Elon University Top Questions

Elon University was the first of many schools I toured, but was evidently not forgotten as I’m in the second semester of my sophomore year here and cannot speak highly enough of the place I now call home. It is not only a beautiful campus but it’s an incredible community full of life, love and support that will help you create the most incredible memories during the best 4 years of your life as well as build a strong foundation for a successful and meaningful life after Elon. If you’re willing to work hard, the opportunities you’ll find to fulfill your passion are here. In comparison to other private schools with a great reputation, Elon is fairly priced. However, it is still expensive and the tuition is rising. It’s just important to apply for scholarships and aid and if Elon is the place you want to be, hopefully they’ll help you make it work financially. Elon constantly tops the charts for being one of the best value liberal arts schools and is definitely going to be a name recognized by employers. The alumni base is really strong and the statistics about employed graduates are promising! Elon is no steal and for in state North Carolinians, it’s very expensive compared to the state school options. But for those looking out of state elsewhere, especially at schools in the North East like I was, Elon is reasonable and worth it! TIPS FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS: VISIT! Once, twice, three times if you have to! You’ll know if Elon feels right to you. Take the chance to walk through the department that interests you, talk to professors and ask students about the characteristics of a university that mean the most to you. Class size, financial aid, dorm life, parties? Apply early action if not early decision. Early decision is binding, so if you’re dead set on Elon and don’t want to be anywhere else then by all means, apply early decision. But if you’re not sure what they’ll give you financially or still want to keep your options open, at least apply early action so that you have more time to make the right choice. Also, if you are eligible, definitely apply for any applicable fellows programs. I know that sometimes they’re overlooked or you might not want to bother, but the fellows programs are amazing. At least read about them online – see if you’re eligible and if so, can’t hurt to apply! Do you know what you want to do? Elon’s a great school no matter what your intended major is but I have to admit, it’s not often I hear of an engineering major and in the case that I have, I think to myself – why? It’s definitely very well known for its business, teaching and communications schools. You can’t go wrong if you’re interested in one of these areas.

Elon University was the first of many schools I toured, but was evidently not forgotten as I’m in the second semester of my sophomore year here and cannot speak highly enough of the place I now call home. It is not only a beautiful campus but it’s an incredible community full of life, love and support that will help you create the most incredible memories during the best 4 years of your life as well as build a strong foundation for a successful and meaningful life after Elon. If you’re willing to work hard, the opportunities you’ll find to fulfill your passion are here. In my experience within the Communications, Spanish and Business departments, you’ll have to work hard but it’ll be meaningful and if you learn to manage your time, you won’t be too overwhelmed. It’s college. Your classes will be challenging. But you’re not going to die. The class sizes are small enough that you know your professors, they know you, they genuinely care, they are willing to help and believe it or not, they want you to succeed. They also hold you accountable and you won’t be able to skip class and hope they don’t notice, or fall asleep in the back of the room. Elon does a really great job providing tools to help you do well. The tutoring center is available for assistance in all subject areas. There’s a writing center for papers. You’ll survive and if you put forth the effort, you’ll thrive. What really makes Elon academically rigorous is the fact that the clubs and activities and extracurricular are so rigorous that the hard part is putting aside enough time and energy for class and homework on top of everything else! And I mean this in a positive way - as many or most of the clubs and activities provide great real world work experience or opportunities for networking within fields of interest. Or they at least ensure that you’re happy – which is just as important. My point is that the average Elon student is very busy and involved with a full course load. And it’s not easy, but it’s manageable and you’ll get a heck of a lot out of it in the end. Elon has a really great cultural calendar put out every semester with a list full of impressive speakers, shows and performances. The Student Union Board also does a really great job putting on activities such as movies on the lawn, late night meals, concerts, hypnotists and bingo games. Elon’s beautiful lawns and great weather throughout most of the year are definitely conducive to good Frisbee games and outside time. You can rent bikes from Campus Recreation or take the Elon Bio Bus into Alamance Crossing to dine or shop! Elon is NOT a commuter school – nobody leaves on the weekends so there is always something going on. It’s also kind of in the middle of nowhere, so people really do stick around and don’t leave campus all that often. Freshman year, I hardly left at all. Sophomore year I had friends with cars so we would drive to the movies, out to dinner or to Target more often. Not much happens downtown Burlington but it’s worth exploring on a Sunday afternoon! It’s quiet but has a few cute furniture and thrift stores and a great Co-Op where a lot of people go for healthy, fresh food. All in all, I would say Elon really gives you no reason to leave campus – there’s always plenty going on and enough fun to be had without having to go very far or spend any money! Elon is a great place for leaders and for energetic hands-on learners who are determined to make a difference. There are not many introverts or students that are here just to study and get a degree. Elon is all about the experience, about becoming a global learner with a broad realm of knowledge and a set of skills ready to be applied to whatever field you’re entering as well as to every other aspect of your life. Elon is great for students that care about more than grades but are still willing to work, want to succeed, make changes for the better and overall, be happy.

