I have a family member who wants to go to college in the Carolinas.
Why should be pick Furman over Clemson if Clemson is cheaper?
There are completely different institutions . Furman has a liberal arts focus, Clemson is research based. Clemson is a much larger school with almost 5 times the students . A lot depends on interests and major. And FYI, there are quite a few excellent choices in SC besides Clemson and Furman.
Thank you and there are, but why pay more for Furman (or anywhere in SC) when Clemson has SAT score medians about as high as Furman’s and is less expensive; what payoff (in terms of higher salaries or something) makes paying more for Furman worth it?
It is actually harder to get into Clemson than Furman. There is no higher payoff. Many people thinking attending a private institution is more desirable than a state university . It’s all in what one’s personal preference is.
^^ Agree with carolinamom2boys. Importance of location, size, academic programs, financial cost are going to be different for each person. There isn’t a universal answer for why one school should be picked over another. My 2 Ds went to Furman. They got a wonderful education and had some life changing experiences there. They got great scholarships. One is a lawyer and one is in medical school. For them and our family, Furman was “worth it”. But I believe they would have achieved their goals if they had attended a different school.
This response isn’t about Furman vs. Clemson, but rather understanding the difference between smaller schools and large state schools. I’m a professor, so I did my Ph. D and postdoctoral work at large state schools, but went to Furman as an undergrad, and I’m at an undergrad only school now. Professors at large schools are hired based on their ability to do research and obtain grants that bring the school money. There is very little consideration of their teaching skills when they are hired. In general, the professors are not as likely to put forth much effort in their classes, as they will be judged by their research to get promoted. That doesn’t mean all profs at big schools are bad teachers, but understand that undergraduates students are not their primary focus. However, large schools have more money and equipment, so they can offer more opportunities for research projects (in particular for engineering and many of the sciences).
At small schools, the professors will known your name, your strengths and weaknesses, and will be willing to work with you to make you better (if you are willing to put in the work). They went to those schools because they want to teach. Some students like the individual attention (I did, and my son is a freshman at Furman now - he is enjoying it too), some students don’t feel comfortable with this kind of attention. However, small schools don’t have the resources of state schools, so students may have to do summer internships at large schools in order to get a research experience.
As for the cost - very few people pay full fare at small schools. We are paying about $22000 (total: tuition + room & board) this year for Furman due to the merit-based scholarships they gave him. So if I were you, I’d apply to both and see what happens. My son applied to a couple large universities, a few mid-sized schools, and about 4 undergrad-only schools. He felt most comfortable at Furman, and they gave him the best financial package.
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