Tag: Application Tips

It is spring of your senior year and your head is spinning with college decisions, spring break vacations, preparing for tests and exams, and oh…there’s prom. Here’s a list to help remind you of how to enjoy the best of both, your senior year and the anticipation of starting college in the fall!

10. Study – Let’s start here. Just because you received the good news from your dream college does not mean you stop doing your school work. You were chosen for your hard work and academic achievements. Don’t let that slip through your fingers. Furman professors will be ready to dig in after the summer.

9. Plan a family trip this summer – This will be the last summer of your childhood and one you will want to enjoy to the fullest. Talk to Mom and Dad about doing something as a family, whether that be a day at the park, a shopping trip, or if you’re lucky, a trip to Disney World!

8. Let Mom and Dad pamper you – Soon enough, they will be carting you off to college…and leaving you to fend for yourself. Moving into your dorm room is not that daunting, but in their minds, it may be. You are and always will be their child so let them shower you with love, affection and whatever else they may want to do for you. You will never be too grown up to receive this kind of love.

7. Time with Friends – Plan to have dinner or go to the movies with your friends. Your senior year has been absolutely crazy so use this time to connect, catch up and share excitements and concerns about what you think your first year of college will be like. You will be glad you did and maybe it will become a tradition to re-connect every year with these special friends.

6. Connect with Furman – Look for special ways to connect with current students and professors. We are all over social media including: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and even Pinterest! The Freshmen Student Bloggers website is a great way to follow the experience of a first-year student. #furmanbound

5. Senior Day – The one day of the year when your high school recognizes you for the awesome class you are and lets you have some fun! Take pictures, participate in the activities, sign yearbooks and soak up every moment.

4. Plan your final college visits – Furman offers Accepted Student Day events as a great way to visit Furman in the spring, enjoy Greenville’s downtown, and get all your questions answered. Re-visit all admission and financial aid information and read the instructions so you know how to best proceed when you’re ready to share your final decision.

3. Go to prom – Prom is a fun way to enjoy time with your friends and is one of the last social gatherings with all of your childhood friends. If prom isn’t your thing, consider an alternative way to celebrate this fun time of year.

2. Commit to your college choice by May 1 – It is super important to communicate your decision to all the colleges you have been accepted to, those that you have chosen not to attend along with the institution that is excited to welcome you in the fall! Don’t forget to let your college counselor and other supportive community members know about your choice, as well. They have all been rooting for you and looking forward to hearing from you on your choice.

1. Enjoy high school graduation – This is a special milestone that will never be duplicated and an experience that you will look back on and remember forever. You and your classmates are all going in different directions and you don’t want to bypass it with the anticipation of college. Every member in your family has played a part in helping you achieve this accomplishment. Let them enjoy this time with you so you all can work toward the next graduation…from college!

Enjoy this spring. Go forth and be great. Furman will be waiting for you.

Allyson Brown – Assistant Director of Admission

As of this post, admission applicants for Early Decision and Early Action programs at Furman have received their financial aid packages. Regular Decision applicants…. hang in there. We will email those on or about April 1^st. So, once you have the numbers in front of you, what’s next?

First, your financial aid award email (we used to call them “letters” in the old, pre-email days) will give you the list of resources for which you qualify to help pay for some of your Furman expenses. These resources may include one or more of the following:

