\u201cAt the core of every visit, we want students to be able to answer some essential questions: Can I see myself living here, and even more, do I feel a sense of belonging here,\u201d said Carly Bailey, associate director of admissions.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/218\/2025\/10\/2025-10-6-ADM-Campus-Tour-Pics-Edited-8-768x512.jpg\")
Visits to Furman\u2019s campus are split between guided riding and walking tours after a 30-minute information session featuring a panel of current students. Photo by Owen Withycombe, Furman University.<\/p><\/div>\n
So far this fall, Furman has welcomed visitors from 38 states and 392 different high schools, said Elizabeth Martin, director of recruitment. Among these visitors, 74 prospective students have been welcomed into classes and individual meetings with students or faculty.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor students who choose Furman, those first visits stick with them and by move-in day they\u2019re coming back to a place that already feels like home,\u201d she said. \u201cThat sense of familiarity and connection helps them confidently dive into everything Furman has to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Campus visits start with an information session featuring a panel of current students offering insights into how they paved their own pathway through college with the help of Furman\u2019s faculty, staff and programs. Admissions counselors help answer questions and provide practical information about the application process and financial aid. Guests meet their Paladin Admissions Liaisons, or PALS, and catch a ride on one of the trolleys weaving their ways through campus for a guided tour.<\/p>\n
While people can learn a lot about Furman online, Martin said there\u2019s no substitute to experiencing the rhythm of campus life and the warmth of its community.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve seen students who hadn\u2019t planned to visit leave with a new perspective and a new sense of excitement,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Chemistry major and tour guide Hope Cook \u201926, from New York, New York, was able to tell her tour group a bit about what it was like adjusting to life away from home. Student groups like the Furman University Outdoors Club helped her find community and build friendships that have lasted her whole time here. She\u2019s been a PAL since spring of her first year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have had a really amazing experience connecting student visitors with the campus community, and I love helping them find a home here,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/218\/2025\/10\/2025-10-6-ADM-Campus-Tour-Pics-Edited-47-768x512.jpg\")
Vuyo Mkhatshwa \u201926 leads a campus tour outside Johns Hall on Oct. 6. Photo by Owen Withycombe, Furman University.<\/p><\/div>\n
Fall is a great time for a tour; cooler temperatures and changing leaf colors highlight Greenville\u2019s natural beauty. That\u2019s part of why Gavin Renna and his mother, Jen, visited from Boston. While Gavin is interested in studying creative writing, he said Furman\u2019s campus made it a must-see. \u201cAnd honestly, the weather is a big draw. I want a milder winter,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The tour showed off Blackwell Hall, the first-year residence that opened last year, plus recently renovated North Village apartments, the Physical Activities Center, academic buildings, libraries, the Rose Garden and on-campus dining options, along with the iconic Bell Tower at the heart of Furman Lake. By the time a campus visit is finished, guests have met and spoken with several current students to get a sense of day-to-day life on campus.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt genuinely seems like Furman really cares about its students,\u201d said Tameka Buck. She and her daughter Teagan Buck, a student at Greenville\u2019s Christ Church Episcopal School, said what makes the difference in a campus visit is personal attention and the opportunity to interact with current students.<\/p>\n
For guests paying campus a visit, \u201cyou\u2019re not just a face in a crowd,\u201d Bailey said. Guests get to speak directly with admissions counselors and get one-on-one interactions with current students. This personal attention is part of what makes Furman unique, said Bailey.<\/p>\n
\u201cStudents often visit many schools in a short period of time, so the facts and figures can get fuzzy, but they will always remember how each school makes them feel,\u201d Bailey said, \u201cand we hope they feel that sense of belonging and support when they tour.\u201d<\/p>\n