<p>Axelrod, I think that’s unneccessarily harsh. </p>
<p>I don’t think what the OP’s daughter is experiencing is uncommon at all. We build college up to be this amazing experience, and obsess over finding the one college that will be the absolute perfect fit for our child. The kids go into it with that mindset and level of expectation. The truth is: no college is perfect. Everyone is going to have a bad professor, a boring class, and obnoxious roommate, etc. </p>
<p>I think kierans daughter has a good attitude. She’s not talking about transferring. And it’s not unusual for kids to come home at Thanksgiving, see their hs friends, and realize that their college friendships aren’t on that same level yet. (Who knows how long they’d have lasted with their hs friends if they had to live in a small room with them?) And honestly, when asked by a friend or the friend’s parent how they like their college, most kids are going to say they love it - unless they’re really miserable. </p>
<p>My daughter noticed that after freshman year, most kids seemed happy to reunite with their hs friends for the summer. But after sophomore year, everyone spent the summer yearning for their college friends. In other words, it seemed to her that sophomore year was when kids really transfer their loyalties from their hs friends to their college friends.</p>
<p>I wasn’t being harsh at all. Regardless, a more academically challenging environment should be considered.</p>
<p>In my opinion, applying to only one small, average academically, LAC is setting a well prepared, bright student up for the possibility of a great disappointment.</p>
<p>Nothing against Elon. I’m just responding to the OP’s post. You just seem intent on causing a stir because I’m not an Elon cheerleader. I wish that you’d focus on topic & stop the personal attacks. Others have a right to offer opinions & advice whether or not you approve.</p>
<p>OP: My advice remains to allow your daughter to seek out a more academically challenging environment. File a transfer application or two & see what develops. At least your daughter will have options.</p>
<p>There was nothing personal in my attack. I was responding to your harsh attitude and criticism of the OP’s posts (calling her posts contradictory and telling her that her daughter “clearly made a mistake”). </p>
<p>I was also correcting your wrong information. Why are you posting in a forum on a specific college you appear to know very little about? </p>
<p>No one needs to be a cheerleader, and everyone is entitled to their opinion… as long as they at least know the basic facts about the institution they’re discussing.</p>
<p>I will disengage now, as there is really no point to continuing this discussion with you.</p>
<p>Well, you just proved my point. And, yes, the OP has made contradictory posts in this thread. Yes, you’re correct that Elon is not an LAC. And, yes, OP’s daughter clearly made a mistake by putting all of her eggs in one basket & only applying to one school.</p>
<p>Thanks, Lafalum, for your support. I too find Axelrod’s posts harsh and puzzling. Axelrod, you dont seem to know much about Elon (not a small LAC) yet seem to have some weird axe to grind about it. Why are you even posting in this forum?</p>
<p>Also, I have said repeatedly that my daughter doesn’t WANT to transfer. She still believes, like I do, that ELon is a good fit. She wants to stay. She anticipates that her classes will be more demanding as she advances and there are many things about the school that she is very happy about.</p>
<p>And yet you think I should I encourage her to transfer?? I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you sincerely meant that to be good advice, but I also choose to follow a different path. </p>
<p>Again, thanks to all who posted offering opinions and support. I really did help me to work through this. </p>
<p>Axlerod, I’ll assume you are just having a bad day:) Peace.</p>
<p>Not having a bad day. Just trying to help. You should be open to a variety of thoughts. And, yes, I miscategorized Elon as an LAC. I know parents who had kids attend in the past. They just weren’t the brightest kids, but both families & their kids were fond of Elon.</p>
<p>I think that placing a non-binding transfer application or two to more academically challenging schools is a good idea based on your posts. This way, if she chooses to stay, at least she had a choice & reinforced her original decision. But, if still dissatisfied at the end of the school year, then she has, presumably, other options.</p>
<p>Again, I’m not a cheerleader or a handholder. You posted here seeking advice & I offered mine. You should expect to receive & appreciate different viewpoints–even if they make you feel uncomfortable. Nobody enjoys admitting a mistake. I understand that it is not yet clear to you & your daughter whether or not a mistake has been made–but something prompted you to post for advice.</p>
<p>Wow. I actually didn’t think Axelrod’s comments before were bad. However, the “just weren’t the brightest kids” comment certainly isn’t endearing.</p>
<p>Regarding academic rigor - having attended a college many moons ago that was infamous for grade deflation and grading on the bell curve I knew I did not want that expereince for my kids. Actually many of my peers with the same background feel the same way. It was too harsh and removed the holistic component of learning. Every exam was find the needle in the haystack. Incredibly discouraging and creates bazaar behavior.</p>
<p>I also attended a state school where the students were a hodge podge of abilities. It felt good to be at the top of those classes, you learned for the love of learning and I truly felt that the professors in the state school were more engaging (in comparision to my elite private college). I guess if you are a science/ engineer student the push is good but for my social sciences interest it seemed unneccessary. I wanted mental health in a great environment for my kids. </p>
<p>There were other schools besides Elon that offered that but Elon was by far the best price, along with other aspects (campus, safety, clubs) we liked.</p>
<p>@livesinnewjersey: You make good points that are worth consideration. However, we don’t know what OP’s daughter wants or expects from her college. If she is seeking an easy path to a high GPA for medical or law school, than Elon is fine; but if she wants to be recruited right out of college, then employers know what students at nearby schools are doing to earn their degrees.
