Elon vs. High Point

<p>I have been a High Point Mom for 2 years. My daughter will be a junior this fall (although she is doing Study Abroad in Italy first). She is a High Point Ambassador and loves her college experience there. Dr. Quebein, the President of HPU is one of the most amazing and inspirational speakers I’ve every heard and we have had the pleasure of speaking to him several times; as he is easily accessible (he even answers emails!). My younger daughter applied to High Point this past year and was accepted as a “Media Fellow”, but she has made the decision to go to Elon this fall. Why? Both of my daughters are Communication majors; and both Fellows. My younger DD will be a Communications Fellow at Elon – she said if she had gone to HPU, she would have been known as someone’s ‘little sister’. But besides that, she really did fall in love with Elon on the two weekends she spent there; and felt it was the right fit for her. I will tell from a parent’s perspective that HPU is wayyyyy more warm and fuzzy; more nurturing and HPU Admissions was way more helpful and attentive when she started. And when HPU says ‘everything is included’, it really is true. I have felt that Elon is overboard on sending so many things they want parents to buy their Freshman; right down to carpeting and care packages! Geesh, enough already. This doesn’t happen at HPU; everything really is included; right down to free washers and dryers. You may think the HPU Steakhouse is overboard, but they make it a great learning experience in business etiquette when dining.</p>

<p>I don’t think I’ve ever seen a High Point/Elon parent post before - so give us an update in a few months when your younger daughter has been at Elon for a semester and you have more to contrast/share.</p>

<p>Would love to have an update from ElonandHPUMom now that daughter number 2 should be settled at Elon. Any insights to share? My son has been at an international school in Europe his whole life but is (half) American so Elon would be a good fit with its international focus, but he fell in love with the sparkle of HPU. He has learning disabilities and would be really far from home so in some ways HPU might be a better fit for him – more of a safety net if needed. If anyone has experience with Elon and kids with LDs, I would love to hear about it since I don’t want to just assume that they would not be as attentive as HPU.</p>

<p>@charliedog My S is a junior at Elon and has learning disabilities. I’ve been disappointed in their overall assistance in this area. For example, he has a writing accommodation (can use a laptop) and during one in-class note taking session the professor called him out in front of the whole class by saying “you mean you can’t even hand write one paragraph?” It was embarrassing for him to say the least. At Elon he has felt that he should try to “get by” without his accommodations. Something he never felt in high school. I believe this is because it makes him look different -something that is not ok at Elon. However, that being said if your S is aggressive in getting the help he needs it would be there for him at Elon. It’s just not a hand-holding type of school.</p>

<p>@ACollegeFan, that was my impression from the tour of Elon as well, and in fact, because of that, S has decided not to apply. He applied early action to HPU and CNU mainly because both of them are hand-holding type schools, and I think he will need it. I hope your S continues to do well at Elon in spite of the lack of support – good luck to him, I guess on the bright side he will be better prepared for the outside world when he graduates (something I worry about with HPU).</p>

I go to Elon now and I love it, but I think HPU and Elon are growing in opposite directions. Elon is focusing so much on growth in communications and also business, and as a science major, it’s kind of frustrating how unpopular and how little growth there has been in the sciences here. HPU just spent millions on that new science facility focusing on students who are looking to go into physical therapy etc. That’s awesome and I’m jealous Elon doesn’t have something like that; our exercise science labs are not nearly as high-tech and cutting edge as HPU’s new facility. (I visited HPU last spring and saw it)
I’m just kind of frustrated that Elon prides themselves on being the perfect blend between a research university and liberal arts college, when it’s clear they are far more focused on one area than the other.
I’m only a freshman, so I will see how my classes go with time. Don’t get me wrong- McMichael, our science building, is excellent, but as a whole I just feel like the science department is kind of there, being overlooked. Professors are still nice and willing to work with students on research–I’m starting research next semester–but still. Even just looking at rate my professor, all the top rated professors are in either the comm department or business or political science departments. The science department just isn’t as strong. One of my friends is a physics major, and he plans to transfer to a school that has a larger focus on the sciences; apparently the physics department only graduates 6 students a year…