Who decides scholarships?

I have a general question. In most schools, who is it that decides scholarship recipients? Is it the Admission Officers? Special committee? I assume different schools have their own protocols, anyone know how it works at Furman?

My daughter is a current freshman.

We are actually friends with someone in admissions who is quite high up. She had nothing to do with my daughters acceptance, 100%. With that being said, she did tell me dates up front etc but nothing to jeopardize her job. She said there’s a board of interviewers. My daughter had to interview for the Hollingsworth so maybe it’s different this year. Our friend said the board interviewing Greenville county kids did not live in Greenville county etc, so there’s a high chance they don’t know the kids. Another friend of mine who is a guidance counselor at a high school is on an interviewer board and she had kids from Columbia in her group as she lives in Greenville county.
As far as deciding the Bell Tower…I don’t know as all they have to go on is the application, so stats and essay etc.

Good information to have! Thank you so much. I am not sure why my D is being told she won’t have to interview if she is chosen to receive the Townes, but it also says it on the website. I also thought she had to be invited to interview for that one since we are OOS. Do you happen to know when the dates of invites are anticipated for this year?

@JoannaT Thanks…very interesting.
@Bandmama2 I believe it is new this year that Townes and Hollingsworth are offered without interview. I would assume they will be announced by end of February … I think ithe timing of notification was in the acceptance letter.

My D’s acceptance letter just says “Finalists invited to interview for Furman’s most prestigious merit scholarships will be notified in February.” So, I’m not sure how notification will work for the Townes and Hollingsworth. We will just keep our fingers crossed!

it seems like your daughter is definitely considered for the Duke because I have not heard anybody else saying that this was in their acceptance letter. It was not in my daughters for sure.

I heard that notifications have already been mailed. Has anyone received official notification of Hollingsworth, Townes, or Duke invites?

@UpstateSCmom For Bandmama’s sake I hope you’re right. But I think her kid was accepted ED so I don’t know if the letters are the same since they were offered belltower at time of admission and it would make sense to let people know that it would be a wait for the others.

@“MerRyAb Dad” I haven’t heard of any notification. Where did you hear that letters had been sent?

@UpstateSCmom Yes, my D was accepted ED in November, but Bell Tower offers were not made at the time of admission. She was notified of her Bell Tower several weeks later. I don’t know if the ED letters differ though. Good question!

@“MerRyAb Dad” Where did you hear that? So far it seems there has been no info posted that notifications were sent out.

@Bandmama2 A friend’s parent’s called Admissions and they said they were mailed on Wednesday.

Interesting since we were told in writing by admissions that there were no invites going out for Townes or Hollingsworth this year. Only for Duke. Oh well. I guess that tells me my kid is definitely not in the running for anything.