<p>As I understand, the social scenes at the two colleges are really different, and I would recommend visiting if you can to see if you like what each school has to offer. My cousin went to Elon and I went to Wake Forest, a very similar college, for a year, and I can tell you that a lot of the schools in North Carolina attract a very preppy, J.Crew-ish, homogeneous set of kids, kind of like what you might find at a New England prep school. Not to say there aren’t exceptions or anything, of course, but that’s the general feel. Greek life is also more dominant than it would be at a Northern college. That’s some people’s cup of tea, and for others, it’s not, but it’s just something to consider. (I’m not bashing NC schools or saying these characteristics are bad, by the way. As with any college, your mileage may vary.)</p>
<p>American, on the other hand, tends to support a more diverse student body, though because of the location, you’re going to find a lot of kids who are into politics. (If I remember correctly, the biggest major on campus is political science.) For some people, like me, that’s heaven, but I also have some politics-hating friends who would grimace at the very thought. Finally, American is a dry campus, and again, your mileage may vary on that.</p>
<p>Hope that helps :)</p>