• Merit/Athletic/Fine Arts/Departmental Scholarship funding: This is FREE money for you and is applied directly toward your costs (½ for fall and ½ for spring).
• Furman Grant/Pell Grant/state grant of some sort: This is also FREE money for you, but these programs are usually based on demonstrated need as calculated by the mighty FAFSA and CSS Profile. Like scholarships, grants are applied directly toward your costs (½ for fall and ½ for spring).
• Student Loan(s): Now, we know loans are not as fun as scholarships and grants. But, they are helpful for about 42% of our students, with the average indebtedness over four years being $25,903. This funding is applied directly toward your costs, just like the scholarships and grants. Going into debt with student loans, however, is YOUR CHOICE. Simply decline them if you don’t want them. Just understand that Furman cannot replace those loans with grant or scholarship money. So, talk with your parents before making any choice about the loans.
• Federal Work Study: This is a program that has been around since your parents were your age (and much longer). Simply put, if you were awarded Federal Work Study, you may earn up to the dollar amount we listed for you. This money is earned in part-time (10 or so hours per week) jobs on campus (and some off campus). This money is paid to you as the worker. What you do with that money is between you and your parents. BUT, if your parents expect you to use that money to pay down your student bill, then do that. Otherwise, it might not work out too well for you….

Now, there will be a paragraph that shows how much it costs to come to Furman for the 2015-16 year. Take that amount and subtract your scholarships, grants, and student loans, and you will see what the remaining costs are likely to be. This is only an estimate, though, since we don’t know your individual spending habits!!

Also in this paragraph, there will also be an indication of how much a parent may borrow via the PLUS loan, if that becomes necessary. A little less than 10% of our parents borrow through the PLUS loan.

Finally, you will see that you need to respond to us by May 1^st. This is vitally important since we will likely reach our capacity by midnight May 1, so get that deposit in by that time!!

Furman’s financial aid office is more than just about money. We aim to listen and to build relationships over the four years most students are at Furman. That’s our goal. We don’t always get it right, but hopefully we improve each year. Let us know if you have questions or simply want to “chat” about financial aid at Furman, or anything else for that matter.

Go Paladins!!!

Forrest M. Stuart

AVP for Financial Aid

Choosing a college can be a difficult experience.  You want to choose a place that will feel like home for the next four years.  You’re looking for a university that best fits the qualities and characteristics that you value in a school.  In my own college search, I was looking for small class sizes, challenging academics, and a close knit community.  I wanted to have the opportunity to participate in meaningful internships, groundbreaking undergraduate research opportunities, and exciting study abroad trips.  At the end of my search, my choice was Furman, and I do not think I could possibly have made a better decision.  I thought I might share a few of my favorite facets of the Furman experience in order to help you imagine yourself as a Paladin.  

Furman might be for you if…   

1. You want to be a part of a close-knit campus community. As a student at Furman, you’ll live on our campus all four years.  Living on campus allows you the opportunity to get to know students and staff of all ages.  Whether you are a freshman or a senior, you’ll live within walking distance of your professors’ offices, the dining hall, and all of our exciting campus events.  With 2700 students, Furman is small enough that you will see familiar faces everywhere you go – a constant reminder that you are a part of the Furman family.  At the same time that I appreciate these small-school charms, I also think that the size is large enough that there is always someone new to meet and something new to discover. Furman’s size is a perfect middle-ground between a small school and a large school, and that was the perfect fit for me!

2. You want to create sincere and meaningful relationships with your professors. Throughout my four years at Furman, I was constantly amazed by the kindness, generosity, and dedication of Furman professors.  Experts in their fields of study, Furman’s faculty members are always eager and willing to give of their time and talents.  They encourage their students to think critically, to ask tough questions, to challenge their assumptions, and to seek a better understanding of the complex world in which we live.  Their passion for their subjects and genuine interest in their students create unique and personalized opportunities for learning and reflection.  Serving as lifelong mentors and friends, professors at Furman help students to grow and mature into better scholars and more engaged members of the world community.  When I was searching for the right college, I was looking for a school where I would have the opportunity to get to know my professors.  I definitely found that kind of connection at Furman.

3. You want to spend four years on one of the most beautiful campuses in America.  Don’t just take my word for it. Furman is listed as one of “The 30 Most Beautiful College Campuses in the South,” one of “10 Uniquely Stunning College Campuses from Around the World,” and one of “41 Scenic College Campuses that Were Made for Instagram.”  Furman’s 750 acre campus is breathtakingly beautiful and a truly amazing place to call home.

