I got accepted to VCU and Elon. VCU gave me a full ride and I was set on going there until I got the mail from Elon today saying I am a recipient of the Odessy Scholars Award, Full ride!!!
Now that money is not a factor anymore I dont know what to do. I am from VA so VCU is closer to me and diversity matters to me. But also when I tell people I got into VCU its really not treated as a big deal where as everyone is constantly congradulating me about Elon.
Elon is not divers AT ALL. I love the school and campus size but I am scared I won’t have fun and party with my friends because I will be an extreme minority there.
So basically should I accept Elon’s offer? Is it such a good school academically that I should overlook the diversity issue?
or should I pick VCU where I know I will be comfortable and have fun even though the graduation rate is way lower than Elon and not a liberal arts school, which is my major?
I am soooo confused. I am on the waitlist for Richmond, if I get in I will accept in a heartbeat and wouldn’t stress about choosing between Elon and VCU.
Do what YOU want to do. Don’t worry that others think VCU isn’t good enough. If you feel most comfortable there, then VCU it is.
Elon is nice and neat and tucked away from the real world. My daughter loved it because it was so uniform and tidy. But you need to feel comfortable there. NC is diverse though, and I wouldn’t say Elon has no diversity.
Are the terms of both offers the same? Any gpa requirements to keep the scholarships? Will travel to either present a problem? Any special interests things you are looking for (sports, Greek life, study abroad opportunities) offered at one and not the other? Can you go to an accepted student’s day at them? If not, can you revisit on your own?
When you visited Elon, did you talk to any students? Did you feel like you fit in? Pretty buildings are nice but if the people don’t feel right then you won’t be happy.
Contact the admissions office and see if they can put you in contact with someone in your ethnic group. It seems like you need to get more comfortable with what the social scene is like and the only way that will happen is by talking to current students.
A good friend’s daughter is at Elon and having a good experience there, but as a minority you should consider two things: 1) Elon is among the top 5 least economically diverse colleges in the US. So being an ethnic minority (if you are) may not be as much of a problem for you at Elon as if you are lower middle class or lower class. Would that bother you? 2) The Greek scene is very important at Elon. Do you think you will fit in enough to get a bid to a frat or sorority if that’s what you’d want? If not, you might find your social life less fulfilling than you’d like.
Totally get what you’re saying about people not high-fiveing about VCU. I can see VCU being a much more comfortable environment for you, Elon is definitely not know for diversity.
Do you have an ideas as to your intended major? VCU has several very well regarded programs and I hear that grad school from there is fine if your grades are high. Know several high achievers at HS level who went there and were quite happy with their education. It’s all what you make of it. Unless your major is something they have a really poor rep in, I’d vote VCU - I think in your case being in a comfortable environment is very much worth it. I can think of several other VA colleges that I wouldn’t suggest this trade off but VCU isn’t in that category.
And yes, I could see UofR as being the best choice if that becomes a viable option.
OOPS - I see you’re looking at LA majors…think I’d still advise VCU. Elon has the feel of a very southern school. That’s not bad but may not be the fit you are looking for
Sounds like VCU would be your best bet for multiple reasons. Being comfortable and happy is much more important than prestige. I feel your dilemma, but I vote for going with what you know in your heart.
Elon isn’t even THAT much better than VCU. Both univs are respected and will get you to where you need to go. Not to mention that I personally would not go to a school in NC that’s virtually ONLY full of snooty rich northerners (top 5 most econ. homogeneous schools in the country, as someone said above).
Hi there, I think you will be more comfortable at VCU and should avoid Elon for the lack of diversity. Feeling at home on campus is really important.
But here’s my worry about VCU (and might explain the lack of enthusiasm you are getting): A number of kids from our high school have gone there and dropped out. The story I’ve heard is there are large freshman classes, trouble registering for classes, not a lot of academic support.
One of my d’s friends had two lecture classes her first semester that met once a week from 4-7 pm taught by an adjunct professor. (Now it may have been her choice to register for a once a week class, but this is not the optimal learning environment for an 18 year old.) The grad rate is 58%, lower than other VA schools like George Mason, JMU, and VTech. Anecdotally, the students who go to VCU for business, nursing, and the arts appear to have more success with graduating on time than the liberal arts students.
I hope you get into U Richmond, but if you go to VCU, make sure you go to all of your classes, attend office hours, and keep your GPA up. Then if you decide to transfer, you will have very good options.
Your’re in the parents forum, so giving you some free mom advice!