Easy Admit? Hard working students?

<p>I find it interesting to see the range of experiences on the same issue. My son has attended numerous football, basketball and soccer games and has enjoyed himself. It may not be the rah-rah experience at a large university, but he has had fun attending games with his friends.</p>

<p>As far as Greek life, it was never his focus and I don’t think he attended many fraternity parties first semester, preferring to hang out with friends on his hall. He did, however, become involved with a new fraternity being formed on campus and has joined that new fraternity. But this is not Animal House by any means.</p>

<p>As far as crime - any campus will have issues and will advise students not to walk alone at night. I consider Elon safer than our in-state options such as Maryland and Towson - so no scary issue there - just use common sense.</p>

<p>One of my theories is that students expect too much from their college experience. I think it gets blown up to me this amazing perfect experience - when in reality - it will be just like other periods in one’s life - some good - some bad - some fun - some lonely. The quest for the perfect college reinforces this misconception. Yes - we all want to find colleges that we feel will be a great fit for our student - but no college will meet every need perfectly.</p>

<p>This is a useful link:</p>

<p>[Freshman</a> Retention Rate | Rankings | Top Regional Colleges | US News](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/regional-colleges/freshmen-least-most-likely-return]Freshman”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/regional-colleges/freshmen-least-most-likely-return)</p>

<p>It shows Elon at 90%. Schools that people who look at Elon will also sometimes consider - High Point is at 80%, James Madison at 91%, Rollins at 83%, College of Charleston at 82%, Clemson at 91%, Virginia Tech at 91%, and Tulane at 90%.</p>

<p>I don’t think you want to generalize that the average freshman retention rate for private schools is 90% - there is a wide range. And some publics - like James Madison and VT - are right in there.</p>

<p>The crime rate in Elon itself is not high - or at least not higher than any normal college with 5000 students. The part of Burlington that abuts Elon is not bad. But there are definitely poor areas of Burlington and they’re only a couple of miles away. Between Elon and the interstate is mostly nice houses and shopping. But in the other direction are abandoned mills and rundown public housing. I don’t know what the crime rate is but I’d assume it’s higher than I’d like. There’s a reason Elon looks for students to volunteer to tutor at the Boys & Girls Clubs - because they’re needed. </p>

<p>We remind our daughter (who is 3 blocks off campus) to keep her doors and her car locked at all times. She feels safer than she probably should because she is surrounded on all sides by other students renting off-campus homes and apartments. She has never had a break in and I don’t think she knows anyone whose had one - if she does, she didn’t tell us about it.</p>

<p>Freshman retention rate information:</p>

<p>[Why</a> Freshman Retention Rates Matter - CBS News](<a href=“http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505145_162-37240178/why-freshman-retention-rates-matter/]Why”>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505145_162-37240178/why-freshman-retention-rates-matter/)</p>

<p>The link that kierans posted above says that the average retention rate for a private University is 80%.</p>

<p>My S is an African-American freshman at Elon and LOVES it. The teachers are very supportive and knew him by name when we visited for Parent’s weekend. He enjoys his classes, is being challenged and loves the food (His Dad and I were very impressed with the food, as well.) He graduated in the top 10% of his HS class with many AP and honor classes and was accepted into a number of other great schools. He was a little concerned about Elon’s limited diversity prior to coming to Elon, but after his first couple of weeks on campus, he said there is more diversity than what he first thought and that he was glad he had chosen Elon. He is very quiet and has found it easy to make friends. He will probably never pledge a fraternity because he does not want to join one. He made this decision before entering college-Just not his “thing.” His father and I are so impressed with how much he has matured since being at Elon. I’m sorry that Jessie1 and Jackson22 have not had a good experience. One thing we learned during our many college visits to a great number of colleges…one size does not fit all. My son visited Harvard and did not like it at all. Our friend’s daughter is attending Harvard and loves it. Great school, different people.</p>

<p>A couple of posters have mentioned profs knowing their kids by name. In what format did you meet their profs? Was there a casual gathering, or did you make an appointment to meet them? I assumed that we parents would not have an opportunity to meet profs once our kids were out of hs? Are many profs available to meet the parents or just the “fluke” exception?</p>

<p>(From the college information sessions we have attended, I got the impression that us parents have to leave the parent-teacher interaction behind once our kids leave hs.)</p>

<p>0014mom - thanks for chiming in and sharing your S’s thoughts. Glad to hear that your S is enjoying Elon, and that the diversity is not as limited as many think.</p>

<p>Again to the person who PM’d me: I wrote a whole long reply and then found out I still do not have enough posts… Well thanks so much for the update. Glad for your news, and I wish I could submit the post. I probably will be able to soon! All the best.</p>

