<p>I can't decided which one to go to! I'm looking to major in economics. I'm from the north and not religious so i'm worried how I'll be able to fit in at both schools. Please share your opinion of where i should go.</p>
<p>There are actually a number of similarities, though I’d suggest that Furman is a better school on a number of fronts - more selective, virtually all residential, high quality of life, passionate and involved student body - and one of the most spectacular campuses in the nation. It’d be my choice.</p>
<p>If you’re not religious, it may be worthwhile to consider that while the predominant culture of the Furman student body is religious, the school is independent. Loyola, of course, is overtly Catholic. Furman will be a “Southern” campus culture - preppy, Greeky, not very diverse, and more conservative than liberal. But for that matter, those adjectives (except Greek) probably fit Loyola just as well. Greenville has become a pretty fun and revitalized town, as well.</p>
<p>thank you, that response was very helpful! but I’m looking to major in business/management/economics and i know loyola has an undergraduate business school but furman doesnt. So wouldn’t loyola be better for my major?</p>
<p>I’m not a big proponent of choosing an undergraduate school based on a major. The typical student changes majors in college more than once. And few undergraduate degrees lead directly to a career anymore. They teach people how to learn from multiple disciplines and then students focus on a particular career-oriented field for their masters degree. Truly competitive business school graduates get MBAs. Even accountants need a masters to become a CPA.</p>
<p>FWIW, Harvard doesn’t have an undergraduate business school either (they do however have a lot of Econ majors.)</p>
<p>Excellent choices, congratulations! And interesting question.</p>
<p>I am familiar with both. Friends at both. D1 got into both, but is at Fordham.</p>
<p>Loyola Maryland is a very, very good school. Its a very pretty campus in uptown Baltimore. Its Jesuit. That means that while its overtly Catholic its also overtly Jesuit ethos and philosophical.</p>
<p>Both schools attract upper middle class students. Loyola will be northern and mid atlantic in its student body and Furman will be notably southern. The rub on Furman, while being a very strong LAC, is that it is too preppy and frat/sorority oriented and somewhat cliquey. I know a southern girl there who isnt very happy, but then again, she isnt exactly outgoing…very shy, modestly pretty and very smart. There is a party culture there as well, though its a dry campus. They go off premises or head over to Clemson on weekends. Loyola also has a party crowd, to be fair. </p>
<p>Furman is ranked higher, because its better known. Its highly respected in the South. Loyola has been Baltimore’s best kept secret for decades, now becoming a big name school, notably on Long Island for kids who want to get out of town, but still want a small LAC/Catholic school. Loyola like most Jesuit colleges is about 60/40 Catholic. You wont be hounded to “be holy” or take doctrinal classes. You must take two religion classes but they might be comparative religion or something philosophical…its not Catholic Education 101. A Jesuit education means they teach you how to think critically, not what to think. </p>
<p>In the end, you have to visit both campuses and see for yourself. Loyola is a basketball only school. Furman is both football and basketball, and maybe that appeals to you more. If you like the color purple you will like Furman. If you don’t, its purple hell, as everything is purple on campus. But its a huge campus (in acreage) and one of the most pictoresque, complete with a large lake and white swans. Its near Greenville (5 miles) which is a really fun town with a vibrant downtown, cafe’s and pubs etc. But it is very southern. You can’t go to Furman and expect to be a brash New Yorker and get away with much. You have to adapt to them, not them to you. Loyola will be markedly more pro Northern and more your cultural background. </p>
<p>I recommend both schools very, very highly. Its a flip of the coin, as I see it and really up to you and what you want. If you want to try something completely different than your immediate experience and background then Furman may be your choice. But if you value a really solid Jesuit education, in Baltimore…close to Philly and DC, and only few hours from New York, among people like you (but not necessarily all your high school buddies), then Loyola may be your best choice.</p>
<p>Good luck. Congrats again. Fine schools!</p>
