Many students from D23’s school go to Elon because of the supports available. While it is possible that classes feel sink or swim (perhaps due to the professor’s teaching style?), they have an academic support and tutoring program that is highly respected by the college counseling department of D23’s school. The CC dept does extensive alumni follow-up and reports that kids that have gone there do well once there. But I can also say the exact same things about DU. I’d say the ones that end up at Elon tend to be more art or communications focused with lots of leadership positions on campus and the ones that end up at Denver tend to be more into environmental or undecided majors and like to travel or do lots of activities on weekends.
My niece goes to UC Bolder and takes public transportation into Denver or uses a Zipcar quite often. She says it’s easy. What isn’t easy in Boulder is finding affordable off-campus housing. Boulder is an expensive city. I haven’t heard the same for DU students, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t the case. I just haven’t heard either way.
Thank you. I think this is really helping me to compile a list of pros and cons. I am seeing patterns with what everyone is saying about their personal experiences with their kids each school. So I feel better able to at least have a good sense of what might fit and of course I’ll do my own research too. But this helps a lot.
I’ve heard that about Boulder being so expensive and that housing is hard to find. I was told by someone that I might have to elbow my way at a big school even though they have pretty much endless resources but at one of these midsize ones, things like getting into classes and stuff will be a little easier to navigate.
They are both in expensive areas. DU is in a very expensive area too, but the difference is the number of students looking for housing. At CU, there are about 30,000 students. Almost all freshmen live on campus, but very few upperclassmen do, so 20k+ looking for housing near campus. At DU, almost all freshman and sophomores live on campus (they give FA for housing for 2 year), a good number of juniors do study abroad, so that leaves 1000 or so seniors looking for housing. It is expensive, and parking is impossible. Some students live a little farther away and take the bus to campus but there are apartments and houses for rent with 5 or more students sharing them.
DU was right in the center of the hot housing market 2 years ago. 1200 square foot bungalows going for $1M in that area.
Butler has large greek houses directly across from campus so it definitely “felt” more Greek to us. And since there were no bars/restaurants in walking distance it seems like Greek life would be a big part of the social scene. We did talk to kids however who said they had a great social life without being in greek life so I think it is pretty inclusive and the kids there all seemed really friendly.
My son really had no interest in hockey before DU but he said the games are a blast and now he is really into it. Lacrosse and soccer games are also fairly well attended. He is a runner as well and has found lots of safe places to run off of campus. As someone mentioned above, Elon did well in football this year so the games were well attended (my D is not very into sports).
Daughter is a Communications major but she has friends in lots of different majors and they all seem happy with their programs. I did not mean to imply that students were not collaborative. It was more a comment about professors. When I mentioned to my D that my S’s professors reached out to him proactively when he was struggling, she just responded that she didn’t feel like her professors would do that. And when my S showed her some of the personal emails his professors had sent, i.e. “Joe, your paper was excellent, but next time I would just add in X, Y, and Z. Also, I liked the point you brought up in class today.”, she just said that Elon professors just don’t get into that level of detail with their students. Again, just her experience and should be taken with a grain of salt as she is definitely my more negative child.
Overall, she is very happy at Elon. She has always had friends there but feels like this year she finally found her “forever friends”. As for being bored, she’s not into intramurals or many clubs really so just wishes there was more to do in the area. We live near a city at home so I think she misses just hopping on a train and going thrifting or wandering around the city. She loves the campus and that there are so many places to hang out to study (her favorite is hanging a hammock by the lake). She loves the dorms, she’s in a gorgeous on campus apartment for the next two years. And generally she likes the weather. And overall her classes and professors have been good.
Son went to visit a friend at Boulder and said it was fun but definitely too big for him. All depends on what you are looking for.
Thank you once again. This helps even more to clarify everything you’re saying about the schools. With more exposure to campuses I’ll find what I’m looking for. I think I’ll know when I see it (or feel it’s right).
What you said about the professors makes a lot of sense now. It sounds like both schools are challenging but maybe Elon does a little less holding your hand. For sure that’s what a big school would be like. I like that Butler like Elon seems really innovative but I feel like the environment there might not have the campus life I want. I also hear it’s a great school but the setting maybe not for me.
That’s nice to know there’s a lake nearby Elon! I do like to get outdoors so the warmer weather appeals to me but I live where there’s some pretty cold weather most of the year. So Denver wouldn’t be a big shock or anything. I think the main thing is that I’m less familiar with things out east, other than Florida or NYC. Again thank you!
People think Denver is cold half of the year. That’s not really true. Today it was 65 degrees. People will be out and doing walks or sports almost every day of the year, even last Thursday when it was -7 for the high. Dogs needed walks and people were out running and I wouldn’t be surprised that people cleared off the pickleball courts to get in a game (they leave shovels and brooms on the court in public parks). We don’t like to stay inside. When I lived in the south, there were many many weeks in the summer when I spent no time outside. Too hot.
That’s funny (funny interesting.) Where I’m from, there is no such thing as “too hot” to go outside. There is definitely a thing as “too cold to go outside.”
I’d much rather walk my dog in 100 degrees than -7 degrees. No two ways about that.
There’s North Carolina “hot” and there’s south Florida “hot” - two very different extremes (there are also parts of South Carolina that reside in a “heat bowl” in the summer with no breezes - very oppressive).
After 27 years in NC, I’ve learned to work around the summer heat, doing outdoor things early, before the heat of the afternoon - or spending the day on the water. Originally hailing from upstate NY (Land of Lake Effect Snow), I wholeheartedly agree with EconPop that I’d rather deal with the summer heat than the below freezing windchills and the endless snow clearing of an upstate NY winter. My husband, on the other hand, would take a brutal winter any day.
Unless an Elon student was taking summer classes, they wouldn’t be around for most of the July/August temps anyway (Elon goes back after Labor Day, right?)
Elon actually goes back mid August so they do get some of that hot weather. Totally agree that Denver has great weather. It will snow one day and then be 60 degrees the next. Snow doesn’t last on the ground long, but it does in the mountains.
I love summer heat! And for the record it does get cold in NC too. During this cold snap it got down to single digits here around Elon. 'Course students weren’t here then. But personally, give me 95º or 100º any day of the week over freezing temps. I tend to hibernate here in NC in winter. Just got no energy for outdoors, but summer time is my time and I am happy to be outside every day. Looking forward to warmer temps in the New Year. Supposed to be 65 on Jan 1st! That’s the thing about winter in NC you never know if it’s going to be 17º or 70º. Is it going to be snowman time or shorts-n-tshirt weather? At least in August you know it’s gonna be hot.
My son applied RD so not sure how that works. If invited, he will know his admission decision but if not invited, he may hear nothing? We will see. Best of luck to your senior!!!
I would think that sounds right. If he’s invited, I would assume he’s accepted. Mine was EA, so we knows he’s in. Another scholarship would sure be nice!
Yes, I would expect it includes all its accolades now in its marketing and website. Don’t most colleges? It won awards for being well run ( it is) and now highlights those awards. As it should.
