Bloomingdale High School Counseling Department

Furman University has been called the “Country Club of the South.” And if you’re Southern, white, Christian, and conservative, you’re likely to feel like a member. As a political science major says, “Students here tend to be sheltered and ignorant of real-world issues. They are very image-conscious and our gym stays busier than most others.” Beyond the country club vibe, though, students find small classes led by caring faculty and plenty of opportunities for independent research. Prominent alums include Nobel Prize-winning physicist Charles Townes and Keith Lockhart, director of the Boston Pops Orchestra.

Furman’s 750-acre campus is one of the country’s most beautiful, with tree-lined malls, fountains, a formal rose garden and Japanese garden, and a 30-acre lake filled with swans and ducks. Flowering shrubs dot the well-kept lawns, which surround buildings in the classical revival, Colonial Williamsburg, and modern architectural styles. Many have porches, pediments, and other Southern touches, such as handmade Virginia brick. The Townes Science Complex was recently completed, and the Physical Activities Center was renovated.

Furman operates under the “semester-plus” system. The school year begins in late August, and the first semester ends prior to the December holiday break. Students begin the second semester in January and then have the option of attending a three-week “Maymester” in (you guessed it) May. General education requirements include two first-year seminars (one must be a writing seminar) and a series of core requirements that fulfill the following “ways of knowing”: empirical studies; human cultures; mathematical and formal reasoning; foreign language; ultimate questions; and body and mind. Finally, students must fulfill global awareness requirements.

Furman’s academic climate is challenging. “Furman students all understand that the courses are difficult and seem to commiserate with one another,” says one junior. Forty-nine percent of classes taken by freshmen have 19 or fewer students, helping students get to know faculty members well. “They are absolutely brilliant and love to both learn and teach,” says a political science major. “Furman professors are also some of the most accessible people. Whether it is sitting in their office for a chat or going down to the dining hall with them, they are always willing to talk.” The Furman Advantage program helps fund research fellowships and teaching assistantships for more than 120 students a year. Furman also typically sends one of the largest student delegations to the annual National Conference of Undergraduate Research. More than 250 students study abroad each year, through one of more than a dozen Furman-sponsored programs on five continents, including a special exchange with Japan’s Kansai-Gaidai University. Furman also belongs to the Associated Colleges of the South*. Entering freshmen have the opportunity to travel in small groups to an island off the coast of Charleston, the mountains of North Carolina, or even China during the summer before they enroll.

Furman broke with the South Carolina Baptist Convention in 1992, but it remains in South Carolina, where religion ranks second only to football. Students are mostly white, upper-middle-class Southerners. “Everyone dresses in the stereotypical Southern preppy style of Brooks Brothers, Lilly Pulitzer, and Southern Proper,” says a senior. “Bowties and button-downs are expected for guys on game day at tailgates, and girls wouldn’t be caught dead without their Longchamp totes and Tory Burch flats.” Furman is trying to diversify, but those efforts have been slow to bear fruit. African Americans make up 5 percent of the student body, Hispanics comprise 3 percent, and Asian Americans add 2 percent. Every year, Furman awards a number of merit scholarships (averaging $16,000), plus 260 athletic scholarships in 18 sports.

Ninety-six percent of students live on campus, as Furman has a four-year residency requirement. “The dorms are quite large, comfortable, and well maintained,” says a global commerce major.   All dorms are equipped with telephone, cable TV, and Internet access, and students enjoy the camaraderie that results from a residential campus. Meal plan credits can be used in the dining hall or food court, which always offers student favorites like hamburgers and hot dogs. Overall, students say campus fare is tasty and diverse. Campus security helps provide a relatively safe environment. “Furman has its own police force,” notes a senior.

“If you are looking for a party school, Furman definitely is not it. Greeks are the ones that have the most active social lives with their formals and functions and parties,” says a student. When the weekend comes, Furman’s Student Activities Board sponsors “free movies, weekend trips, restaurant deals, huge concerts, and basically always something to do,” adds a communication major. Fraternities claim 38 percent of the men and sororities 51 percent of the women, and off-campus Greek parties draw crowds. “Greenville is a great city that is seeing a large amount of growth,” says a senior. “The downtown is booming and is a really fun place to visit.” The Peace Center for the Performing Arts, located downtown, brings in touring casts of Broadway shows and other top-rated acts. More than 60 percent of Furman’s students devote spare time to the Heller Service Corps, which provides volunteers to more than 85 community agencies and organizes the annual May Day-Play Day carnival, converting the campus into a playground for underprivileged kids. However, one freshman remarks, “A good amount of students volunteer, yes, but most are content to simply live out their privileged lives in the peace of the Furman bubble.” The best road trips are to the mountains of Asheville (only 45 minutes away), Atlanta (for the big city and shopping, about two hours), and Charleston or Myrtle Beach (four hours).

Furman’s athletic teams are the Paladins (after the toughest warrior in Charlemagne’s court) and they compete in the Division I Southern Conference. The men’s tennis and soccer and women’s volleyball, soccer, tennis, and golf teams have brought home conference titles within the past few years.   More than 70 percent of the student body competes for the coveted All Sports Trophy by participating in intramurals, which range from flag football to horseshoes. Furman’s Mock Trial program is nationally recognized and competes in intercollegiate tournaments with schools ranging from those in the Ivy League to major research universities.

Furman may call itself a university, but its educational approach is closer to that of a liberal arts college, emphasizing problem solving, projects, and experience-based learning. Two decades after severing its religious ties, the school continues to evolve, drawing more academically capable students from increasingly diverse backgrounds.

 

Deadlines & Requirements

Furman: Early decision: Nov. 1. Early action: Nov. 15. Regular admissions, financial aid, and housing: Jan. 15. Application fee: $50. Campus interviews: optional, evaluative. Alumni interviews: optional, informational. SATs or ACTs: optional. Subject Tests: optional. Accepts the Common Application. Essay question: Common Application questions.

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