Palmetto Tour: First Stop - Furman!

The first stop on my three day tour of South Carolina colleges was Furman University. I took a direct flight from DCA (warning for airplane phobes like myself - it was a small plane) to Greenville, SC and it was a quick trip. Flight time was about an hour and the small and friendly Greenville airport (where you have to call a taxi if you need one- the first sign that you're not in the big city anymore) was a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of Washington area airports.

Our hotel was in downtown Greenville, about 10-15 minutes from Furman's campus and I was glad I had the opportunity to take a walk around the area. Most Visitation girls want a college that's located in an area with lots to do and this little town has everything you need - boutiques, coffees shops, restaurants, multiple gelato shops, and more than a few places that look like really fun places for college students to meet up. The next morning we took a tour of Furman's campus and met with students and admissions officers. I was VERY impressed!
Here are some notes I took during my time on campus:

• Currently Furman has 2700 undergraduates and they are growing to 3000.
• The campus is 100% residential. Yep, 100%! That is very unusual and means that the sense of community is very strong!
• Unusual for a school its size, Furman has Division I athletics, including a football team.
• Nearly the entire campus has been renovated over the last ten years - truly, this is one of the most beautiful and impressive campuses I have ever visited!
• 77% of students study "away" (they use this term as opposed to study abroad because some of the places students study are in the U.S.)
• Furman is ranked #4 in the country for undergraduate research; the top 3 are Stanford, MIT, and Michigan. WOW.
• Furman is test optional and their college president gave one of the best talks I have ever heard about why they adopted a  test optional philosophy. I wanted to give him a standing ovation.
• The housing is nice - VERY nice. Especially for juniors and seniors.

Unfortunately I did not take any pictures of lovely Greenville and Furman's stunning campus. But there are lots of pictures on their website. Even better, go see it in person. You will be glad you did!

Published by TSM