UGA, Furman or Samford

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Georgia
1

<p>My DD has just gotten accepted to Georgia which kind of throws a wrench into the whole College decision process. She had been accepted to University of Alabama, Auburn, Samford and Furman. At that point we were seriously deciding between Samford and Furman. She currently attends a small private school and is not a huge football/sports fan. She is undecided on a major, but loves to read and is a great writer so we are throwing around majors like communications, journalism and maybe pre-law track. She is very involved in performing arts (ie. both theater and dance) and would like to continue her involvement in college as an extracurricular and possibly a minor. </p>

<p>I realize that the money difference is huge. I have not gotten a FA package from Furman yet but assuming it is negligible here is the breakdown for us (we live in Georgia).</p>

<p>University of Georgia (Instate after Hope) $9,334
Samford (after $8k per year scholarship) $20,966
Furman (assume zero merit) $47,660</p>

<p>We have overnight visits scheduled and will attend a class for both Samford and Furman along with going to accepted student days. We are going to go to one of the Accepted student days at UGA (I don't think they have an overnight program).</p>

<p>I personally really like the idea of Furman, and don't know a whole lot yet about UGA but want to know more. I specifically want to understand the quality of education as compared to Furman. Furman has a very high acceptance rate to prestigious graduate schools for outgoing undergrads. Does anyone know the UGA stats. </p>

<p>I am also a little concerned about the overall environment at UGA (#1 Party School). My DD has a good head on her but I also believe that ones environment can influence ones character no matter who you are. </p>

<p>I can afford Furman but I dont want to be stupid so help me determine if I can justify spending about 5 times more a year to send her to a small LAC versus the large state school in terms of quality of education, support, and quality of student life. </p>

<p>As for DD, she is just beginning to process this decision as she wanted to keep an open mind until all her decisions were in. </p>

<p>Thanks </p>

<p>Confused GA Parent</p>

2

<p>I don’t know anything about Furman, so I can’t compare it for you, but I can help tell you about UGA and help quiet some concerns.</p>

<p>1) Party school title -Yes, one’s environment may influence a person, but I can tell you it’s not hard at all to find people who aren’t into that kind of scene, and I’m in a sorority. There are TONS of people on this campus and not everyone is into drinking and partying. I won’t say that she may not do it, but you can easily get through UGA without going to one party or at least make it to your 21st without going downtown. I did feel pressure at times, but it’s my decision, my body, and my future. And I wouldn’t be fooled - partying and drinking happens at every school, and it’s not necessarily any better than a private school. It’s just a matter of how well people hide it.</p>

<p>2) Is she going to be part of the honors program? I’m not sure if the deadline has passed for that, but if she gets in, she can still get a “small school” feel. The class size for honors classes is usually around 20 and she’ll be around high achieving peers. Do you know if she prefers a big school or a small school? I came from a school that had 87 people in my graduating class - pretty darn small - to UGA where I had 200+ in my chemistry class alone. Now, it may take some adjustment, but I wouldn’t worry about the size. I personally think it’s an advantage. Having so many people creates a lot of opportunities and a lot of ways to meet people. After a while, how big the school feels shrinks dramatically once you figure out the layout of the school. When you first come to visit, you’re unfamiliar with everything and you see a bajillion people walking around. Believe me, after the first week, it won’t seem like that anymore. </p>

<p>3) Grady College for Journalism and Mass Communication is nationally recognized and affords plenty of opportunities for students interested in that area. UGA also has a law school attached to it, so I’m sure there are ways to get involved with that or at least get to know it and get support from it. We also have a fantastic performing arts program and their area of campus is pretty darn nice. There are definitely abundant ways of getting involved with that.</p>

<p>4) I don’t know anything about Furman, but since it’s a private school, I am going to lean on the side of thinking that it may have a higher quality of education than UGA. High enough to justify paying that much…I’m not so sure. She could use all that extra money for other things - a nicer apartment, a car on campus, food, trips, etc.</p>

<p>I would say let her visit the schools and see which one feels best for her. I know quality of education is important and basically the main reason to go to college, but she’ll do better in a school she likes.</p>

3

<p>I think you should look into UGA Honors program. Its too late to apply for Honors but depending on your daughter’s stats she may get auto admit. I would definitely look into that before making a decision on UGA.</p>

4

<p>As a large school, UGA can provide a lot of opportunities that might otherwise be unavailable at smaller schools. To plug a specific extracurricular, your D should definitely check out UGA’s mock trial program (one of the top programs in the country). They are always looking for talented actors to serve as witnesses (or even attorneys) and mock would align well with your D’s interest in law. Not very familiar with UGA’s theater and drama programs but I’ve heard lots of good things from friends.</p>

<p>As jenmarie noted, Grady College of Journalism is consistently ranked as one of the top J-programs in the country. The administration recently revamped the curriculum and I think that will make Grady even better for students – in the future, I understand, J-students will have the flexibility to take more courses outside their areas of concentration.</p>