I love Elon. It's a small school, but it's big enough that there are plenty of groups and plenty of niches to fill. I didn't originally like Elon that much because I hadn't really found my niche yet, but once you find your "thing" and the people you want to hang out with, it's awesome. There are also SO many opportunities here that can make your college experience so unique. For example, I am a communications fellow so I got to take accelerated communications classes and visit Weber Shandwick and Atlanta Magazine; I'm in a sorority, which is how I've met some of my best friends; I'm going to India and Dubai for three weeks this winter and most likely will be spending the fall in London. Elon is really big on experiential learning, so I've been working with real clients at Live Oak Communications, the student-run public relations agency on campus, and I just landed a paid writing job on campus this fall. My smallest classes have had 18 people -- my Media Writing teacher gave us all about half a page of written feedback for each 1-2 page article we wrote. My general intro classes have generally been 33 people. It's not a big football school, and it does feel pretty small at times, especially within the Greek community. But Elon is a tight-knit community and you will get very close to your professors and your peers.

I have really enjoyed my first two years at Elon and would encourage any student looking for a smaller liberal arts school to strongly consider it. I don't know if I could pinpoint one thing that I like best about the school but one thing that I do really like is the campus. The campus always looks great and students are always out doing things when it is nice out. There is always something to do and I run into people I know everywhere. Another great aspect the school has to offer is the small class sizes. The largest class I have had was 33 people but most of my classes have been around 20 or 25. Because the class sizes are so small, the professors are very accessible and always go out of their way to help their students. Over the last few few years, the university has been putting a lot of money into upgrading everything about the school. Since my time there, there have been new dorms built and is adding three new dorms next year. I am very excited for my next two years and believe the school will continue to improve and give future students the same fantastic experience I am having.

i actually transferred here from a large prestigious university and everyday I wish I didn't. You reallyyy need to know that this school is right for you, as you do with every college you look at it. It all depends on the type of person. But I've truly never seen a school like this. I wanted a smaller school, but with Elon comes a very specific feel and type of school. There is no diversity in both race and type of student that goes here. I have never been at a school where I have heard of so many people wanting to transfer. I am from the northeast, and there are tons of small schools closer to home that I could have gone to that would have been much better for me. There is absolutely nothing to do here, it is in the middle of nowhere and as much as administration wants to make it seem like things are accessible, they're not. If you don't have a car here you're screwed and even if you do have a car, there is not much to do at all besides go to walmart or chain restaurants. I've experienced another college, and this certainly does not feel like college at all it feels more like high school. I wish I had realized the true vibe of the school before i came here. One word to describe Elon: deceiving

When I got accepted into Elon it was the best day of my life. Before I started here, I thought that Elon was the greatest, prettiest place I've ever been; my opinion hasn't changed. Elon is the perfect size. With 5,000 undergraduate students, Elon is big enough that you don't get sick of the people around you but small enough to have small classes and form relationships with your professors. The campus of Elon is in its own little bubble. There is a lot of stuff to do right off campus. As a freshman you are allowed to bring a car so it's easy to get off campus whenever you want, which is nice. One of my favorite things about Elon is its campus. It's beautiful even when its raining cats and dogs. I usually sit outside of the the academic pavilions everyday and do my homework. Elon has a very peaceful environment consisting of everything made of red brick, oak trees, green grass, and squirrels!

Elon University is a horrible school. Don't waste your money there Imedia program teaches you nothing, you leave with little to no skills, its a rip off. Dr. Copeland is two-faced and mean when you question the program.

I go to a school 1,022 miles away from my home and family. I have to spend 12 hours traveling in order to spend 24 hours at home. My professors don’t believe in giving A’s, so the extraordinary amount money I pay for my education reflects an average GPA for all the hard work I do. My sorority doesn’t have a real house because the school can't provide all its organizations with equal housing. Greek Life doesn’t believe in social functions. And I’m convinced Elon isn’t a real college. Don't go here if you want a real college experience.

The best thing about Elon is how much the school cares to get to know its students and help them in any way they need at any time. I also love how much the school values community service and the general helping of others along with trying to help contribute to the environment by going green. I love the size of Elon because its small enough to be personal, but not too crowded so that you do meet new people continuously all the time, yet can still see many friendly faces virtually everywhere you go. I spend a lot of time at friends places, or at Acorn, the coffee shop, and definitely I spend a lot of time in the gym and at the library during weeknights.

Elon is a unique small private university that offers students a very special learning experience. Students at Elon are encouraged to think outside the box and to take action to implement their ideas and follow their passions. Elon supports students who want to make the most of their college experience. The beautiful and close campus of Elon helps to increase the sense of community and friendship among students. Elon is a community and a university.