<p>Unless something goes terribly wrong or Qubein chooses not to stay, High Point will continue to grow, improve their admission standards, and become the next Elon in NC. I have had 2 admisson counselors (one in NC and one in PA) tell me that High Point is determined to catch and pass Elon. The campus is beautiful, the faculty and staff very supportive. I know their applications are way up, and they are doing whatever they can to improve the school and its reputation.</p>
<p>Why am I, as an NC resident, getting the feeling that Elon is more highly looked upon by those not living in NC compared to those who live outside of NC.</p>
<p>I and most of the other North Carolinians I know don't find Elon that particularly attractive. Most people who couldn't get into UNC-Chapel Hill go there. Elon is not a great school to us. It is Duke and UNC that North Carolinians take their pride in, I would say.</p>
<p>Sligh, and don't forget about Wake Forest. Elon is a hot school in the NE. I think it has been hot in recent years because the sticker price has been just below that of an out of state public state U, and the sticker price is 12-15k less than the shocking sticker price of many private colleges that are in high demand. This is just my opinion. People are also very impressed with the beauty of the campus and new buildings.</p>
<p>Packmom, thanks about the info on Queens. I have heard some nice things about the school.</p>
<p>As far as High Point, what is the surrounding area like? I have seen Winston-Salem briefly. How far is this school from there, and is there public transit available to get into Winston-Salem, or do you need a car?</p>
<p>northeastmom is right about Elon's rep outside of NC. It is very popular in the Mid Atlantic area where we live. For 2 years all I heard was Elon from our daughter. After 30 minutes on campus she decided not to apply. One of her close friends is there and loves it.</p>
<p>As for High Point, the surrounding neighborhood is not great and the town is very small, but I think Elon is even more isolated. I know High Point uses their buses to shuttle students to malls and other venues but I do not know about Winston-Salem.</p>
<p>Thanks for the shuttle info, cmbmom.</p>
<p>I drove by Peace College last week when I had business in Raleigh> I had never heard of it but it looked like a nice campus.</p>
<p>I'll back the reputation of Elon as having a different reputation in NC. It has improved significantly over the past 10 years and is gaining in reputation both in and out of state. However, it is still considered a place you go if you didn't get into Duke, UNC, Wake Forest, or Davidson. So, to some degree, Elon suffers from the same fate as Tufts-being in the shadow of more prestigious schools.The campus is beautiful. My daughter did not apply there because her feeling was that the students attracted to Elon tended to focus a tremendous amount of attention on fashion and party life.</p>
<p>@ Northeastmom</p>
<p>Well, that sure is an interesting and understandable perspective on Elon University to those who do not live in North Carolina. </p>
<p>When I was younger, I used to live in High Point, actually around High Point University. The surrounding area is not nice, the high schools are very ghetto, et cetera. Luckily, I no longer live in High Point and am not going to school there. My AP USH teacher went to HPU and loved it, but that's her experience.</p>
<p>Likewise, we North Carolinians tend to view Wake Forest as very good as well. I would have to say the top universities in NC to the locals would be Duke, UNC, Davidson, and Wake Forest. I, personally, will be applying to all four next autumn.</p>
<p>Sligh, I want to wish you luck. I hope that you get into your first choice school.</p>
<p>BTW, I don't think anyone from our HS ever applied to Elon. At least I never saw Elon as a school that anyone was admitted to from our hs, and our hs is pretty competitive. It is not popular in our children's school, but I know that Elon is popular in the NE in general.</p>
<p>Wow....such strong opinions, but I am afraid not really substantiated except by "personal perceptions."</p>
<p>Elon is a fine school. No it is not Duke, Wake, Davidson or Chapel Hill. But I know that they had a bunch of people there last year with SAT's between 1450 and 1600. Its academic reputation is growing. Some people go to Elon because it is smaller than Duke and UNC. It has a growing reputation of success in Div. I sports. It definitely has a stronger reputation academically than High Point. That is not a slam at High Point. Every school has a different "target student body" and serves that group very well. Beating up on schools, particularly when you are a high school student does not serve a very positive purpose. Someone with a 1400 SAT may visit High Point and love it and plan to attend. Good for them. Ditto Elon, Duke, Davidson, Wake or UNC. </p>