<p>Ultimately, UGA is a great deal and a great school, Honors or not.</p>

5

<p>While staying near Furman for a few days, I walked the campus at least daily and really loved it. I thought D might be interested but she wasn’t based on one thing that once she mentioned, I realized I had noticed: a fairly homogeneous student body. It’s something to consider and for some may be a plus. </p>

<p>UGA has a superb reputation and is consistently recognized as a top “return on investment” school. The student body seems diverse yet distinctively southern.</p>

<p>I’m not convinced that Furman’s academics are significantly or at all stronger than UGA. In areas your D in considering, UGA may be much stronger. Size difference is obvious - what is your D’s preference? </p>

<p>Unless your D has a strong and reasonable preference for Furman, the money difference seems enormous, especially if you have to strain in the least to pay it.</p>

6

<p>I think we are down to Furman and UGA. After an overnight at Samford and participation in a dance class, she has removed Samford from the choice. Nothing negative, I think she just left without a sense of excitement and no matter what the stats and comparisons, I think her gut should trump everything as long as she has “good” choices to choose from. </p>

<p>So now we are down to UGA and Furman. From a financial perspective, I hope we can find that UGA will be a better fit for her. She did end up getting $12,500 as an Acheivers scholarship at Furman bringing the costs down some but the difference is still substantial.</p>

<p>University of Georgia
Instate after Hope - $9,400 x 4 years = $37,600</p>

<p>Furman
After $12,500 merit - $38,000 x 4 yrs = $152,000</p>

<p>So the $114,400 (difference) question still looms. Do you get $114,400 added quality of life and undergraduate educational experience from Furman over Georgia. </p>

<p>At the risk of approaching analysis paralysis, I want to at least make sure she has all the facts from both a qualitative and quantitative perspective. </p>

<p>I really have learned more about schools from the CC forum. I do realize though that everyone is proud of their decisions and/or their kids decisions so trying to get the the “real” differences is a challenge. That being said, I am going to attempt to summarize what we see as “real” differences and asK you CC people to either confirm/dispute such differences or to add to them. I am going to compare Furman to the general student population versus UGAs Honors which I think would make the distinctions less evident, but since my D did not apply in time for Honors (Feb deadline) and her stats did not get her auto admitted (1910 SAT) then she would have to apply after a semester meaning there is still a chance she will not be in that program. </p>

<p>QUALITY OF LIFE</p>

<p>I think UGAs as compared to Furman makes the biggest difference here. No matter how much a school tries, at a certain size it simply cannot compete. </p>

<p>As UGA is spread out, a student could spend a lot of valuable time each day walking to/from classes, the library, or the dining hall. Or waiting for a bus. Long distances also exacerbate the effects of bad weather. </p>

<p>I think a sense of community comes naturally at a smaller school like Furman. If you are super extroverted I think this can be overcome with effort but it does not come naturally. My D is probably middle of the road here. </p>

<p>On the plus side to UGA though, the size makes available certain opportunities but also takes away certain opportunities. For instance, my daughter loves to dance and has done so for 14 years. She also likes musical theater. She wants to have that incorporated into her life in college without majoring in it. Furman unfortunately does not have a dance program and unless she goes off campus, performance dance would really not be available except via the “Musical Theater” group at Furman (Pauper Players). On the other hand, with 30,000 students competing for spots in both student led and school performances, opportunities are would be hard to come by. It was the same in high school. My sons were not the elite athletes, but at their small private school, they were able to participate on the Varsity soccer teams, tennis teams, wrestling teams etc… In a large public, they probably would not have had the opportunity or experience which I think ultimately was very valuable to them even though they were not the “creme de la creme” in the sport. As for performance dance and/or musical theater, she probably would have to try “really” hard to be included from a non-major perspective at UGA. </p>

<p>ABILITY TO GROW POSITIVELY AS A PERSON</p>

<p>I have read alot about the #1 Party school and what it really means. What I have read is that many students do “partake” in the party scene (primarily on weekends) but then get serious on Mondays. If my desire is for my daughter to avoid going down a path of “drinking” and “partying” which I would think most parents would probably want for their kid. I think that UGA is a very risky choice. Sure, it depends on the kid, but most kids are easily influenced and want to fit in. Sure you can find plenty of students choosing not to participate in the “party” scene at UGA but based on what I have heard and read, that is the minority of kids and to choose this path is not what happens “naturally” at the University. </p>

<p>ACADEMICS</p>

<p>To make an apples to apples comparison, I will limit my comparison to (core classes) as my daughter would not start out into the “Honors” school at UGA and limited to the undergraduate experience. Again, I think size is the determining factor. At UGA, many of her GERs would literally have hundreds of students in it and some would be taught by TAs. In contrast, at Furman all classes are taught by professors with 96 percent having the highest degree in their field. The professors will know her I think from an educational experience, Furman seems to have a distinct advantage.</p>

