Elon or Richmond - aspiring physical therapist

College Search & Selection
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Hey! I am a second-semester senior. I have been accepted to both Elon and Richmond, but I am having trouble deciding between the two. Could you please share any and all insights you have to help me make my decision?

Elon offered me 2 scholarships (9,000 a year total). I would also be a prehealth scholar, so I’m in a cohort of 15 people total and get more specific academic advising. Elon has multiple programs for me: exercise science, public health, neuro minor, and business minor (all attainable within 4 years). However, I really dislike that it is in the middle of nowhere and that my sister goes here (I kind of want my own home). Is Elon less prestigious? Would this impact my admission to top-tier graduate programs?

Is it easier to achieve a higher GPA at Elon as compared to Richmond? Is Elon intellectually challenging? I am worried that even if Elon makes me look good on paper (gpa, LORs, multiple degrees), I won’t be challenged by my peers. Could anyone speak to that statement (prove me wrong)?

Richmond did not offer any $ or special programs/honors, but from what I have heard the professors challenge their students. Richmond may also offer a stronger network. I also like the location better. Is it worth the $? I’m worried that besides costing significantly more over 4 years (this $ could be for grad school), it might be harder to do well at UR. I am also not in honors or scholars programs so it might be harder for me to stand out. What do you think?

How hard is it to do well at Richmond? Can bio/pre-med students achieve a 3.7+ without sacrificing their whole social life? I plan on joining Greek life, club sports, and pre-professional orgs. Do good grades come at the expense of social activities?

How would you describe the social life at Elon? What about Richmond?

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Richmond the better name. What’s the right fit for you though - have you been to both?

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Only visited Elon. I am international, so it has been difficult for me to visit and even navigate college admissions. Anyway, I am grateful for everyone’s help. If anyone has any anecdotes/personal experience at either school, please tell me about the social life, whether you found Elon intellectually challenging, and how hard it is to do well at Richmond/Elon in pre-med classes.

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If your sibling attends Elon, you should have a sense of the student life there. You can become a qualified physical therapist and attend grad school from either place. The difference in cost for you will be $25k per year, if that is a consideration.

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yep. Elon is definitely cheaper. Is Richmond’s prestige worth more $

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for Phys Therapy…no.

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I agree, my daughter at in honors at the university of Delaware, exercise science. I believe graduate schools are looking for gpa and GRE’s. She’s already spoken with folks in the DPT program (#1 in the country), and was told she’d get in with her current GPA and scores (she took them for a baseline, going to study and take them again to try and get a school). UR is a better school, but you have 3 more years of grad school. My 18 year old loved UR and Elon, too expensive for us (Elon only gave $6000 a year).

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I don’t think physical therapy grad schools will distinguish between Elon and Richmond. Stanford, yes, that would be considered differently. But the two schools under consideration? No.

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