In my view, OP is reacting based primarily on emotions. Emotions don’t get jobs & don’t ensure a sound educational environment.
Kids at other schools in the region are busting themselves for an undergraduate degree & getting their moneys worth in both their education & in their job prospects.
In my opinion, it’s a serious red flag when I hear that a student isn’t challenged in college. Even more concern when a parent rationalizes it.</p>
<p>Axelrod with respect for your right to have and express an opinion. You have done so. </p>
<p>Unless you have recently changed your screen name for some unknown reason, you have been a member of this forum for less than two weeks and posted 215 times. You show no personal understanding of Elon and are inflaming (hopefully not on purpose) the simple emotion originally expressed by a Mom looking for support on this thread for what sounds in every respect a very normal adjustment to “fitting in”. When corrected by the OP you appear to be offering your opinion as being more valid than hers. And that is just wrong.</p>
<p>This is supposed to be a supportive forum to express opinions and concerns, where people who have had similar situations can offer their words of experience to help one another. I am surprised how this thread has turned out.</p>
<p>To the OP: It appears that your daughter is continuing to do what is best for her. Obviously we do not know how it will turn out, but it is good to hear that she is staying positive. As I mentioned previously, it has only been 3 short months. There are many new college students still testing the water. In fact it is very common for the friends made during the first few months of college to not end up being a freshman’s core group of friends as time progresses: majors change, greek life, clubs, living situations, all contribute to changes in their social lives.</p>
<p>I hope you can rest assured that most of us are hoping that things improve for your D, and do not let one opinion add to the stress you already feel.</p>
<p>LivesinNJ’s comment is spot on. While most Elon students will feel adequately challenged in the classroom, these kids have not come to this school solely for academic rigor - they have come for engaged and experiential learning. My freshman S is thrilled to have already found this to be the reality. He enjoys the class discussions, has had the opportunity to teach a history lesson, and is happy to have a personal connection with his profs, who correspond with him through email and even by phone. We had the opportunity to meet all his profs during Parents Weekend, and they could all - after only 3 weeks of classes - speak knowledgeably about S and his abilities as well as his interests outside the classroom. Very impressive. </p>
<p>We have a close family friend (older gentleman) that is a North Carolinian and has strong ties within the NC business and non-profit world. Family members are all alumni of UNC or Duke. He told us he can pick an Elon grad out of a crowd of NC school grads; they have broader experiences and better personal interaction skills to go along with their degree, and he would not hesitate to hire an Elon grad, in fact it would be his preference. That is why those of us that are supporting Kieran’s D love the school and its vision and opportunities. Axelrod is correct that it may not be the right fit for someone that is seeking academic rigor above all else; but as one of the regular posters here said somewhere else, this is a school for A students that want more from life than just hitting the books - they are busy being club presidents, student gov leaders, doing community service, singing in musical ensembles, playing intramural and club sports, working jobs, finding internships and studying abroad, possibly multiple times. </p>
<p>In just 3 months, we have found Elon to be all the above, and my S is most definitely NOT from a “certain niche”, as GolfFather stated above. Good for you, Kierans, for finding the support here that you were looking for. I hope your D finds new friends and opportunities in the new year. According to my S, there are plenty of nice, smart, down-to-earth girls on campus!</p>
<p>Time to chime in: My freshmen S loves Elon, even though he has struggled socially. He is in a single room/suite in a learning center. He has one suite mate that is a real problemand although the floor has some nice people, he hasn’t gelled with the others there. Yet, he has decided that he wants to live there next year due to its location and quietness for doing work. He has found friends in 3 different social groups, but still feels on the periphery of the groups. We reminded him that this is how he is and that he will feel more part of a group as time goes on. He acknowledges that this is his modus operendi.</p>
<p>As for classes, he is doing very well and really likes all his professors except for health. For some reason, this class has the most work and he is constantly struggling to get it done and it is only a 2 credit course. He also has a physics-energy course which is extremely challenging. He things the professor awesome, but the work is difficult. I think freshmen courses can be easy (psych, eng 101,) but depending what your child signs up for, is the difficultly factor, e.g. S has a CIS course that he is breezing through, but he holds study groups to help others who are struggling. I am sure that once our freshmen get to the next level classes, especially in their majors, it will be more challenging. I also think that the profs at Elon are their for our children. S has many times gone to office hours just to chat about ideas and projects.</p>
<p>As for relationships with professors, I must share: S’s CIS prof asked if any students wanted to meet with exec vp of SAP. S signed up for one of the 20 individual spots. The prof asked if he would like to attend a luncheon with the VP. So here was my S with 2 seniors, the prof, Dean of Biz schoo, l and VP at lunch. This was his 2nd month of college. we were amazed.</p>
