Hey everyone, I’ve been looking into Elon and have heard some very mixed reviews. I hear great things about the school from publishers such as Princeton review, Forbes, etc. However, when I look at the student reviews I hear terrible things. From what I’ve read their seems to be a lot of racism, snotty rich kids, undiverse culture, very party oriented (not necessarily a bad thing). I’ve also heard the social scene is very cliquey and “grimy”, and the word diploma mill has been thrown around a lot. Perhaps the worst though is that people say they wish they had never come, and that half the students want to transfer. These claims seem to be pretty consistent among student reviews, niche, etc. Anyway, I am seriously considering Elon so if anyone could provide an opinion that would be great.
Thanks everyone!
My opinion is that you should go visit and see what YOU think of the school. Elon is a thriving and growing university; obviously they can’t be that if “half the students want to transfer”. My D is a freshman and has a wide circle of friends, and I do not know of any that are transferring or want to transfer. You would be well-served to explore other more reliable sources of information - this forum is a good place to start; there is lots of information here about the pros and cons of Elon. The most important thing to know about Elon is that it is a place for students who want to be involved (“engaged learning”). Elon supports learning both in and outside of the classroom; an Elon education is not just about keeping your nose in the books. If you want opportunities to explore and learn and grow from, it is a fabulous school. If you want to be mainly challenged by a highly intense and rigorous work load, then it may not be right for you. Do your research, somewhere other than the student review sites. Get to campus, and ask current students how they feel about their decision to come to Elon, and why.
Thank for your response. Again this is just what I’ve heard about the school. Anyway, I’m going to visit the school and get a feel for it, but I have found its hard to guage the culture through a visit
Reading the campus newspaper can give you some insight into the culture:
Try looking for sites such as this where you’ll get a more balanced viewpoint. Some of the sites you mentioned - the only people who go out there and post reviews are disgruntled. Happy people aren’t posting there.
Elon is FAR from a diploma mill. 20 or 30 years ago, it was a school that mostly attracted local kids. It has grown so much through the years. Now there’s not only a huge student population from the NorthEast, there’s also a growing population from the West Coast as well. They’re coming for the quality of the education, the strong study abroad programs, the opportunities for undergraduate research - (and the kids from the NE come for the weather) - not to party for 4 years and then be handed a diploma.
Yes, there have been some racial/religious incidents - those occur anytime you get groups of people together. Elon has been very proactive in how they have handled these situations. The school is very much majority caucasian, but that is the case with many comparable schools. They do work to attract a diverse student body.
It is certainly NOT true that half the students want to transfer. 91% of freshmen return. The students I’ve known who have transferred, it’s for legitimate reasons that occur at any school.
It may be difficult to truly gauge the culture through a visit, but it will tell you a lot more about how YOU feel about the school than reading comments from a few angry students.
@InigoMontoya thank you for the great response! Honestly I was thinking the same thing myself about the disgruntled students.
My son is currently a junior. While it hasn’t always been perfect, he’s really enjoyed his time at Elon and is happy he choose it over the #1 state school 45 mins from home or the out of state school that his brother was attending. He feels very challenged by his classes and feels they have a lot of opportunities for the students. He’s made some really great friends from all over and while he knows one or two that have transferred, 90% of his friends are still there three years later.
I tend to agree that the student population is not very diverse and that there are a lot of middle and upper middle class students.
As for the social scene, it revolves around Greek life to a big degree. Not making it into a fraternity or sorority can be difficult for some students. My son is a proud GDI (Gxx Damx Independent) and is still very happy with friends in many fraternities and sororities. There are definitely other things to do, however, but there is no question the Greek life offers the majority of social functions.
Elon is actually very strict when it comes to enforcing the student code, including getting caught underage drinking, etc. They do not look the other way like they do at many other schools and there are varying levels of consequences which can lead up to suspension and getting kicked out and not asked to return.
I have to say I’m nervous… My son is attending in September. He visited a buddy (sophomore) this spring and that was it he was hooked. I’m hoping something sparks some academic motivation in son, and his interest is less about frat life and risky business parties (didn’t hear of them until he visited). Unfortunately his buddy, a schoolmate of his I know well, told me recently that school was a blast - there is a party every day by 11am. Like I said I’m nervous…
Elon offers both a solid curriculum and active social atmosphere. Greek life does matter to many but like any other schools there are non-greek options for those who do not participate. Diversity is an issue and the school does try to slowly attract a more diverse student body. The incoming class of 2020 is skewed to slightly more males as the school tries to address the common inequality among male/vs/female ratios. This is a fun school but those who attend looking only for party are usually surprised by the rigor and sometimes choose to leave.