I am a current junior in high school and am looking at Elon as one of my potential college choices. It was fairly high on my list…until I toured the school and got the impression that the school is extremely preppy. I am the kind of person who dislikes the idea of Greek life and partying, and so-called preppiness has been a part of my middle and high school life that I do not particularly enjoy. I’m curious to know how widespread and exclusive this sort of atmosphere is - or if, perhaps, I just got the wrong impression.
My daughter (a junior) is not preppy, did not choose to go Greek, does not drink, and loves Elon. Overall Elon leans a little preppy, and Greek life is very visible there, but there’s room for everyone there, and people from different “groups” get along well. Of my daughter’s closest group of friends, 2 are Greek, 3 are non-Greek; one is preppy, one is artsy/hipster, and 3 are just themselves; 3 like to party, 2 don’t drink but enjoy the social aspect of parties, and it works great. (my daughter has many friends who aren’t into the party scene at all and they find lots of fun things to do). The most important thing, though, is fit. If you have a chance to visit campus try see if you can talk to students in your major, or in activities you are interested in. Go to dining halls, student union etc. and talk to students there. If you know someone who is a student, do an overnight if you can. That will give you a better feel for culture and climate than just touring campus. Good luck!
@Supruwoman that is good to hear. My D is a non-preppy, non-drinker and she has similar concerns. We’ll be at Phoenix Friday in 2 days, so hopefully she will pick up some good vibes!
My son will be attending Elon this Fall. Like Supruwoman's daughter he is not preppy, will not likely go Greek, and does not drink. We hail from a small rural town in New England with a small public High School with no preppy students so this is not an issue. We visited some 20 Colleges mostly in Virginia and North Carolina. After touring Elon's campus multiple times, talking to multiple students, Professors, and Alumni and emailing the Admissions Counselor with our questions it became apparent Elon was his first choice. The common theme was the happiness of the students, satisfaction and accessibility of the Professors, quality of academics, and the quality of life at Elon. There are numerous activities, Club events, and sporting events always going on. The students are extremely friendly and as Supruwoman said they all" get along well ". There should not be a problem with Social Life and the visibility of Greek Life which is common to most Colleges. All the students we met when asked "if they could do it over again would they choose another College'"replied no.
I would suggest visiting the campus for a whole day, scheduling a class ( must be scheduled at least 2 weeks prior to visit ), talk to the Chief of your intended major, talk to as many students as possible, explore the whole campus, and get to know your Admissions Counselor for your area if Elon meets your priorities and you can see yourself spending 4 years at Elon. Good luck with your search.
My daughter is a freshman from New England and is very happy at Elon. She is not a drinker and the first few months it was hard to find her niche. She ended up in a dorm full of welcoming people and she did decide to rush and it has been a positive experience. Greek life seems harder for guys yet rush was still quite challenging for a girl as well. You do have to put yourself out there but once you do Elon is a very happy place full of caring students.
I feel like I can breathe out a sigh of relief! I hope to continue to looking into Elon, and I will be taking all of your suggestions into account.