<p>Elon is routinely recognized for its absolutely gorgeous campus which resembles Furman a great deal. Burlington is a growing community in NC and is not remote...as it is roughly between Greensboro and the Triangle of Durham, Chapel Hill and Raleigh. High Point is not remote either.</p>
<p>There is ample public transportation, including Express Bus service from High Point to both Greensboro and Winston Salem. There is an Amtrak station in High Point that is on the train service between Raleigh and Charlotte. </p>
<p>There is nothing wrong with school pride. But we need to be careful about wading into the realm of snobbery or beating up on schools for no reason. </p>
<p>I will say again, if someone prefers High Point to Elon, that is perfectly fine. The objective is for each student to find the best school for themselves. If someone picks Elon over UNC that is also fine. And sometimes they do. </p>
<p>I am not saying that you dont have a right to your opinions and even for your dislike of a certain campus or school. We certainly have our own opinions about some schools....and some of them have been mentioned in this message. But we recognize that is a personal opinion and not a universal opinion and its based entirely on our own subjective criteria or response to certain issues. Some campuses strike you as warm and welcoming and some strike you as cold and hyper competitive. </p>
<p>For northeastmom, I think she is trying to help her D find the best school for her interests, skillset and personality and that is a good thing and she is to be commended. She asked about schools other than High Point to expand the list of schools to visit and consider. She knows her daughter the best and where she will thrive. My position was to simply make a suggestion to assist her in that process, not get into a discussion about who is better than who. School rankings are very controversial and often public opinion shadows the rankings but without a lot of substantive analysis. Someone may like Salem College in Winston Salem the best, or Meredith in Raleigh, or UNCW in Wilmington (which has a superb marine biology program), or UNC Asheville. There are wonderful schools in South Carolina as well that are very popular: College of Charleston, Presbyterian, Furman, USC-Columbia, Wofford. There are some great schools in Virginia that I can highly recommend to her as well: Roanoke, JMU, Hollins, Randolph College (formerly Randolph Macon Women's College) enjoys a superb reputation and has recently gone co-ed, Mary Baldwin College is in Staunton and is a gorgeous campus that specializes in Leadership training. We were very impressed with the people we met and spoke with there when we visited two years ago. Very, very nice people. Very, very focused on what they do best.</p>
<p>I wish Northeast mom and her daughter the best and good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks a bunch, Northeastmom. Duke is my number one choice with UNC, Davidson, William&Mary, and Wake Forest trailing closely behind. I would really like to attend Dartmouth; however, I feel I may be too weak of a candidate considering my SAT score (only around 1900, but shooting for a 2000.) I am valedictorian, good ECs, et cetera; however, I feel that it is my SAT score that is going to keep me out of top-tier schools. Perhaps I should take the ACT?</p>
<p>Well, your children would like it here in NC if they like moderate weather. Heck, even as I type right now, it is 66 degrees and sunny. I am keeping my window open to let some of this nice weather in!</p>
<p>NEmom, I had forgotten that the mid-West schs tend not to meet 100%of need (this was true at Kenyon, whch D considered last year). OTOH, merit $, replacing loans w/ grants, seems more avail at the mid-West schs (D got merit offers from Case, Earlham and Wooster).</p>
<p>Sligh, if you are a junior, you have a couple of options to pull up your standardzied test scores. You can try the ACT (no harm in that, if they are not as good just don't submit), and you can try a tutor for the SAT or the ACT.</p>
<p>nyc, I just crossed posted with you. Most schools don't meet 100% of need, although Beloit does. Frankly, as an experienced mom of 2 boys, I know bettter than to rely on my 2 keeping merit awards. The bar had better be low so that I can sleep, or there better be little in the way of gapping, LOL (with much more in the way of grants and than loans). This plays a big in role in where we look, he applies, and ultimately attends. Earlham meets 90% of need and Wooster meets 95% of need for incoming freshman. This keeps the gap to something that we hopefully can handle.</p>