<p>Agree with gadad on the business school thing. Its not required to have a B.S. in Business to get into business or MBA school. In fact, MBA school was designed originally for people without a business undergraduate degree. Econ is a common way to make up for the difference in curriculum. Most colleges will offer business law as well.</p>
<p>However, some students really want to focus on business in undergrad with accounting and finance courses. Loyola offers that and its very solid, coupled with their Jesuit core requirements…so a really good balance. Furman is a wonderful LAC and you will get a good broad perspective of ideas as well.</p>
<p>Its up to you. Take out the yellow legal pad. Make your list of likes and dislikes about each school and what factors are important to you, which are deal breakers (if any…presumably none since you applied to both), and which are things you can tolerate/live with. Weight them fairly. Then tally it up. But a visit to each campus while school is IN, is essential. Talk to students and see if you have that “fit”. Good luck.</p>
<p>^^^ Johnny - That’s a very good, precisely on-target analysis of the two by Ghostbuster.</p>
<p>I know 4 people who go to Furman and they all love it! I would definitely say Furman</p>
<p>Thank you guys, this thread seems to be in favor of furman and i’m leaning towards Furman too because they gave me a scholarship. I’m still going to go to the accepted students days for both schools. Can anyone give me more information for either school on parties, dorms, or food? or how rigorous the academics are? any info i could get i’d greatly appreciate thank you</p>
<p>I’d love to find out more about the social life. At loyola, i hear there are no parties (due to the fact they dont have a greek system), this worries me a lot. I hear the students just go out to bars. I have no idea what Furmans social life is like but it’s really small and it gives off the appearance of being conservative and not fun, strictly about academics. Can anyone help me out and give me more information about the social life at these schools?</p>
<p>My sense is that Furman is quite social and quite fun. How social? Our tour guide there told us that between 20-25% of Furman grads marry classmates. Greek life is big there, though.</p>
<p>Furman’s economic department offers a lot of unique opportunities. For example, this year only one group from either the southern region or the entire US was invited to attend some international convention regarding econ and Furman is always selected. The department isn’t the biggest on campus so from friends, I’ve heard they enjoy the attention and opportunities. I’m not sure the specifics, but I attend Furman and have two good friends that are Econ majors and they love the department not to mention the school. The regions (North & South) are a big difference as well as general ranks (Furman typically higher)- two factors that are typically important.</p>
<p>Jesuit schools, with one or two exceptions, are not Greek oriented at all. Just honors fraternities. They favor academics and their dorms develop a personality which can be different from others. Some people are fraternity/Greek essential…its a deal breaker for them. I think that is silly. Fraternities get into trouble. (ask Gadad about Wake’s recent troubles with the law during Rush and binge drinking…sad stuff happened and the university is cracking down bigtime.) </p>
<p>But that is just me. You may love Greek life. </p>
<p>Baltimore is a happening town, and a short jaunt to Annapolis, Eastern Shore and Ocean City. So you wont be in “Iowa City” by going to Loyola, believe me.</p>
<p>You have the Orioles, Ravens. You have JHU and UMaryland FIERCE competition in lacrosse…that is just HUGE in Baltimore. Big crowds go to those games. And they are fun. Loyola is very competitive in Lacrosse. </p>
<p>You are well to attend both student orientation seminars. Ask around and try to make some friends…and see what happens. </p>
<p>Again, both excellent schools. Good luck and congrats.</p>
<p>Thank you for all the information! Everybody’s mostly been telling me that I should go to Furman so i’m ready to choose it over Loyola. Anyone have an argument for Loyola? or more praise for Furman?</p>
<p>More praise for Furman.</p>
<p>While the atmosphere can be “Southern,” there are tons of people here that don’t fit that stereotype and you’re definitely not going to be outcasted. There are probably more non-Southern students here than you think. We have a fairly large crowd from Texas and the D.C./Maryland area. We have students from all over the country. I know people from California, Washington, Maine, Michigan, Connecticut, etc.
It’s getting more and more universal each year.</p>