I’ve started the application process and after applying early action to elon I was admitted. Syracuse doesn’t offer early action so I still need to wait on regular decision admission. These two are both very high on my list and if I also got into Syracuse, I was wondering if anyone could offer insight on the two, to help see which would be the better choice for me. Thank you!
Well, it might be great if you would start by giving us some insight on you and what you want in a college.
Syracuse is a medium-to-large university in a small- to medium-sized city. It can get very cold in upstate New York during the winters. Syracuse students are known for their school spirit, and there are big sports to cheer for. There are over 15,000 undergraduates. Being a research university, Syracuse has over 200 majors - you can select from lesser-offered majors like biotechnology, energy and its impacts, computer art and animation, or supply chain management. If you are interested in journalism, magazine/editing, or fashion, Syracuse seems like a good choice - it has some strengths in those areas. Syracuse also has a reputation for being a party school - not that that’s a bad thing. The students like to have fun while also being relatively serious about school. Greek life has a presence - 28% of women join sororities and 24% of men join fraternities. The system seems humongous. By my count there are 56 social fraternities and sororities organized under 5 different councils, and three of the NPC sororities were actually founded at Syracuse. I don’t know for sure, but that sounds like a recipe for a small but fierce Greek life.
Elon is different. It’s much smaller - around 5,500 undergraduates, and only 700 graduate students, so it’s a very undergrad-focused place. Elon is a small town - about 30 minutes to Greensboro to the west and about an hour to Raleigh to the east (Durham and Chapel Hill are about 20 minutes closer). Elon does have a business school so you can major in that, but otherwise their majors tend towards the more traditional liberal arts majors (although they have some interesting minors - adventure-based learning? multimedia authoring?) Elon competes in Division I, too, but obviously sports aren’t as big a part of their social life as the Orange are at Syracuse. Greek life is pretty big, especially if you’re a young woman - 43% of women and 26% of men at Elon belong to a Greek organization.
So it’s really just about which one appeals to you!
SU has some outstanding programs that are really top shelf. If you are looking at those, it is far better than Elon. But if you are not, then the two schools are probably comparable in terms of academics.
From what I have read and heard and know, Elon has more of a preppy vibe. If students aren’t from the South, they are often coming from wealthy mid-atlantic and northeast suburbs. I think you will find a large population of New Yorkers at Syracuse, but you will find rich kids from Long Island and middle class kids from small towns in upstate NY. I don’t get the impression that Syracuse is preppy. I also think you will find more racial diversity at Syracuse.
@sprinting50…Congratulations on your acceptance to Elon. My daughter is at Syracuse and my niece is at Elon. Both are thriving at their schools. I could see both doing well at the other school, but believe each made the best choice. DD really liked Elon, but withdrew her application after accepting her ED acceptance to Syracuse’s dual Whitman\Newhouse program. DD is majoring in business and communications and has a minor at the Maxwell School. She is considering a triple major as it is very doable with 3 additional credits. She loves her sorority, is very active on campus, performing fabulously in her classes, and making a ton of academic and professional connections. SU was the perfect school for her. SU’s top students seem to have a lot of varied interests and are usually carrying two majors or several minors. I thought my daughter was headed south as she loves the warm weather. She acclimated well to the Syracuse winters and told me on several occasions she could not see herself anywhere else. The campus is quite diverse and DD will be studying in Italy next year.
My niece is very bright and chose Elon for the Communications program. She decided that she was better suited as a Business major during her freshman year. My niece is a bit reserved, whereas my daughter is very outgoing. My niece surprised us by joining a sorority, but really blossomed at Elon and is absolutely loving it. She just returned from a semester in Florence. Class sizes are small, the weather is warm, and the campus is gorgeous.
I would suggest visiting both campuses. My daughter toured all her top choices more than once and liked SU more and more after each visit. Elon was where my niece wanted to be. One really needs to choose the school that best fits her/him. SU is terrific for someone with a lot of varied interests and who wants an active campus. If you know exactly what you want, SU can take you there. If one were undecided on a major, Elon may be a better choice as it is very easy to change programs. My son chose a smaller Jesuit university which was perfect for him. He thrived on campus and now has a terrific job.
Good luck with your college decision. You cannot go wrong with either Syracuse or Elon. Both are terrific schools and can take you where you want to go. I believe there is a best choice for you and only you can decide.
Happy Holidays!
Syracuse, the city, works well as a college town.
Syracuse is nationally well known and respected. This will help tremendously after graduation during job interviews. This is a no brainer.
Syracuse is out-and-out a better school than Elon, and probably attracts a smaller quantity of aggressively wealthy students. I’d pick 'Cuse.