This is why I chose it over all the other big schools I had been accepted into with significantly more financial aid.
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Oh congrats! Thank you for posting. I guess that means my child is not in the running. That is helpful to know.
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How was your visit? We went to admitted student day at UNC yesterday, and my daughter feels more convinced that Furman is the place for her. We will go to admitted student day at Furman at the end of March.
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Thanks for asking! Spoiler alert: Mom and Dad hope S23 decides Furman is the one.
We rolled into Greenville on Sunday afternoon. Stayed downtown and walked to Falls Park on the Reedy from our hotel. We’d been there once, and it felt vibrant and safe as remembered. Great people and dog watching there, for sure a place to go with friends or a date. Headed to campus and the drive wasn’t beautiful, but it also wasn’t long, and there’s a Publix (bonus!) just before you arrive. Visiting in late winter meant leaves were off the crape myrtles and the grass wasn’t so green, but campus was still a “wow.” Oodles of natural space, an Asian garden, and the lake of course (hello black swans!). The clock tower chimed for 10 whole minutes at 5 p.m. It was a little too much, even, for D25 at first. We had fun testing the fab acoustics of the amphitheater. Then we found the arena because we had tickets to a basketball game. That was a good time – a close game to the end, and Furman won. The scale of it meant we were close to the action. Cheer and dance team seniors honored at half time, and they threw T-shirts and hot dogs to the crowd. Every age fan on the visitors’ side, from families with toddlers and kids in youth soccer league jerseys to a busload of residents from Furman’s senior living community.
Next morning was our tour. Started in a conference room with a short presentation from admissions, then student panel of two female and one male student, then two-part tour – longer walking part with medium group, and shorter part by golf cart with small group. Right away, I felt like they had gone into my mind and heart to discover what I hoped to hear and see that day. Mentorship (= relationships with professors); opportunities to do research (even be first author on a paper), to intern locally or back home, to study away for three weeks or a whole semester. We heard students say they were on pre-professional tracks but also that they hadn’t known what they wanted to do when they started and were helped to figure it out. Greek rush is in spring, if interested (with mention of friendship and philanthropy and open social events). D25 got an A+ answer to question about whether non-theater majors can find way into productions. Numerous mentions of campus jobs, a trolley that runs a constant loop (nice when it rains), and supposedly you can leave your bike unlocked and it won’t be stolen (maybe let’s not test it). Freshman dorms are in heart of campus, traditional style with on-hall baths. Sophomore dorms similar. Then junior/senior apartments are slightly farther out. Four students to a unit with two baths and a kitchen. Living together with cohort, no competition for the better setup is great, IMO.
After tour, S23 had lunch with one other visiting student (incidentally from our same city OOS) and a Furman student in dining hall. Mom, Dad, D25 hit bookstore, then dining hall. DH staff was friendly, and there are lots of healthy options. (There is the seemingly requisite Chick-fil-a on campus, too.) Campus is large for the number of students, so though we saw people in classrooms, in the library, etc., it felt kinda quiet at times walking around. But the dining hall at about noon was packed. Maybe all 2,500 kids there! It was awesome to see them. Good energy. Not as diverse as the population of the country, but also not not-diverse. On our previous campus stop of the weekend, it seemed like most everyone we saw was white (and dressed the same?). This was better.
The rec facility isn’t as expansive as others we’ve seen, but with southern weather and the campus (and beyond) to walk/jog/bike, it’s a small deal. D25 solved the problem (for her) of no on-campus climbing wall with a quick Google search that showed there’s a big one in Greenville. S23 wants to hear from one last school before he decides, which is fair. That one’s the family alma mater, and more of a reach now for anyone, but after wearing the T-shirts your whole life, it’s hard not to care what the application decision is. So, TBD, but regardless of his choice, we were absolutely sold on Furman.
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Very helpful, so thank you. We will be visiting in about a month and hope to be able to have that visit help him figure out his preferences. Did you visit Wofford, by chance? If so, I’m curious about a compare and contrast of the two schools. Thanks again!
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Great description, thank you!! One idea about rock climbing wall–real life rock climbing at Paris mountain? Not sure if that is a thing, but I love the location with the mountain right there. And Asheville being so close is great too. Good luck as your son decides what’s next for him!
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We missed Wofford on both the trip before his applications went out, and this one. Maybe we’ll get there for D25. Furman could be a better fit for our S23 on account of the slightly larger student body (approaching 2,500 vs approaching 1,800) and larger campus (one guidebook says 750 acres vs 180 acres) and because of Greenville.
How could we forget about Paris Mountain and Asheville? – yes! Thanks!
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I encourage anyone who wants to know more about Wofford to attend the main event on either 3/12-13 or 3/26-27 information is here → Events
I am a very biased alumnus and parent of a Sophomore and a perspective son. I am happy to answer any questions about the Wofford side of the coin.
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Please move discussions about other schools to the that subform. Thank you!
The Wofford forum: http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/c/colleges-and-universities/wofford-college/560
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There was a question comparing the two schools, that is why I linked. Thank you-
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I got an email invitation for summer connections yesterday-
Does anyone know if it is like summer orientation but just longer days on campus?
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Anyone get a music scholarship? My daughter did and I would like to connect with other music families.
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Has anyone heard results from interview weekend?
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