4. You want to live in a growing, vibrant, and welcoming city.  Furman’s campus is only a ten minute drive from downtown Greenville, South Carolina.  Greenville is a lot more than a college town.  The Main Street of Greenville is home to over ninety locally owned restaurants and an endless supply of shopping opportunities.  Businesses throughout the city offer countless opportunities for internships and there is never a shortage of things to do!

5. You’re up for a challenge. In my college search, I was looking for a school that would challenge me to be all that I could be.  I wanted to be challenged in a classroom setting, as well as encouraged to be an active part of a diverse and dynamic community.  At Furman, you will be asked to live up to your potential.  You’ll have to learn to juggle your academic commitments with your commitments to student groups.  You’ll have to seize opportunities for meaningful internships and seek out opportunities to participate in undergraduate research.  Join some student groups and seek leadership positions.  Because Furman has so much to offer,  you will have to learn to juggle all of your new exciting responsibilities. These new time management skills will be invaluable as you move throughout your college years and beyond.

6. You want to forever join the Furman family.  It is such an honor to be a part of the Paladin family.  As a student, I was immersed in the Furman community.  I found a home on Furman’s campus and established lifelong friendships.  Now, as a graduate, I’m gaining an ever better sense of what it means to be a part of the Furman community.   Whenever I meet a fellow Furman alumnus, I feel an instant connection.  Common ground comes easily – regardless of our graduation year, we can compare memories of throwing  a classmate in the lake on their birthday or the President’s Picnic during Orientation week.  We share the same traditions and the same legacy – and that’s a pretty powerful thing.  (To learn more about that trademark Furman experience, click here.)

7. You want to take advantage of once in a lifetime opportunities.  Maybe you dream of publishing a paper based on your research with Mountain Lions in New Mexico.  Perhaps you hope to present a paper on bioethics at a national conference.  Your dream might be to land your dream internship at Goldman Sachs or The Kennedy Center.  Or, you might hope to study abroad  in the British Isles, intern with the Scottish Parliament, or embark on a May Experience to Fiji, Iceland, or the Galápagos Islands.  All of these opportunities and more will be available to you as a Furman student.  Seize the moment and enjoy a once in a lifetime chance!

8. You’ve visited campus and envisioned yourself as a member of the Paladin family.  You can learn a lot about a college from websites and brochures, but the best way to gain clarity in your college search is to take a trip to campus!  We would love for you to be our guest.  Come for a tour, meet with a professor, have lunch with a current student, and stay overnight with one of our student hosts.  We hope that you will feel immediately at home in our community and start to envision yourself wearing Paladin purple for the next four years!

Elizabeth Hawthorne ’14

Admission Counselor

So, fall is here and it is THAT time—time to apply to colleges! What could be more fun, right? Well, the good thing is there are several application decision plans to choose from, depending on how far along in your college search you are. You are probably wondering which decision plan is the best way for you to apply to Furman. We want to give you the flexibility of applying one of 3 ways: Early Decision, Early Action, or Regular Decision. A few tips as you navigate this process:

Don’t stress about it. Honestly, there is no true advantage of one decision plan over the other; you should really decide based on the timeline that best aligns with where you are in your college search and how early you want to make your decision.

Only apply Early Decision if Furman is your clear FIRST choice! If you know without a doubt that you will attend Furman if admitted, then ED is a good option for you.  It allows you to apply early (by November 1^st) and receive acceptance notification early (by December 1^st.)   You can only apply ED to one school. Also, keep in mind that it is a binding decision, meaning that you are committing to attend if admitted.  I would not encourage you to apply Early Decision if:

•  Financial aid and scholarships are a big part of your decision. Although you will be considered for merit-based and need-based scholarships in ED, you are committing to attend without knowing this information.
•  You want to compare admission and financial aid offers from several colleges.

