<p>Hey
I'm a junior in high school am and thinking of double-majoring in Economics/political science. I have heard great things about both Furman and USC Honors College and am trying to find the best possible education in South Carolina for under-graduate from which if I choose to go to graduate school to a more "prestigious" university like Princeton I would still be qualified to. A little more about my educational info is that all my grades are 96+, I received the Junior Scholars award in SC in 8th grade, received the state recognition award from Duke TIP in 7th grade, won a middle school math tournament in South Carolina, and placed second in a state-wide oral interpretation competition; when I took my PSAT in 10th grade I was in the 97% for 11th-graders, and ethnicity... I'm a Caucasian-white, but on my Mom's side have Hispanic blood
Thanks for the help!</p>
<p>SAT scores are everything. Dont just bank on your grades. EC’s count too. Colleges focus on your transcript Junior year. This year is key. Talk to us next summer after your SAT scores are in.</p>
<p>Both schools are fine. Depends on the money.</p>
<p>South Carolina’s Honors College is very well regarded…</p>
<p>I might be a little biased since my D is a very happy freshman at Furman. It is a great LAC with an outstanding Political Science and Economics program. Their grad school placement rate to law schools and other post graduate schools is very strong. </p>
<p>However, I assume you are a South Carolina resident and in state tuition at the Honors college of SC would be hard to ignore. Furman is expensive and I am not sure how much better it would be once cost is considered.</p>
<p>Furman offers an incredible quality of student life, though it would like to have a more diverse student population. If you’re in TIP, you should stand a good chance of doing well on the PSAT when you take it next month. Furman guarantees National Merit Finalists at least $14,000 in merit aid - possibly more.</p>
<p>Assuming money was not an issue, is the quality of education and “prestige” the same or is one better regarded than the other</p>
<p>Have you had the opportunity to visit either college? It is a little early in the process but I would highly recommend you visit both schools and determine which feels like the best fit to you. They are very different in so many ways. When you visit, make sure to sit in on a class or two and meet with a professsor. It will be a great investment of your time.</p>
<p>Also, if you have the time or interest, look into the Summer Scholars Program that Furman offers to rising high school seniors. It is a great program and may help you decide whether it is the right school for you.</p>
<p>I think Furman might have a bit more prestige out-of-state.</p>
<p>Agreed with all of the above. Comparing a small private school with a state flagship is a bit like apples and oranges, even if the Honors College is a smaller college inside the larger university. It depends on what you want. USC will have amazing sports and its the SEC. Furman is well…not a sports mecca and their teams don’t do particularly well in the SoCon. Furman is between USC and Clemson. (So is Presbyterian College by the way…another fine school worth looking into.)</p>
<p>Also, the only negative about Furman is the Purple Palladian thingie. If you don’t like the color purple, don’t go there. Its pervasive on campus. LOL. But it is a a gorgeous country club setting.</p>
<p>You can’t go wrong either place, frankly. It is a personal subjective decision. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Oh and prestige is over-rated. Quality of education is excellent at both schools. Furman will generally have smaller classes (student/teacher ratio) because its a small school. But the Honors College will be smaller than the ordinary USC courses, particularly Intro courses. </p>
<p>In South Carolina, the rivalry is ordinarily between USC and Clemson. Not many fence sitters on that debate. But Furman poses a different set of strata. </p>
<p>I like them both, and I do tend to favor smaller schools because that is always my preference. You will be challenged at both schools.</p>
<p>Now, if I were asking as to which of the two would more “easily” get me into Princeton graduate school, which one would it be?</p>
<p>I would honestly go with the honors college at USC over Furman.</p>
<p>What is your basis for that, Pierre? What you heard in your Clemson dorms at a party? Puhleeeze.</p>
<p>Both schools are wonderful. Furman is a fabulous school and a gorgeous campus. But its not cheap.</p>
<p>What about Furman vs. Clemson Honors College – for Biology/Research/Pre-Med?</p>
<p>actually I know 6 people going to Furman and 2 at USC so hopefully that’s not biased haha</p>
<p>Great…because I know about 10 at Furman and few at USC and another few at Clemson. I know graduates from all of them. Everyone I know at Furman loves it.</p>
<p>Tough loss last night in Auburn.</p>
<p>oh yeah Furman is a great school. There are pros to both schools. Furman is smaller so you’ll get amazing opportunities there. On the other hand, if you are in the honors college at USC you’ll also get great opportunities and I’ll be willing to bet that there’s probably a lot more going on in terms of research going on there. But Furman is still a great pick.</p>
<p>You can’t go wrong with this decision.</p>
<p>What are your thoughts on the Honors College at Clemson for Biology/Research/Pre-Med as compared to Furman for same major? Am considering these two and not USC.</p>
<p>In South Carolina you are blessed with several excellent schools: USC, Clemson, Furman, Wofford, Presbyterian College, College of Charleston, Citadel. In some respects, for undergraduate work, it really depends on your personality and pocketbook where you go. Sometimes its heritage, which runs deep in the South. Picking between Honors Programs at a state college and a fabulous private school is really a personal decision. While the folks at USC will not recognize the excellence at Clemson, and vice versa, to me (an outsider with no dog in that fight) its really a coin toss. USC is SEC and Clemson is ACC. Some prefer the city of Columbia and some prefer the hills of upstate South Carolina and proximity to Atlanta. Each school is wonderful. I recommend you visit all of them and make your decision on what you think is the best fit for you. Clemson is big…but not huge like Tennessee or Georgia or Michigan or Ohio State. Furman is very small, but its campus is big. Some prefer more anonymity at a larger state school, plus the lower expense. Clemson is all about sports as well. Furman much less so. Furman has excellent placement into medical schools. But so does Clemson, particularly out of the Honors program.</p>
<p>Your choice. Good luck.</p>
<p>^very nicely summed up by ghostbusters. It really depends on what you like. USC is in Columbia which is I guess the South Carolina equivalent of a big city while Clemson is in the middle of nowhere. Furman is not far from downtown Greenville which is a great city as well. If you love sports, there is a fierce rivalry between USC and Clemson. Clemson is primarily an agriculture/engineering/architecture/science school while USC is more of a comprehensive university strong in many fields and Furman is great for liberal arts majors.</p>