UGA, Furman or Samford

Colleges and Universities A-Z Furman University
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<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>

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<p>If I could afford to send my student to any of those schools, without seriously harming my financial situation, it would be furman. Sometimes it cant be about money, it has to be all about your student. </p>

<p>I only wish I was in your shoes, my S recieved a good size scholarhip to go to furman but we still can’t afford it, not even with his 5000 state life scholarship and the additional 2600 that our state provides for students going to private colleges and $5500 stafford loan (no pell grant). We are still about $10k short of being able to afford it. Looks like he’s gonna be off to his last choice college (a state U).</p>

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<p>I think visits will help clarify, especially with regards to GA. It is a huge school - neat college town but huge. I don’t know much about Samford except that similar to Furman but prob. stayed closed to religious roots than Furman is now. Furman may have better academic rep. but both are good choices. If grad school is likely, maybe money more of an issue if looking at additional years of college - I also have undecided student.</p>

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<p>If your DD wants to pursue her music background and Furman is affordable-then that would weigh heavily in Furman’s favor. It is m understanding that Furman’s music program is on the “conservatory level”. The average scholarship offer of kids we know who are now freshman this past year was 20K-up considerably from what our kids received in 08. Supposedly, the strategic plan which is being redone, calls for an increase in matriculated students by 100 this year-so I would talk with your adcom and FA to make sure she receives the merit aid she should get. </p>

<p>If she is a writer-Furman is incredible, IMO. Our son is an English major and the professors are demanding and incredible. As for Georgia, we have a number of friends whose kids are there now. The greek scene is huge and they literally promote heir ranking as the no. 1 party school-which, to me, is a negative. My DH is a UGA law graduate, but says the undergraduate pat of UGA is a whole different world.</p>

<p>One of my questions is how does your daughter do in a large class environment? Core courses at UGA can have hundreds of kids-something she will not experience at either Furman or Samford. OUr DD has spent two transient semester at Georgia Tech ( she is a Furman philosophy major) She loved the vibe of Georgia Tech, but was blown away by classes with 50-200 kids. At Furman, if your child wants or needs time with the professor-it will happen. When DD was at Tech, kids lined up for professor visits and were generally given 5 minutes. That was when my daughter realized the value of a liberal arts education in a smaller environment. </p>

<p>Good luck in your decision-you have 3 great options with diverse learning environments!</p>

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<p>Confused, I saw your post on the Samford thread and provided my input there. Good luck.</p>

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<p>An update:</p>

<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>

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<p>Wow, I am very impressed by your careful analysis! UGA and Furman seem like two very different schools. Does your daughter have a favorite of the two or is she just as torn as you are?</p>

<p>I would think that it would make a big difference where that 114K difference in cost is going to come from. If you (or your daughter) have to take out substantial loans to come up with that money, that would be a big negative. Debt like that can be a burden for years. On the other hand, if you can come up with that money without too much sacrifice, then maybe it’s worth it. </p>

<p>I’ve never been to UGA, but we visited Furman last weekend and it rose right to the top of my daughter’s list. What a gorgeous campus! I didn’t expect her to like it so much, so now I’m trying to figure out if we can afford it. Do you mind my asking you what your daughter’s stats are (unweighted GPA and SATs) for her to get the achievement award?</p>

<p>Good luck with your choice.</p>

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<p>Agree with previous post-what an indepth analysis of the two schools, and IMO pretty on the money. We have numerous friends with kids at UGA-and the majorty have gone with the flow of the number one party school. If you DD does not like or is uncomfortable with that social scene then UGA is not the place. I understand the huge financial burden of Furman-it is not pretty and will get more expensive. The only feedback I can offer is what our kids have told us: they truly appreciate being at a school where they KNOW their professors and the faculty know them. I cannot tell you the number of times I have called Furman offices with questions and get answers or returned calls in an hour. Professors have taken a personal interest in our kids,which means a lot. The study abroad programs there have been trans formative for both our kids. There will be more homework of an intense nature at Furman. Average homework time at Georgia is less than 8 hours per week-read that in national publication.</p>

<p>Good luck to your daughter and you-she is lucky to have a parent who has spent so much time in making a sound decision.</p>

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<p>Furman is a 100% different experience that the University of Georgia. Athens is a great college town and there is much good to be said about life at the University of Georgia where many Furman graduates do take on grad degree years. We all know success stories from the University of Georgia but I am a Furman alum.</p>

<p>I graduated 30 years ago and still can walk on campus and be remembered and welcomed by my professors…that haven’t retired that is! The classrooms are demanding and the faculty is supportive. I think Furman has not lost its touch with bringing students to the top of their game either which is one of the things I valued most at Furman. Nothing is every dumbed down or easy but students are not intimidated or eliminated from the game when they are 19 either, which sometimes happens in a large school in my opinion. Students are raised over time to the high expectations that the classroom requires which puts you in a very strong position for readiness for graduate schools. I think Furman is good at building a strong core in the individual which after all is what these four years are about since …life is tough. Classrooms are thought provoking and your son or daughter is likely to find their values and their voice at Furman. Most liberal arts colleges aim at building a strong overall growth in body mind and spirit and Furman professors view their classrooms this way. I realize from hard experience that the financial investment is a sacrifice and in fact is unwise in some cases in this bad economy. I personally think Furman is underrated and about to undergo a great new era with our new President. A Furman education is every bit as rigorous as the fine educations you get at Wake Forest or the University of Richmond and graduate schools know this. Three from my era are Furman trustees now. My female housemates went to Harvard Med, Georgia Law, UGeorgia PhD now tenured at a major university, Clinical Psychologist, Masters in business, Conductor and College Music Professor. Male best friends are artists, novelists, writers, Provost of a famous liberal arts college, attorneys, doctors…all interesting people who keep on learning for a lifetime. I think that is the thing that is the result of a liberal arts education…the lifelong learning drive.</p>

