Help with a warm-weather safety/likely

Elon has one small street with a few restaurants (one of which we ate at) and then the there is more ten minutes away.

It’s closer to the outskirts of Greensboro (25 minutes) and it’s a good ways to Raleigh.

It’s 36 minutes to a smaller Gboro airport and 50 to Raleigh.

Elon is - IMHO rural - and Burlington is also rural but has a great cafetaria restaurant (and there are few). Guess what - there are rural cities 45 minutes out from NYC and Boston too.

You’re getting defensive for no reason. If you think Elon is urban, then state your case.

No one said anything about Elon not being a wonderful school - it is and I know it and personally loved the visit. The campus is amazing.

I’m glad your kid is not at C of C. If Elon is right, C of C probably isn’t for them- as it’s a city school but a city school with a campus.

I’ve noted many a time I’m not a fan of the C of C campus - and especially the dorms which they have started to renovate. I personally prefer a campus like Elons…a school with a main campus. I also noted to OP, given their list of schools, that if they don’t do Honors at C of C, it might not be the right fit for this well accomplished student. OP, not me, brought up Charleston and I’ve expressed trepidation from the academic side unless they get into the Fellows program. Perhaps you can go back to the early part of the thread and re-read all you’ve missed.

In fact, I recommended Miami and AU to the student based on the initial post. And threw in SMU - although I’m personally not a fan of “religiously” affiliated schools such as SMU (or Chapman). I realize many schools started as part of a religious affiliation - like my alma mater Syracuse and Duke - both methodist in their origination.

But we are trying to help OP - and IMHO Elon isn’t the right school for them. If you feel otherwise, you can state so without attacking.

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It’s suburban, neither rural nor urban. Not sure why some think there is no middle ground between rural and urban.

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I don’t know much about Jewish life at Rhodes. There was a different thread where the family was very interested in a sizable Jewish population at the college campus, and Rhodes was one of the schools they were quite interested in. It appears as though there are also scholarships available for Jewish Community Fellows (source). If money/the 529 is an issue, Rhodes’ list price is lower than all of your private schools’ by $10-15k, and it offers merit aid on top of it that I think your daughter would be likely to receive.

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Especially with LACs, I think it is important to make the distinction between whether or not the town is walkable. The school is like a town at larger universities, so I don’t think it’s the same concern. Our son went to Richmond, a beautiful, relatively large campus for the number of students but not at all walkable. The campus ended up feeling too small for him, and I’m not sure it would have been the case if it was a walkable location.

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Not necessarily a safety but Wake Forest.

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I agree. We found Richmond not walkable. Neither is Furman. But for some kids, these are the perfect smaller schools.

This family is looking for some smaller schools on the safety side. Many smaller schools are located in smaller towns.

I second Cal Poly Slo! It is more affordable oos vs UCs. Beautiful and warmer location of San Luis Obispo. On the smaller end of large public universities at 20,000 students with the average class size being 40-60 students. My daughter is a freshman this year oos and turned down Northeastern, UCSB, UCDavis, UW, Lafayette college, LMU, Gonzaga and a few others to attend Cal Poly Slo! Highly recommend!

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There are many great suggestions on this thread for the OP to consider. However, since you brought up Furman, I wouldn’t rule it out for a Jewish student, depending on what the student is looking for. For example, Furman does not have a significant overall Jewish population of students. Still, if the OP is looking for an active and observant Jewish community, it’s very close by in Greenville. However, take Elon, which has a relatively good size Jewish student population; you would need to drive forty minutes into Greensboro to find a similar Jewish community.

Our son transferred to a school with three times the number of students and a campus about a third smaller than UR. However, his current school is easily walkable to a fair size suburban town, and I don’t think I will ever feel small to him because of this. Take Davidson, for example; even though it is a small town, the fact that it is easily walkable can make the campus feel a little less confining.

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My only thing about Furman and accessing things in Greenville….you can’t walk there from the college. Well…I suppose you could, but it’s a VERY long walk. If the student needed to regularly access anything in Greenville, they would need a car.

Same with Elon, but there is more Jewish presence on the campus.

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Agree that getting in state tuition at UT Austin the first year is challenging. It happens, but it is the exception not the rule. My son had a similar 1000$ scholarship offered through the CNS/CS department to be eligible for the tuition waiver, but did not get offered the waiver.
However, following the steps for getting residency and thus in state tuition the second year is extremely likely. The expectations are clear and the residency office is there to help. It won’t be 100% guaranteed, but from what I have heard, everyone that puts in the effort and follows the letter and spirit of the residency requirements is granted residency.

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Good point. We were able to get in-state residency for our son the second year. I tend to forget about that because he fell ill and had to drop out the second week of his sophomore year.

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The United Church of Christ is one of the most progressive Christian groups.

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I’d check out Occidental for a small, private liberal arts school in LA. It’s in Eagle Rock, with plenty to do in walking distance but also, access to all of LA. Weather doesn’t get any better. Small school–2K kids and the grounds are lovely. It was too small for my daughter, but she enjoyed the tour. It’s also often used as a film set so that’s pretty fun.

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That could be and I know Chapman is popular with Jewish students. . Some want schools with no religious affiliation. Don’t know about OP. They are the one that served up Chapman (and C OF c) so they are likely fine. Many on the board suggest Jesuit schools to. For my kids, it’s not a comfort.

As long as it is for OPs kid is what matters. Certainly many Jewish students excel at Chapman …and others.

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Have to agree with this. Grew up in the NYC metro, have lived outside Raleigh over a decade and daughter is a freshman at Elon. It’s not rural; that said rural attitudes may prevail in some of the surrounding community so I can see how that sentiment gets attached. We are only two months in but she loves it…she loves to participate in class and it’s all small classes. Profs invite classes to dinner at their homes (she’s going to one such dinner next week). I would not have enjoyed that in college LOL.
DD has a HS friend at CofC - no way that girl would have gotten into Elon. Just sayin’.

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If she might be interested in a women’s college we really liked Agnes Scott in Decatur.

I thought of most of the other ones that have already been listed CoC, Tulane, Elon (suburban, not rural), Davidson might be a target rather than a safety. Sewannee really is rural, so that’s probably out.

Maybe consider contacting the Hillel organization for the schools that are your kid’s top warm weather contenders? That would be a good way to get an idea directly about how involved or not the local Jewish students are.

Btw, Tucson has a HUGE Jewish community center. Youd need to get there by car, but it’s a beautiful facility. They have a Jewish film festival each year. There are a few decent sized Jewish temples around Tucson, ranging from reform to conservative, Orthodox, etc.

Davidson isn’t a safety for anyone! And rarely is a target. (And this is without going back and reading the OP’s stats).

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D is a freshman at Elon and I’ll chime in with “not rural!” It’s definitely suburban. There is a Target 10 minutes away, lots of healthcare options, less than 30 minutes to Greensboro (D went last week) and an hour from a major airport. My parents live where there’s nothing near the community except a small grocery store and a pharmacy. Walmart is 30 minutes by highway. No hospitals or doctors closer. That’s rural to me.

Anyway, it’s a good sized campus with enough kids that there is plenty to do without leaving. Active Hillel, lots of arts, cultural activities. Small classes are a huge plus.

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I think we all define rural differently.

Yes, Elon is ten minutes from Burlington - but one has to has to get to Burlington. At Elon, there is one small strip - at least that we saw.

Everyone defines things differently and that’s fine.

That the Target is ten minutes away - and a lot is - that’s not a place the student can get to regularly. With a shuttle or friends yes - but not walk down the street.