<p>Elon Visit by DS and DW </p>
<p>Never underestimate the effect of weather. It was apparently a drop-dead gorgeous day, and as a consequence Elon presented itself well. Campus was outstanding -- beautiful, clean and very "college feel". The surrounding Town of Elon also had a collegetown feel to it, which is something my son is looking for. Typical presentation, and for my son redundant. They basically went through the same presentation that we saw on a traveling visit to our area last month. Highlights: Elon's reputation (and selectivity) are rapidly increasing. [They aren't blowing smoke on this one -- I have copies of the fact books going back 15 years. As recent as 8 years ago the average gpa was in the 3.2 range, and the average SAT was just barely above 1000 (recentered score), and the acceptance rate was 70% plus. Most recent class was at 3.72/1237/42%]. Buildings were for the most part Georgian-style red brick. A huge new business school building will be opening next year. </p>
<p>A few odds and ends. Elon stil hasn't decided how they will be using the writing portion of the SAT/ACT. Doubtful they will have a policy by next year's admission cycle. Most important admissions factors are GPA/Test Scores/Course rigor. No surprise there. Applicant interest is "considered" according to the CDS. </p>
<p>Very big on the "engaged learning" concept, which probably has as many definitions as there are schools that talk about it. For Elon, I would say it is a focus on the First Year Experience and a strong push to have students study abroad (most do, at least for a Summer Term). </p>
<p>Dorms were average, nothing really stood out. Dining options were impressive -- several different places to eat on-campus, and several off-campus places have an agreement with the school to accept Elon cards -- so a pretty good range of choices, from healthy to traditional to fast food to junk. </p>
<p>Elon has a reputation for preppy/greek/wealthy students. Honestly, my son did not pick up on that. And I think he would. Greeks are definitely a higher percentage than at many schools (30%), but not nearly as high as schools like DePauw or Washington & Lee. Standard company line -- we have Greeks, but it's no big deal if you join or not. Seemed to be true, at least at first glance. </p>
<p>Library was good size, not crowded. Classroom buildings were pretty impressive inside in terms of technology and good use of space. Good size gym/workout facility. Not overwhelming like some of the newer facilities we've seen, but okay. </p>
<p>Elon's tuition is somewhat less than other comparable private southern colleges and small universities. Approx $25K for tuition/room and board/fees. But they also don't give out as much in merit-based award. Fellows scholarships range from $3-6K per year. There are a few bigger ticket awards, but not many. Also doesn't meet full need. So -- the sticker price is good, but needs to be evaluated carefully when comparing to other schools that may well be more generous. Not surprisingly, diversity could be better. </p>
<p>Result of visit -- Elon is at top of the list right now, after he's visited a total of 9 schools since last year. A lot to like about this school. Oh, and for those interested there is a nearby volunteer fire and rescue squad that actively accepts student volunteers. For the S, that's an important consideration.</p>