<p>In addition, the academic environment is somewhat lackadaisicall at UGA as compared to Furman and I think this is driven by the HOPE scholarship factor. You can see my other thread regarding UGAs 4 year graduation rate of 51% as compared to Furman’s 81%. </p>

<p>TENTITIVE CONCLUSION</p>

<p>It seems that considering quality of life, ability to grow as a person and academically, Furman appears to have more to offer. Whether it’s $114,400 worth of additional value, I do not think is quantifiable. Maybe its like the old Mastercard commercial, some things are just priceless. I wish UGA had an overnight program for prospective students. It’s really hard to get a feel for this school as compared to schools that do allow for overnights. </p>

<p>Sorry for the long rambling posts. If you read this whole thing, I commend you. Now give me your thoughts.</p>

7

<p>My son is a Freshman at UGA. I did the same type of analysis you’re doing as he was accepted at 9 or 10 schools. One of his best friends is a Freshman at Furman so I know a bit about the school from seeing him during Spring Break and talking with his parents.<br>
In terms of my son’s first year experience, it couldn’t be better. He’s in the pre business program and is doing well academically. He’ll end up majoring in either accounting or economics. He’s an accomplished blues guitarist so Athens for him is a great location. We’re from the NE, so I was concerned about him being accepted at UGA. No worries there. He has made some great friends and several of them have had him to their homes for a weekend in Atlanta.</p>

<p>I looked hard at the “economics” of college. I view the cost of college like I would an investment (my wife tells me I’m too analytical). The fact of the matter is that the premium I would have paid for my son to go to a very expensive NE elite college (he got into several and if he wanted to go there I would have certainly supported him) probably couldn’t be justified on a return on investment basis. Even as a OOS student UGA is much less expensive. </p>

<p>UGA has offered him the perfect environment. He’s got access to a very broad base of professors. He has developed a relationship with several of them and one secured him an interview in NYC for a summer internship. To me this is what the college experience is all about—growing through relationships, contacts and being pushed academically.</p>

<p>My son’s friend at Furman loves the school. When I saw him during Spring Break he said it was the best decision he could have made. He too had a number of NE elite options, but chose Furman because he’s ROTC and felt the program there was excellent. His parents tell me he’s grown a lot at Furman and they feel it was the right decision for him.</p>

<p>At the end of the day your daughter has two excellent options. It sounds like she’s a very bright and level-headed student. The fact of the matter is that once they graduate college the success of the individual is not based on where they went, rather its directly related to their drive, motivation and interests. </p>

<p>Best of luck…</p>

8

<p>The negatives that come with being a big school are things that you learn to live with or learn to adapt to. Busses are VERY crowded at peak times (so you learn to either walk or learn how to fight your way onto a bus). The campus is a little spread out, but I’d say you’re probably concentrated to a certain part on campus. Yes, all of these things take up time, but I don’t think it’s that big of a deal or something that should distract someone from going to UGA. </p>

<p>I really like the big size of UGA. I came from a small private school, and it was refreshing to come to a bigger place and feel like there was more room to breathe (even though there are a ton of people here). I love that there are so many places on campus that you could hang out. We’re blessed with the amazing facilities we have because we have such a large population. </p>

<p>I don’t want to downplay your concerns when it comes to size - there are inconveniences. However, it’s really not a big problem and the advantages of having a large population outweigh the disadvantages. </p>

<p>As for the partying and drinking…I’m not going to mislead you. A lot of people here drink and party on the weekends, and it’s going to depend largely on your daughter’s group of friends. I don’t think non-drinkers are a small minority. Honestly, I would think it’s 50/50. I would just make sure that you educate your daughter before she gets here about the risks of drinking and partying (the immediate risks and the future risks…an MIP/DUI could be a career killer for some people). </p>

<p>As mentioned in another thread, the 4-year graduation rate may be explained by economics. Furman is much more expensive and therefore students have a much more reason to graduate on time. People at UGA have HOPE and can take their time. I’ve heard of a lot of people who extend their schooling just to have another football season…and because they’ve changed their majors.</p>

<p>I have only had one class that was taught by a grad student (intro to linguistics). Other than that, I’ve had professors with PhDs (with the exception of discussion sections for classes and labs). I think that I’ve had a great academic experience, but maybe I just got lucky with my professors. I’ve liked all of my professors save one. And most of them are very willing to sit down and talk with you if you need to. And even when the class was large, many of my teachers attempted to include the class and engage us. I’ve been very happy with my experience here, academic wise. </p>

<p>I’m not really in the position to say whether UGA or Furman is the better school in these areas, but i’m really not sure if Furman is worth an extra $114k, especially if your daughter is the one that’s going to be paying that off eventually. That’s almost how much a med student would be in debt. Does your daughter have grad school/professional school aspirations? I think it’d be more wise to save the money for that than to spend it on undergrad. She could use that money for study abroad trips or other things. </p>

<p>Good luck with her decision!</p>