If you want to be notified early and have the most amount of time with your admission decision in hand, Early Action is for you! EA is a great choice for students who are ready to submit application materials early (by November 15^th), who want the flexibility of applying to multiple colleges, who want to be notified early (by February 1^st), but still have plenty of time to visit/explore/investigate before the May 1st deadline.

If you want the most time to prepare your application, apply Regular Decision. Because the RD deadline is not until January 15^th, you have the most time to work on your admission essays, gather your application materials, etc. But, you will only have your admission decision in-hand one month before having to make your final decision. Within this plan, you will be notified of your admission decision by April 1^st and your Statement of Intent will be due by May 1^st.

Pay attention to deadlines! Deadlines have a way of sneaking up on you, right? Pay close attention to deadlines for each decision plan and make sure all of your application is submitted by the deadline. Even better, make sure things are turned in BEFORE the deadline.

Talk to your high school guidance counselor so they are aware of which way you’ve applied. This ensures the parts of your application that THEY are submitting arrive in time as well! Official transcripts, School Report, Letters of Recommendation are sent directly from your high school.

No matter which way you apply, come try us on for size!  Visit campus and then visit again.  Each time you visit, you deepen your knowledge of Furman. You connect with different people, places, and opportunities each time you step foot on campus. Talk to students, faculty, and staff… and come see if Furman is the right fit for you!

Application tips. “What an ambiguous topic,” you say. How can one go wrong, guided by the required fields and checkmarks in the Common Application? Where are the ambiguities in providing biographical information? What finesse is there to be had in listing my extracurricular activities? Filling out a “form” such as the Common Application seems like a pretty straight-forward task; however, we see students every year who do not take this opportunity to give us a full picture of their candidacy, and I want to lend you some advice to help you portray your talents in the best way possible.

 1.   “What’s in a name?”

Turns out, there’s more than our girl Juliet thought. When you are telling us your biographical information, including your family’s information, take time to get all the specifics. Think Grampa Joe went to Furman but you’re not 100% sure? Do your best to find out, because being a legacy student applying to Furman has some perks. Is your name Josiah Edward Bartlet but everyone calls you “Jed”? Make sure you let us know so we can make sure all of the components of your application (transcripts, letters, addenda) make it to the right place.

2.   Spell things out for us.

I completely understand – “Advanced Placement Environmental Science” is a mouthful, so you and your classmates refer to it colloquially as “APES.” If, and only if, you are enrolled in a class studying primates (which is awesome), should I see this listed in your “Current Courses” section. Some students also disregard this section entirely, which can be problematic when we are trying to consider the classes you are working so hard in during your senior year of high school. These are not always listed on your transcript, so be sure to include those.

3.   Prioritize your extracurricular activities.

Don’t hide “brokered international peace agreement” at the bottom of your enumerated list of activities. Be sure to put what is most important to you and what you are most proud of first. And along those lines…

4.   Brag – it’s okay!

Tell me what you’re doing in all of the organizations to which you have devoted so much of your time. A little blurb on what you have done with “Link Crew” or “U.B.W.C.*” or “Beta Club” can be very helpful, especially with so much variation between schools. Tell me the championships you have played in, the recognitions you have received, and the awards you have won. Our students are passionately involved in what they do – we want to see you share that passion with us!

5.   Don’t try and fit a square peg into a round hole.

The best supplemental essays not only answer the prompt, but do so with specific information relating to your future at Furman. Some students try to write one essay that they can recycle for each school. We intentionally avoid the “Why Furman?” prompt so we can learn more about what impact you plan to make at Furman and what impact you want Furman to make on you. Use this opportunity to share why you think you could be a good fit for Furman.

6.   It ain’t over until the green check marks sing.

You’ve finished your Common Application – congratulations! We still need a few things to ensure your application is truly complete. Be sure that we have received your transcript, school report, test scores, application fee, and any recommendation letters you sent by visiting your status checker. Until we receive those items, your application will be incomplete, so be sure to follow up online to ensure everything is in so we can continue getting to know you through the application process!

* – Underwater Basket Weaving Club