<p>Over the holiday weekend, we had 15 kids sleep over. We heard all the comments of how much everyone loved school, but then when the kids started talking you heard about how much they didn’t like a certain class, or that eng 101 had 300 kids in it, or that the school was so large they felt lost. When kids left the next day, S was so happy to hear all the others complain and still love their school. He felt he had far fewer complaints and reaffirmed his choice of Elon. </p>
<p>ps. for the kids who doesn’t think he fits in all the time, he did spend the weekend texting his friends from Elon!</p>
<p>As a parent whose kid has applied to Elon, I have been reading this thread with interest. I have had one D already graduate from college (not Elon – NYU) and so have a little experience with the whole freshman-adjustment thing, and for what it’s worth, I think what the OP’s D is going through is all part of the normal adjustment period many kids experience in college. Could it be that Elon is not the right place for her? Absolutely. As much research as students and families do to select a college, there is no foolproof way to ensure that the college that a kid chooses will be <em>the</em> perfect place for her or him. (I maintain there is no perfect place, but that’s just me.) From my experience, quite a few kids start freshmen year all gung-ho and excited, but by November, that honeymoon period is over and the reality of the academic year stretches before them, and they get a little bit homesick or antsy. They question if they are in the right place, because they don’t feel that “I’m at home” feeling they had in high school, surrounded by friends and familiarity. Once they are back on campus, though, and increasingly become more engaged in their studies and social life, this disappears and by summer, they are missing their friends in college.</p>
<p>I had to laugh at Axelrod’s comment that the kids who go to Elon are not the brightest. Compared to what or whom? Those who matriculate at Harvard? I know a number of Elon graduates and all of them are bright, engaging and involved young people who are out doing interesting things in the world. I think that here on College Confidential (which is all about college, after all), it is easy to get carried away thinking grades and scores and the prestige of a kid’s college is THE most important thing in the world. (And they are, if the only thing you care about is putting a Harvard bumper sticker on your car, to show off to your friends and neighbors and other motorists!) </p>
<p>That’s not what I care about when it comes to my kids’ education. For my kids, I want a college experience that engages them inside and outside the classroom, and that provides the kind of interesting – and yes, fun – balanced life I hope they lead once they graduate. (I love my career and am serious about it, but I also love spending time with family and friends, and in my community.) The kids I know who have gone to Elon had that balance between classroom and experiential learning (internships, study abroad) and social lives that included clubs and organizations and just plain good friends. In my view, that’s a darned good model for how to live your adult life.</p>
<p>Samtalya, I chuckled at your comments about the Health class - our S struggled with that class as well (he had it just 1/2 semester). Exactly the kind of class he doesn’t like - a subject he’s not interested in, with lots of busywork. At one point he told us he thought he might fail the class!! In the end, he came out with a B-, which was a relief (probably why he set us up with the failing comment :)) I have heard that they are doing away with this requirement next year!</p>
<p>Interesting feedback too on the dorm situation for your S. I am not a fan of suite-style living for freshman, and although the Colonnades rooms are quiet nice, the environment seemed a bit sterile (hotel-like) to me. I encouraged S to look towards a more traditional hall-style dorm, which he did - and it was the best decision for him. His hall (co-ed) is quite tight, and they do a lot together (but not everything, as they all have different interests.) He loves coming back to his floor and hanging out in various rooms, and doing fun things like playing putt-putt golf in the hall (they set up courses in and out of the rooms). They also often go to meals together, which took away some stress of the “fitting in” dilemma early on, and they love having McEwen Dining Hall (open late night!) and the Varsity right near by. For him, it is the perfect set-up. Although for those who want personal space and a quiet room for studying, this would not fit the bill!</p>
<p>Your S’s experience with the SAP VP is exactly the type of opportunity that contributes to the well-rounded grads that our family friend has found from Elon.</p>
<p>As a dad of a kid anxiously awaiting decision letters, here is my perspective. My D’s passion right now lie in the area of International Development. At Elon, those classes are far and few between but they do exist. What Elon has in spades is a engaged, supportive faculty on a beautiful campus where internship and study abroad opportunities are abundant. Elon quickly became #2 on her list for these reasons. Only a school in Washington DC which offered even more opportunities (but was less of a fit socially) rose to #1. Elon’s lesser name recognition outside of the mid-Atlantic region was of concern but was outweighed by the value and opportunities that it offers.
OPs daughter is only going through the typical adjustments of a freshman in college. She sounds like she will do just fine and everyone here needs to be less defensive and in one case combative.</p>