I agree with the comments that Furman applicants are often self selective due to the tuition and the size/feel of Furman. To want to apply to Furman, you need to want a school which is challenging academically and has a definite small school personality. Having said that, as a parent of a D who just finished her first year, we have wondered ourselves why the acceptance rate is so high, given how challenging it is. Our D was accepted into more prestigious schools, but fell in love with Furman and fortunately received a generous scholarship.
She had an amazing first year, and was definitely challenged. She is a Psychology major, supposedly one of the harder majors, and expects the classes to only get harder. She was extremely well prepared by an elite prep school for high school, so she was actually surprised at the rigor. She finished the year with a 3.8 due to a few A- grades, but she definitely had to work for it.
I’m sure you’ll hear this from many people, but definitely don’t choose a school based on prestige or acceptance rate. Choose a school based on what you are looking for - the culture, the classmates, the teachers - whatever is important to you. We cannot say enough great things about Furman - it has been perfect for our daughter - but you need to figure out what you like, not what others like, and don’t choose a school based on what others consider elite. Good luck!