<p>For those who are sufficiently curious to want to know how Elon has been transformed ala the "Phoenix" ...rising from the ashes ...</p>
<p>There is a most informative, insightful book written by George Keller. "Transforming a College: The Story of a Little-Known College's Strategic Climb ..."</p>
<p>We have a friend who goes to EU. I'd been there numerous times a number of years ago ...and as it has been described then ..."an ugly campus, w/ a railroad track running through it ...higher education backwater." And it was. </p>
<p>So when I asked an alumna how it had been transformed of late, she literally had no clue. Especially in that it has little endowment, zilch alumni support, nor much corporate and foundation support.</p>
<p>Well Keller explains it nicely, and it's an interesting story for anyone interested in Elon and/or higher ed in general. It's very tough changing a college's reputation ...and Elon's done it on a shoestring, and beautifully, it seems.</p>
<p>P.S. I've an extra copy (I pushed the button 2x on my paypal :() P.m me if interested.</p>
<p>A truly eye-opening book! I got one last year after my son was accepted. Amazing how the school has transformed itself, with the vision of the right people.</p>
<p>During spring break, my son was invited to come to his old high school to hear a lecture by a guest speaker from UNC. Afterwards, he had a chance to talk to the professor, who said he had never seen a school rise in stature as quickly as Elon has the last few years.</p>
<p>Yes, and while it’s contrary to the popular notions of the current day campus universal, one and perhaps THE critical strategy was going after NE, prep school white students who were strong, decent students with parents fully capable of paying, especially bargain priced tuition …who’d been left out @ a Wake, Chapel Hill, Duke or Davidson. And it also reveals the adage realtors know well …location, location, location.</p>
<p>It is a fascinating read that many professors and higher ed scholars would NOT want administrators and BoTs to read. While it seems to be moving in the monotonous path of so many higher ed institutions in placing the mythical value on intellectual, booky type students …as they become more “selective” …clearly it is the outgoing Myers-Briggs type students who’ve been critical to transforming this place, and not so much Princeton Ph.D. profs. Really debunks a whole lot of the myth and nonsense that academics try to impress upon consumers as being so valuable and worth all those tens of thousands of pesos. And it reveals another realtor reality … curb appeal! Neat campus today.</p>
<p>Lastly, it shows that the argument so many institutions make … we need your savings to be moved to our endowment … to be totally unnecessary.</p>
<p>Still, Elon is moving away from being entrepreneurial and will be at risk of becoming one more Harvard wannabe, trying to persuade funders that it’s so critical to have more and more higher priced faculty, technology will save them, etc. Watch tuition rise along with their applicant pool. And soon they too are at risk of being caught up in the notion that somehow a campus community is enriched tomorrow by those different (mostly in skin color …not genuine diversity) from those there today. Their vision has come from a few essentially non-scholar types, it seems.</p>
<p>I have been accepted at Elon, WF, Davidson, Furman. I believe I would like to major in business/entrepreneurship, Elon and WF and the only ones that have this particular major.
Elon has caught my attention because of the engaged learning and the professors seemed to genuinely care. But after reading your post, would the one of the other universities be a better career choice? They all have a lot more endowment money than Elon, is that important in these down times?</p>
<p>Congratulations on being accepted to great schools. Elon, it is a wonderful school in every way and that is likely to be more and more popular with highly qualified and engaged students. </p>
<p>I don’t think I would care much what name you but on your major at this point as long as you get the exposure to the information you need and challenge yourself. </p>
<p>Each school you listed has a very unique personality and at this point you may want to be asking how your personality will fit with the schools.</p>
<p>Great response, ncmentor. And not noted, but equally confounding as it relates to cost (gross and net), access and meaning of money in your personal circumstance, post-grad plans, where you hope to live, how you best learn, etc. There really are many factors you may wish to consider in your own equation. Elon is very unique among your schools, clearly at the bottom of the “profile” totem pole. All of which, a year from now, means relatively less.</p>
<p>The major thing is imo, just as nc noted. It’s about subject areas, materials and mentors you can engage in that process, and both hands-on and post-grad access to opportunities that will not only be enjoyable but will really equip, stretch and develop you. Those have virtually nothing to do with stated majors. In fact, while some may see those as valuable and convenient in labeling, others may see them as contrived or even hokie. (But that’s VA Tech, right? ;))</p>
<p>btw, Wake prbly has the strongest business school, undergrad and grad, for what that’s worth. Davidson might have the most engaging community of learners. Elon clearly faces the greatest challenges in moving toward the other 3 in terms of being more than an interesting experiment that ultimately became just like a whole lot of other schools. Fiscal resources have the potential to dramatically slow the progress if not worse, imo. All to say, there’s probly more “risk” …possibly a whole lot more “pleasure” @ an Elon. </p>
<p>The tough part is determining which holds more VALUE for you.</p>
<p>Whistle Pig…personally, I prefer The Phoenix to the Fighting Christians. </p>
<p>My S is graduating from Elon this year. We’ve been very happy with the quality of education he has received for the tuition cost. Plus, he is very fortunate to have landed a job in this economy. </p>