<p>Welmont, there is a “Meet the Professor” opportunity as part of Parents Week-end. For a 2-hour (?) timeframe, profs are in their offices, prepared to meet parents. In your registration packet you are given your child’s schedule and the office location of each prof. The onus is on the parents to take the time to travel around the campus and stop in for a chat. Obviously those of us that did found it to be highly worthwhile. All but one of S’s profs were available (the other was away at a conference.) And yes, they all knew him by name and could converse knowledgeably about him. Note that these were informal conversations, and not meant to be parent-teacher conferences. Mostly we talked about S’s interests, or the nature of the course, and other general topics that gave us a feel for the professor. Although our chat with his advisor was more specific to his academic interests and future path.</p>

<p>We met our daughter’s professors both Freshman and Sophomore year during Family Weekend. The professors are all available to meet and speak with parents during the morning session on Saturday. It isn’t so much of a “conference” but more of an opportunity to put a face with a name and get a little insight into the class, etc. Our daughter accompanied us the first year and wasn’t able to the second year due to a sorority commitment. Works well either way. We LOVED that Elon offers this!</p>

<p>I am surprised to hear that the profs are available to meet the parents. I don’t think I’ve heard about this at any school we toured!</p>

<p>I am a 22 year old graduate-- I graduated in January from the College of William and Mary. However, I started my college career at Elon and spent two and a half years there. I transferred out halfway through my junior year. I don’t know if anyone will read this, but I would like to at least offer my thoughts on Elon and share the reasons behind my decision to transfer.</p>

<p>I decided to attend Elon because the campus was beautiful, the student population seemed like a good size for me, and the level of academic rigor seemed appropriate for the major I was pursuing. Elon is a reasonably wealthy school, so the dorms were top-notch, the food edible, and there were lots of resources for people in my major. I was a science major, so it was encouraging to see a smallish school with up-to-date laboratories, plenty of computers, a cadaver lab, etc. It never really occurred to me when I was 17 that the social atmosphere of a school really makes a difference. I think, even now, I wouldn’t consider that I would fail to make a single friend out of thousands; I’d never had problems making friends and I don’t have problems now. But Elon’s student population does not reflect the population at-large in the least. Although I spent almost three years there and joined countless clubs and extracurriculars, I made no friends and keep in touch with no one from the school.</p>

<p>Right before I transferred, I consulted with my Elon 101 counselor and she shared with me that 85% of Elon students score at least two letters the same on the Myers-Briggs test, a personality test all freshmen take in their Elon 101 class. (almost 100% score an “E” for extrovert) Immediately, I understood why I failed so miserably to fit in. I am one of the most introverted people I know. I don’t party on the weekends. However, I wouldn’t say that I am socially inept or unwilling to reach out to people who I click with. I just essentially slipped through the cracks at Elon. I was one of what seemed to be about five East Asian students on campus. I received multiple invites to the school’s “Multicultural Club”, but I quickly found myself even more unable to fit in there since the club would have been better named “African American Club”. This is not to say that my race was the main factor for my problems. It was a multitude of problems, but when people think of diversity, they tend to think about race. Elon is not racially diverse, and they will never be if the only two races that count are black and white. </p>

<p>Essentially, though, my advice is as follows: if you sense that your child has an introverted or shy personality, do not send them to Elon for college. I hate to overly dramatize things, but by the end of my time there, I was on the brink of suicide. A very kind and understanding staff member from the counseling center convinced me and helped me to transfer and while I am grateful to him to this day, I still can’t vouch for the school itself. Over time, I have come to learn that being introverted does not mean that I am mentally handicapped. But at Elon, I grew to believe that I was deficient in some way, and it set me back more than it pushed me forward. </p>

<p>When you are considering diversity at a college, remember that race is not the only/the most important consideration. Even if every single person at that school is some other race than you, if they are all different kinds of people and personalities, I imagine you’ll survive. A word I had for Elon students was “cookie-cutter people”. Looking back, I find it creepy, and unrealistic at best.</p>

<p>As for the academics, I don’t think I ever had a bad professor. They hire some very competent people. If you are thinking of doing science, I think Elon is underrated for their faculty/staff. William and Mary is considered a “Public Ivy”, but I don’t think their staff measures up to Elon’s, honestly. (much better atmosphere, though…)</p>

<p>Your post was very touching and heartfelt, Misshele. I wish you all the best and hope you are finding things more to your liking now. Introverts think deep thoughts and are special people. I appreciate how you’ve shared your experience with us on this forum.</p>

<p>Misshele, thanks for sharing your story. I’m sorry that you had such a bad experience, but I can see how that could happen and I’m glad that you were able to find a school that fit your personality. I have several friends who are W&M alums who loved it as well. </p>

<p>I think that your caution to introverts is a valuable one. I did a lot of research and knew that Elon attracts and is geared towards primarily extroverted feeling/sensing/doing/engaging types, but everyone may not know that. I have known of introverts who have done well there, but it’s probably something each person has to assess for themselves and an important consideration in making the decision. </p>

