Author: ehawthorne

Today’s blog was written by admission counselor Laura Schmidt.

College Counseling Offices differ across the country in terms of size, and also the amount of time they are able to spend with each individual student. Some high school counselors work with one to two students, and some work with hundreds. That being said—no matter their size or the amount of time spent with each student they are very important in not only the college search process, but also the application process. As a high school student, you might feel overwhelmed and also under a lot of stress and pressure when it comes to the overall college search and application process. There are so many colleges and universities that offer wonderful opportunities—how could you pick just one? Your College Counseling Office is there to help you and relieve some of your stressors and pressures. Here are some of the ways you can make the most of your relationship with your college counseling office:

1. Form a Relationship with your College Counselor as soon as Possible: The more you know about one another the more they will be able to help and advise you.
2. Ask Questions: The more you ask the more you know and the better prepared you will be when it comes to visiting schools and applying to schools.
3. Set up One-on-One Appointments: If your college counselor works with hundreds of students they might not be thinking about you and only you every day. However, if you set up an appointment to meet with them personally, they will have your undivided attention for that specific period of time.
4. Do Your Research: Come prepared when you meet with your college counselor. Know your wants, needs, and expectations when it comes to picking a college. Think about what you want to get out of your experience. The more preparation you do on the front end, the less surprised you will be about your experience in the long run.
5. Share Your Passions and Interest: Let your college counselor get to know you. The more aware they are of your strengths, weaknesses, passions, and career goals the more they will be able to help you and share with you colleges and universities that fit your needs.
6. Use their advice and resources: College Counselors are trained professionals. They know what they are doing, and they want to help you. If you are feeling stressed and under a lot of pressure—go talk to your counselor. They will work with you so that your list of colleges and universities is manageable and fits your needs.

This guest blog is by current senior Christopher Razo from Chicago, IL.

As a high school senior when student gear up to apply for schools and attend campus visits, they are instantly hit with fast facts presented by an admissions counselor trying to sell their respective institute. However, more often then not, students are left confused or simply are not fully attentive to the little things that make up a university and what makes each one unique. Furman University is a place that is no exception, and has several aspects to the institution that students who attend can take advantage of – They just have to find out what those aspects are.

First, lets start with what it means for Furman University to be a liberal arts institution. At a liberal arts school like Furman, all students must complete general education requirements (GER) as part of their curriculum. The GER’s include mind and body wellness, textual analysis, natural sciences, math/ formal reasoning, and empirical studies of human behavior, history, ultimate question, foreign language and world culture courses. This aspect of the university grants students the opportunity to find what he or she would like to dive further into during their college experience. I have found this aspect of the school to be vital to the growth of our students. It is okay to not know what you want to do after college or what you would like to major in, the moment that you begin taking courses your freshman year. It is normal and typical for students to be curious and passionate about several subjects before and during their college career. Furthermore, it is common for every student to have had a high school experience that has led him or her to admire and disregard certain subjects. However, due to the numerous supportive and rigorous academic departments students who might have never found interest in science, math, or a foreign language per say, can potentially find that they are in fact interested in those certain subjects. This has been the case for students such as myself and many others who have come to Furman believing they would like to major in pre-law or pre-medicine per say and then found that their true passion and gifts of wisdom lay in subjects such as environmental science, biology, or business.

Second, I would like to touch on the importance and potential impacts that Cultural Life Programs (CLP) have on students. While it is a requirement, and the first reaction to being told that we must attend a total of 32 CLP credit events might seem like another thing to add to the checklist, it is in essence an additional aspect of the learning experience. Each CLP has the potential of further educating or presenting students with valuable information that pertains to diverse subject matters and current events. A few of my most memorable CLP’s at the University have included guest professors from the University of Chicago presenting their understanding of political theories, and the former head of the DEA talking on terrorism and narcotic trafficking around our nations borders. The top minds and lead researchers come to Furman and allot their time and wisdom to our students and are open to any questions.

Third, the student organizations presence and impact on the all around structure and organization of social life on campus. Furman University is a 100 percent residential institution meaning that all students live on campus all four years. This allows for the student body to form a true sense of familiarity and community among the students of all walks of life. This truly allows for a diverse experience. Furthermore, the small student body allows for professors to become involved with multiple individuals, groups and organizations on a personal level and truly support the students efforts to push organizations forward whether it be to explore science, politics, or to discuss sports.
These are all things that I was told existed at Furman but I did not come to realize these things until I took a step back to reflect on my experiences here. As a Furman student you will be pushed to study and progress more than ever before and it is easy to get caught up in the world of stress and worriedness, however the sooner one takes the time to truly reflect and appreciate the sense of community and opportunities that derive from the institutions connections, your joy truly soars. As a rising senior I have enjoyed my years at Furman and truly do bleed purple!  

