<p>My D is a HS junior so we are T-minus one year. Toured Elon during spring break - she loved it and I was very impressed. </p>
<p>We do have a question about student housing -- we did see some student complaints that there is insufficient housing for juniors and seniors. When we asked about this an admissions counselor admitted that a lot of upperclassmen do live in off-campus apartments but said that pretty much all who do want to live on campus can. Also, while driving around town, there appeared to be quite a few apartment complexes very close to campus. </p>
<p>As the parents, we would be more comfortable with on-campus housing for all four years (or three years if she goes with the engineering 3-2 program). Although the apartments are closer to campus than some of the dorms we've seen at other schools).</p>
<p>So, for those in the know, what is the housing situation for upperclassmen?</p>
<p>It's true, most upperclassman live off-campus. I was lucky enough to get a room in the brand new Colonnades (single, own bathroom, right by the business building) and I am "squatting" (keeping the same room, before other people apply for housing) next semester. I would have definitely moved off-campus if I hadn't gotten the room in the Colonnades. One of the advantages of the Colonnades is that you don't have to pay 12 months rent like most places off-campus. Elon also charges 12 months rent for the new Oaks apartments (very expensive) and the Danieley apartments (expensive when you consider 12 months rent. Also, I am going abroad in the Spring through the Fall, so I won't have to pay rent then either. If you squat, you are guaranteed the room you have and there are no real issues living on-campus as an upperclassman. However, I am aware of a couple of people who tried to get new on-campus housing and were denied because their upperclassmen quotas were filled. I believe that Elon is trying to move towards having more upperclassmen on campus by building new dorms like the Colonnades and the Oaks. However, if the administration is really trying to expand the school to around 8000 students, I doubt that this would change anytime soon. Off-campus housing can be anywhere from 300 dollars a month to in excess of 500. I wouldn't rule out living off-campus for your daughter, as many of the complexes are designed for students. Personally, I don't really like that there are so many people off-campus, but it really doesn't make that big a deal. Most upperclassmen don't want to live on-campus because they don't want to have to deal with RAs and Campus Security.
I'm not sure if this completely answers your question, but feel free to ask anything else you want to know.</p>
<p>This is really for grantb. We went on the tour at Elon last spring
and I asked if the school planned to get any bigger and the tour
guide said no, they wanted to stay around 5000 students. You intimated
that they were planning to grow substantially to 8000 students.
How do you know that they are planning to expand?</p>
<p>newma - That's what I've heard through the grapevine. Sorry I don't have any distinct proof how they plan to grow, but I suspect that it is a long-term goal that the University holds. As everyone knows, applications are sky-rocketing and maybe once the admission standards reach a level that the University is pleased with, they will start admitting more students.</p>
<p>We have been at campus meetings over the past 2 years and every time the president is asked about expanding, the answer is no. I don't believe there are any current plans to expand the number of students.</p>
<p>I'm wondering why you want your daughter to live on campus all four years? I think most kids move off campus for their junior or at least senior year, although at Elon, off campus doesn't seem quite as "off" as at a lot of schools.</p>
<p>It's partially a parental thing -- on campus is usually more secure/safer. It's also usually simpler/easier than the whole rental thing/commuting thing. </p>
<p>It's also partially based on my experience at a school (William & Mary) at which a very high percentage of students lived (and still do live) on campus. I was off campus for one year and felt very left out. </p>
<p>Also, it's not an absolute thing -- I know that there are many schools where there are apartments that are virtually on campus in proximity and in population. </p>
<p>S is an 07 grad who spent jr and sr years off campus but closer to his classes than if he lived in Daniely. Most of his friends were off campus but managed to stay very involved.
The thing about off campus housing for upperclassmen, at any school, is that it is an opportunity for developing money management skills. Rent, utilities and food costs need to be budgeted. In 3 or 4 years, you may find your child is ready for the challenge.</p>
<p>On campus housing is guaranteed for all four years and well over 70% of students do exactly that for their entire undergraduate career. Like Elon, Wake has a beautiful campus and is a top 30 national university. It is highly selective with over 9,000 applications this year with just over 2,700 acceptances sent out to fill 1,200 freshman seats. If you have not checked out Wake you should do so. Wake also has outstanding resources with an endowment over four times that of Elon. Having said all that, Elon is a very impressive, fast rising university with an outstanding leader in Leo Lambert.</p>
<p>We did tour Wake on the same day we toured Elon. It was very nice and my D liked it . . . but, it turns out the communications major is not journalism/media oriented but more marketing oriented. Also, Wake has no engineering options, which is the other area she is considering. Her take on the three NC schools we saw that week was that "Duke has the right programs but the wrong attitude, Wake Forest has the right attitude but the wrong programs, and Elon has both."</p>
<p>We'll see what happens over the next year. The experience with my son was that in that final year, the one school he had no interest in evolved into the one he ultimately chose and at which he is very happy.</p>
<p>You have probably heard the stat that 85% of entering freshmen change their major at least one time. If Elon is the school by all means go for it. But I would focus on the best fit for the total school than worrying about specifics of certain majors they offer. You are also right the list will likely change several times in the next twelve months. That is normal for the process. Best of luck.</p>
<p>On campus housing for upperclassmen is entirely possible. Because housing selection priority is based up credit hours completed, coupled with the fact that many upperclassmen elect to live off campus means that it not an issue to remain on campus. Sloan and Colonnades as well as Danieley Apartments (technically on campus, but about a 15 minute walk to class) are all heavily upperclassman populated and are very comfortable and desirable living locations for upperclassmen.</p>