<p>On the other hand, I have come to believe that the bigger decision in your life is choosing a life partner if you want to raise a family. Gaining the self awareness and insight to make that decision is more important that a liberal arts education vs a great state public college education decision. </p>

<p>And I think how you raised your daughter is more of a predictor of her ability to use Georgia well or to use Furman well. </p>

<p>So trust your instincts and know your own daughter and her particular needs for growth and strengths. Don’t be guilted into paying for Furman…you can make either place sing with your own good energy and good work habits. But if you choose Furman, her education will keep on paying dividends in many intangible ways in my experience.</p>

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<p>Thanks for all your replies. Your input has been invaluable in this process. I had posted this thread on the UGA forum as well and as expected you get a very different take. I think though UGA students/parents have a difficult time making the comparison between the schools as they are just too unfamiliar with just what the benefits of a small liberal arts college are. As for large public schools, UGA is great. It’s the alternative approach that they simply have a difficult time comparing to. I hate to say it but they just “don’t know any better”. </p>

<p>She will do an overnight at Furman on Sunday followed by the Accepted Students day. She will do accepted students day at UGA next Friday. I hope these visits will help clarify the decision.</p>

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<p>I am also a Georgia parent and my daughter was accepted into the UGA Honors program back in 2006. She graduated from Emory last year. </p>

<p>First, I agree with everything Georgiatwins says. I have known many kids that went to UGA and many parents who told me their kids got lost in the shuffle. The only kids that I would say flourished there, were students who are willing to do what it takes to get what they need (individual attention, etc). </p>

<p>That’s not my kid. I would equate Emory to Furman in this instance. The professors notice if you care about your classes, offer you opportunities if you seem interested, other people offered her opportunities because she was interested and asked questions. Her advisor could tell us when she graduated how he talked to other professors she had and how they all thought she had grown so much during her time at Emory. She graduated PBK, but had to put in some effort to get the grades, but did the work and she felt like other students who didn’t do the work respected her decisions, but there were many like-minded students at Emory.</p>

<p>We researched Furman back in 2006, but it was smaller than she wanted, but I think you will get the same type of experience at Furman. Was there a significant cost to the Emory experience over the UGA experience? Yes. Would we do it again? In a hearbeat. It was the right situation for her.</p>

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<p>Sroockrae- You have received some valuable feedback from Faline ( who I believe has had a S or D) graduate from Vandy and or Duke? Faline,IMO, always provides excellent advice and I totally agree Rod Smolla will bring even better things to the school. ThatMom also provides great insight into the liberal arts vs. large flagship school.<br>
I am hoping the overnights and accepted students days will provide her with an instinct for where she will feel the most comfortable. We have learned from experience how very important that is in our own kids’ ability to be successful, both socially and academically. Let us know how things go. Gppd luck again!</p>

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<p>Thatmom…thanks for your post…we are only in visit process, but its nice to know your take on uga, emory and furman. We scratched uga off visit list b/c of its size. I think my D would def get lost in the shuffle there. We are going to visit emory next week.</p>

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<p>daughter went Furman for undergrad, Emory for Grad school. very happy with both.</p>

<p>Emory though in Atlanta has a very nice “feel” to it. the surrounding area in Decatur is very nice. Your D wont live on campus as in Furman but its a very nice lifestyle</p>

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<p>D IS GOING TO FURMAN! Went to Furman on Saturday. We went to see the production of Lysistrata on Saturday night (a little awkward to see with your Dad). Spent the day Sunday touring around Greenville downtown. Greenville downtown has got to one of the best small downtown areas I have ever visited! Sunday night D did an overnight! Monday I met her as we were scheduled for the Accepted Students Day! She did not hesitate and said she had made a decision and Furman was it! </p>

<p>I think she met a lot of students that she could relate to. She described them as unpretentious and really down to earth. We then spent the day touring the school which has to be one of the most serene and beautiful places/campuses there is. </p>

<p>Thanks again for all the advice CC community. You simply sold us on Furman, it was an easy sale though. </p>

<p>Thanks Again,</p>

<p>No longer Confused Dad</p>

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<p>Welcome to Furman! I know it is hard to give up your easier ride economically at UGA but Athens will still be there for her for grad school. </p>

<p>She will have four of the best years of her life to draw on forever and may she meet a new family of friends to see her through the life ahead of her as an alum as well! The faculty cares so much about their charge and the dreams these students have. Keep us posted and stick around.</p>