Today’s blog was written by admission counselor Coady Shovlain.

I love my job. As an admission counselor I travel all over the country, I meet motivated students, I read heart-warming applications, but none of that gets at the heart of why I completely love what I do. It is that I get to represent Furman through all of that in light of my own great experience as a Furman student – that is why I love what I do. Reflecting of my Furman experience comes with the territory. So as I reflect, here are five things I did as a student that defined my Furman experience.

1. I made myself the priority.

Yes, I feel a twinge of self-centeredness as I type these words, but it is a twinge I welcome and embrace. Being a Furman student was a wonderful four years in my life, and I made myself the priority in every part of that experience. I was the priority in that I made sure to not let my four years pass me by unfulfilled or unrealized. These are not the four years in your life when you should start to settle for the expectations of someone else. Quite to the contrary, there are few other spaces that foster the liberty to explore your own dreams and aspirations as well as a university. So yes, I welcome and embrace that twinge of self-centeredness. I invested my time and energy, both in and outside of the classroom, in discovering and pursuing my passions. Furman is a great place for that, and I am a lot happier for it.

2. I ate when I wanted and with whom I wanted.

I feel like, “I made my appetite the priority” would have followed my first point a little too well, so we went with this instead. Regardless, while food currently plays and will always play an important role in my life, I am not here to convince you when to eat and in whose company. Rather, and quite to the contrary, I challenge you to decide that for yourself – yourself and no one else. And no, we are not just talking about your next meal. We are talking about your individuality, about being a person of conviction, which is a lot more difficult than deciding where to go for dinner (that is, unless you have ever tried to decide on dinner plans with a sister or girlfriend, in which case the two are comparable). Being a person of conviction can be hard, whether we are talking about something as trivial as dinner plans or something as significant as where you attend college, or what you study while you are there. And all the decisions in-between—what parties you attend, how well you read for a class, who you spend your time with—they all add up to define you. And making those choices solely because of another person robs the world of something really special. YOU!

3. I never turned down free food.

Sorry to return to food, but I warned you earlier – food currently plays and will always play an important role in my life – and you best believe after four years as a Furman student I know where to find the best free food. In my experience the best free food can often be found at a club or an organization’s open house. There are groups on campus literally waiting to welcome you to their ranks, and getting involved it great! It truly was something that defined my Furman experience. I got involved in organizations I would have never previously anticipated, and I grew to love them and the people I met through them. And to think – it all started with free food at an open house!

4. I spent a summer on campus.

By now in the blog you may have gathered that I kept myself pretty busy as a Furman student. Between classes, clubs, and other commitments it seemed like I was always running to the next thing on my schedule. Summer at Furman is different. The course load seems to lighten. The clubs adjourn until August. The commitments become far and few between. “Finally,” I thought, “I get to slow down and take it all in.” Instead of running to a Residential Life Council meeting, I was able to take a sunset walk around the lake. Instead of tackling homework assignments in the library, I was able to take down some opponents on the sand volleyball court. Spending a summer on campus gave me an opportunity to experience the in-between moments at Furman through which I grew to fully appreciate what was under my nose the whole time – a beautiful campus with so much to offer so many.

5. I gave tours.

As I mentioned at the very beginning I love my job because it gives my time to reflect on my own great experience as a Furman student. However, before I was an admission counselor, before I even graduated from Furman, I was reflecting. I may not have known it then, but giving student-led tours with the admission office served that role in my life. I began giving tours in my senior year, later than most, and I saw it only as a fun way to spend time between classes. As it turned out, it was that and so much more. It was a fifty-minute block of time where, no matter what was going on in my life—the test I had just bombed, the friend who had just cancelled on me, the roommate who had forgotten to do the dishes again—no matter any of that, those fifty-minute tours brought me back to the wonderful gifts Furman had given over the last four years. Creating a space to reflect on that made all the difference for me in realizing what a special and perfect role Furman held and continues to hold in my heart.

There you have it – five things I did that defined my Furman experience. As you continue in the college search process and continue to consider what you are hoping your next four years look like I hope you take these words with you. Attending Furman is a huge experience, and for those who take advantage of it, it can be a transformative one. Start asking yourself, “How will I define my Furman experience?”