<p>The right fit is so important,and I think that every school lacks diversity in some way, even those that try to be racially and socioeconomically diverse (some more than others of course, but different universities do fill different niches). Students who have a type B personalities probably wouldn’t be comfortable at an Ivy league school which is generally filled with very driven type A’s, a conservative Christian student probably wouldn’t be very happy at a predominatly liberal school, A college sports fanatic who wants the SEC football atmosphere would hate a LAC, a city loving student from Manhattan may find a Midwestern regional univerity very boring and provincial etc., it could go on and on. A student chooses a major that maximizes his/her personality, skills, interests and abilities, and I believe that goes for choice of a college/university as well (it even extends into life when choosing a career, neighborhood, community service, church, etc.)</p>

<p>I appreciated your fair analysis, acknowledging the good and the bad. I’m glad to hear that you had a positive experience with the professors at Elon. The book “Transforming a College” talks about Elon’s commitment to hiring professors who are student centered and want to engage the students and I’m glad they’ve been successful at that.</p>

<p>A lot of people read this forum and I’m sure that you’ve helped several of them by posting this.</p>

<p>This is a very interesting conversation…and Misshele, I am happy that you have found your fit. I have two daughters, one already in college and then my HS senior that is headed to Elon. Both went to very different HS - D1 went to a big highly ranked public, D2 went to a smaller Catholic school, one focused on serving community. D1 would hate Elon…it just isn’t the right environment for her. She goes to a large urban school and is thriving. Elon is perfect for D2 in so many ways…so that just goes to show you that even for children brought up in the same household, no one school can fit all. I truly believe that it really doesn’t matter where you go to school as long as it is an environment where the child feels comfortable and feels that they can succeed.</p>

<p>Re: academic prestige, at parents weekend I met a mom whose D choose Elon over her acceptances to UVA and W&M . They thought the small class experience would be better . d is a sophomore & they are still happy with their decision. </p>

<p>Many top performing students in my town have chosen Elon b/c of value along with all the other amenities offered. Sure they would have liked villa nova, Colgate, bucknell, but they would cost $20k more per year. OP it sounds like the realities of a brutal economy has not effected your town. Also lower achieving students are thrilled to get in so they are attending as well.</p>

<p>My D is turning down five higher ranking/more prestigious programs to attend Elon. At first I wasn’t sure about her decision however after attending the orientation, I can understand why she has chosen this school. They have EXACTLY what she wants in terms of academics, study abroad, and engagement. The other programs have MOST of what she wants but the programs are more rigid and give her her very little flexibility. All the other programs with the exception of one have large lecture style classrooms for her core whereas Elon has smaller classes. Only one other program offers the flexible short and semester-based study abroad…all the others offer traditional study abroad. So, Elon offers the best of all worlds and for us, the most important factor is that she feels she can be successful and happy in this environment. Only time will tell if she has made the right decision but for now she is “walking on sunshine”</p>

<p>Today I met with my son’s guidance counselor (so that our request for a 504 plan could be turned down once again) and mentioned we’d visited Elon and he really liked it. To my surprise and dismay, she said it would be a “reach” for him (I was hoping it was more of a good fit). He’s a junior, 3.2 UW GPA, 3.9 W GPA, taking 1 and a half APs this year and all the rest honors, and 2180 SATs. So this isn’t sounding like an easy admit at all, and now I don’t know what to think.</p>

<p>I guess the term “easy admit” is all relative. Maybe the terminology I used was not very specific. From my S’s high school (competitive public hs), Elon seems to get applicants from below B students. As I mentioned in an earlier post, it typically gets applicants from students with minimal (if any) APs, and these kids are being admitted. </p>

<p>naggymom - I’m surprised to read that your gc thinks it’s a reach for your son, especially given your S’s SAT score. Given the information you provided he resembles the typical kids from our hs who have been admitted over past number of years. Maybe it has something to do with the state you are in? (we are in MA). </p>

<p>From this thread I have read that Elon uses more of a holistic approach, however this does not necessarily seem to be the case from our hs, where the accepted students are not very “involved” in ECs, etc. I personally know two students (I know their parents very well) who were accepted for this Fall, who are below B students, but basically they were having fun in hs, and according to their parents, “didn’t care, could have done much better”… so maybe something came out in their applications which revealed this to Elon. Neither of these two kids have leadership positions, etc. One of these kids will not be attending Elon, and the other has not decided yet.</p>

<p>I think Elon is a fairly easy admit for a “B” student who applies ED - with an 80% plus acceptance rate.</p>

<p>EA is a different story - and I think the holistic review and the importance of demonstrated interest come into play. I have seen weaker students who are accepted EA and stronger students who are deferred or waitlisted. My opinion is that they are factoring in who seems more likely to attend and who might be using Elon strictly as a safety school.</p>