<p>High Point does not have a pool with all its dorms, though they do have tremendous amenities. The main campus has a large outdoor pool/jacuzzi attached to a student activities center that houses the dining facilities, indoor track, weight room, cardio area, and basketball court. A nearby "village" for upper classmen also has a pool, work-out areas, dining facilities, etc. It is about a quarter mile from campus but a shuttle runs at least every 15 minutes. HPU is making strides to move up into the class of Elon. The cost and size of the student body are similar, and the standards for admittance have been rising as the campus has been physically transformed in the last 3-4 years. The facilities are state of the art. They are running a huge marketing campaign and it appears to be quite successful. My D attended Presidential Scholarship weekend a few weeks ago. Our meetings with professors have been extremely impressive. We had originally checked out Elon for my D's intended major and it wasn't what she wanted. I see now that Elon has overhauled their Communications major for next year to be quite similar to High Point's which is moving into a brand new state of the art facility next year funded mostly with the President of the school's personal donation. I believe in the future there will be major competition between these two schools.</p>
<p>Does Elon have a religioius affiliation? I know HPU is affiliated with the Methodist church.</p>
<p>Elon is affiliated with the United Church of Christ</p>
<p>Both affiliations are relatively loose, however.</p>
<p>Elon dreams boldly and is remarkable for the community it represents not only here on CC but across the country. Much can be credited to Elons trustees and benefactors as well as to the leadership of Leo Lambert, who is driving the implementation of a well envisioned strategic plan, "New Century." Scope of vision encompasses facilities as well as programming. Though current economic conditions are clearly a setback for even the best laid plans, look for measured growth and further development from Elon in the years ahead </p>
<p>Remarks to Faculty/Staff by Leo Lambert, Fall 2008
Elon</a> University - Office of the President</p>
<p>My oldest went to Elon (class of '04). He loved it there. We were happy with the engaged profs and the individual attention when there was a problem (son had some medical problems his freshman year). He seemed well prepared when he graduated (Business/finance major, history minor) to enter work force.</p>
<p>Though we live in NC and only about an hour from HPU--I had never even heard of it until a boy in younger son's class went there on an athletic scholarship. So I can't speak to anything about it.</p>
<p>As far as location, Elon is much better situated. It is in a small town which is a plus for getting around, not dealing with crowds, traffic etc. Housing is good. Plus Greensboro is about 20 min west and Chapel Hill about 25 min east. Elon's study abroad is also very popular, particularly the Jan. term.</p>
<p>Does High Point University have a strong religious component? Are there strict rules, mandatory religious curriculum, single sex dorms, strong visitation policies, etc.?</p>
<p>We did not even look at High Point because the kids from our school (high-ranked high school in New England) that go there are the high school slackers one level above community college. I assume that is changing, from what I have read. Elon is an up-and-coming school with major name recognition. One young man I know turned down Emory and William & Mary to attend Elon because it is smaller, has a more socially committed student population, and "felt right" to him. My D and I looked at Elon and she couldn't wait to leave; she said it felt cold, she didn't like the students she saw, although the school is attracting kids from all over, and the town offered nothing. Also looked at Chapel Hill but she found that too large and way too Southern.</p>
<p>To answer your question, Riggo, High Point does not have a strong religious component at all. The rules and policies are lenient and visiting policies are not enforced unless there are complaints.</p>
<p>While High point is definitely not as highly ranked academically and not nearly as selective as Elon, it is absolutely on the rise. My daughter is a strong and serious student and has found many academic peers at High Point. She says that although there are a lot of "partiers" that it's easy for everyone to find a group that they're comfortable with. </p>
<p>My daughter has found most, although not all, of her classes to be sufficiently challenging. Individual attention from professors has been outstanding. My only complaint with HPU, as a parent, is there overemphasis on the amenities. The students don't mind it though!</p>
<p>I'm a senior at Elon, and my sister is a sophomore at HPU. (We're from Boston.) While we were both looking for similar things in a school, like a smaller school size, Greek life, good weather, etc., there is really no comparison between the two schools. </p>
<p>Academically, we are very different students, and Elon is a much more demanding school. My sister barely hit a 2.0 GPA in high school and was not very involved, while I had much higher scores and states. (Not to say I don't love her more than life itself! It's just a simple fact.)</p>
<p>You can argue either school for the aesthetics and resources available such as the pool, gym,and so forth, but academically, Elon wins. They also have a higher endowment and are more generous with aid, at least in my family's case.</p>
<p>Elon has great study abroad programs and just started a program in Florence, Italy to complement the two programs already established in London and Costa Rica. We've just revamped our entire Communications department, as well as the new business center, the new academic pavilion opening in the fall.</p>
<p>Feel free to ask me anything through PM or on the thread. Both schools are great and you can't go wrong!</p>
<p>I was able to see the new business center--it was great! unfortunately my son graduated before its completions.</p>
<p>I sent you a PM just asking for your thoughts re: relative lack of diversity at Elon and why you chose the school over any other contenders. Any elaboration would be much appreciated.</p>
<p>I am a High school senior in Massachusetts and was looking at both schools. I was waitlisted to Elon and accepted to High Point. I was accepted to some better schools here in the Northeast but these are much more expensive and not offering the scholarship that High Point is. High Point has always been near the top of the list for me but there is some missing information that i would like to find out. </p>
<p>Does anyone know how rigorous their academic program is? In high school i took an AP and 1-2 honors classes for my last 3 years and an honors my freshman year. I am looking to be intellectually challenged in college and want to have professors who are really into what they are teaching.</p>
<p>Also I wanted to know more about the area surrounding High Point. I’m not concerned about safety, but what there is to do around the town. I’ve visited campus a couple of times but did not have time to explore the town. If anyone could offer any information I would appreciate it.</p>
<p>We visited both High Point and Elon in February, and my D was turned off by Elon but intrigued by High Point. I have a co-worker whose daughter is a freshman at Elon, and loves it, so I guess it really is individual preference. </p>
<p>The area around High Point looked a little run-down. It doesn’t seem like there is much to do in town, but the campus seems pretty lively.</p>
<p>I went to a college fair yesterday at a suburban NY high school. My son has High Point on his radar screen. The college rep from High Point knew by name the students from his high school that were attended High Point and the students that were considering, but chose not to attend High Point. I was really impressed that she took the time to make a discussion with prospective students more personal and that so many students in the northeast are considering High Point.</p>
<p>Threre are two recent High Point threads on the College Selection board. </p>
<p>A number of the posts indicate that while HPU is trying to beef-up academically, the website and campus tours focus on the physical (new construction). I found gadad’s posts regarding the school’s “hospitality” mentality interesting and insightful.</p>