<p>chuc…I’m not sure what the tuition costs are to the other schools you have been accepted to. But, I would weigh all of that in the final analysis. Elon is a great value for the quality of education received… Will you be walking away with loans from the other schools? Did they offer you good FA packages? For the most part, my S has had positive experiences with all of his professors…very engaging and do genuinely care!</p>
<p>Me too. But I still think they shoulda chosen “Gators!” ;)</p>
<p>You know, I’m sure reading the story, there are a great many “satisfied customers” who will do well in spite of our stimulus spending woes. Only diff will be …you know how we now talk about April 15 or so (this year, anyway) being the day when we’ve paid our taxes for the coming year and we’re now working for ourselves?</p>
<p>Well, your poor son (literally) has a $114,000 interest payment due over his working lifetime. Double that if he gets hitched. And then they can begin paying the principal. Oy! He best have a really great job …that won’t make over $250K,though …otherwise his tax bill goes up some more. Well, the point is this generation will now be talking about beginning to work for themselves in YEARS, not weeks or months. :eek:</p>
<p>Back on point: Elon! Great school, great price, time will tell if it’s a great value. </p>
<p>Whistle Pig…
Got it in reading your message…I’m assuming the interest are referring to is thanks to the budget as a result of the economy. We were fortunate as his education was not funded by any loans - he’s coming out of college debt free. He was fortunate to land a job at one of the Big 4. But, based on his starting compensation, we should be seeing a decent return on our investment. We are very thankful he chose his major wisely.</p>
<p>Chuc… guess it comes down to what you want in life, and I would not let any amount of money define that for you, regardless of savings or cost. Don’t think WF admits freshmen directly into School of Business but is highly ranked.
Every person is different and should pursue the talents that they have that will make them happy. I believe that in the end people who enjoy their lives not only end up with a life worth living, but more passion to give back to others and change our world for the better.
I’m sure you know yourself well enough by now to know what fits you best and have spent time at both schools and understand the differences, if not go now. But don’t let the money be the defining difference.</p>
<p>My son has narrowed his choices down to Elon and Xavier. He intends to major in business. The net costs are similar.</p>
<p>Xavier’s business school has some unique aspects. They have a formal mentor program where they assign an executive to each freshman. This executive mentor works with the student until they graduate. They also have what they call a “passport” program that lists various out of classroom requirements each of the fours years. These requirements include projects, seminars and community type service. In order to graduate you must get all the requirements validated. They have an extensive internship program with 100% of internships being paid internships.They will open a new state of art business school facility in the fall of 2010. Finally Xavier was ranked 69 this tear in the Business Week rankings of the top 100 undergraduate business schools.B school student/teacher ratio is 14</p>
<p>Elon puts an emphasis on what they call “Engaged Learning”. It appears that they emphasize students working in small groups and project oriented discussions instead of professors just lecturing. They have strong business-related study abroad programs and a state of the art business school facility. B school student/teacher ratio is 21</p>
<p>We are located in New England so both schools are a distance from home. Xavier is a surburban city location. Elon is a rural location. Warmer weather at Elon. </p>
<p>Elon probly has more current “cachet” for whatever that might be worth () In the absence of its hoop team, would have little note even in the NE. That may not be indicator of anything beyond having low profile PR dept. Not sure how “Catholic” it is, and whatever the answer, whether that’s of any import to you. Elon, while once known as the “Fighting Christians” has Protestant heritage and modest influence today. Elon wins any, all campus and climate battles. No competition. Neither has been recognized as a particularly notable college/university prior to Elon’s 40 year rise to currently anecdotal interest among higher ed observers. With its challenges, there’s no guarantee it’ll remain such. Elon’s done a stellar job in lending more than lip service to the notion of engaged student learning, and it has managed to recruit/match the personality type of its mostly OOS students to that engaged learning model. And it’s done same w/ parents. It’s FA programs are by design lousy and consumed by its modest tuition. In other words, “we give everyone FA by charging less on the sticker price” vs. others mostly “discounting” virtually all students. The highly selective institutions top 30-50 or so do very little discounting, very little awarding of aid. Even to good students. They simply don’t need to as student and parental egoes enable them to get the full price without dickering. </p>
<p>Xavier probly has a very significant commuting population. btw, I’d not call Elon “rural” at all. Small town, suburban, w/in spitting distance of minor metro areas.</p>
<p>I agree with Whistle Pig…Elon’s sticker price is great which is only one of the many reasons in today’s economy especially Elon remains popular. I truly believe our S has gotten a great education for a wonderful value. No complaints here. And, it’s location is not that rural.</p>
;))</p>
He best have a really great job …that won’t make over $250K,though …otherwise his tax bill goes up some more. Well, the point is this generation will now be talking about beginning to work for themselves in YEARS, not weeks or months. :eek:</p>
</p>