<p>Yes, a tutor for the SAT would be nice; however, I don't come from a very affluent family. I am the oldest of four children to a single mom, so you know how that would go. Anyway, I have qualms against the SAT as I don't believe it to be indicative of, well, much of anything. I believe colleges should look more deeply into SAT II exams and AP exams as a greater source of admission factors. These exams are far more indicative of how one performs in college, I believe.</p>
<p>Well, I agree with you, but the system is what it is. If I were you, I would definitely self study and try the ACT. You can also self study more for the SAT. Good luck.</p>
<p>Yes, I will definitely self study for the SAT over the summer. I will take the SAT for the second time on March 1 (my first time was December of my Sophomore year for this special high school I applied to.) I have too much going on right now to study for the March 1 SAT, but my October SAT next year will be self-studied. </p>
<p>It just seems so awkward studying for an exam that really doesn't contribute to my general sense of intelligence. I understand studying history or biology as it will make me more of an intellectual, culturally sophisticated citizen; however, studying the SAT just seems so ridiculous. </p>
<p>I value studying concepts and ideas that I can apply. I know I can apply history, biology, et cetera to situations; however, I know I can't apply the (hypothetical, of course) fact that ETS likes to use "x" technique in "y" section to confuse "z" type of student. Studying for that just seems ludicrous to me! </p>
<p>It is like you said, however. It's just the system, and we can't fight it.</p>
<p>The SAT is not a measure of intelligence or success in college. It is merely a blunt instrument used by colleges to weed out applicants. You can't "study" the SAT, but you can take a lot of practice tests which your guidance counselor can direct you to, if you can't afford a professional study service. I wish you luck in improving your scores, because with the schools you listed a 1900 is frankly not likely to get the results you desire, unless you have another hook. Being number 1 (presuming you stay there) is a good thing in any class, and having a high gpa, lots of solid and consitent EC's, a great essay, and of course superb recommendations can sometimes carry someone over the line. The fact is, private high schools have a better placement record at prestigious private colleges, often through "contacts in admissions." I have seen it over and over....kids with higher scores in public schools who are deferred or rejected, while kids with lower scores or similar scores in private schools getting in. Nobody said the college admissions process was democratic or fair. Its not.</p>
<p>You should be proud of your accomplishments and always try to improve. But you should also put some match schools in the mix...schools which match your SAT scores just to make sure. And some of those match schools may give you more money anyway.</p>
<p>If you are a minority that helps. The avg SAT scores at William & Mary, Wake, Duke, Davidson and UNC are much higher than 1900....a lot closer to 2100 or more. At Duke its closer to 2200. So you know.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>The reality is that seafoodlover is right. I hope that you have academic and financial safety schools on your list too! Don't count on getting into the schools you listed.</p>
<p>Oh, of course I have academic and financial safeties on my list! I am not ignorant about the college admissions process. That said, I do not expect to get into Duke; however, I feel I have a good chance (with what I know about myself and what I have done) with William&Mary and Davidson.</p>
<p>I will have no problem getting into UNC contrary to what seafoodlover says. Every valedictorian at my school either goes to UNC or has gotten into it, and I am a valedictorian. As an instate student, I should have no problems; OOS would be an entirely different story, however.</p>
<p>I will certainly be happy at the other schools I have on my list for next autumn, so it is of no consequence, I believe. </p>
<p>{Sorry if I sort of lashed out at seafoodlover; it's just insulting to be told I will not be able to get into UNC as an instate student with my statistics.}</p>
<p>I didnt say you would NOT get into UNC with those stats, but that its problematic, if for example your CR and Math scores on the SAT were below 650 each. Yes, being valedictorian ON THE GRADUATION DATE, is very helpful. It also depends on your coursework, if you have taken any AP classes, and so forth. I know people with SAT's around 2050 who got waitlisted INSTATE at UNC. It happens.</p>
<p>Its always healthy to be humble and cover your bases. Good luck.</p>