Williamsburg - closer to campus - offers much more than Elon (within an immediate area).
Both campuses are gorgeous.
In my opinion, not a fair comparison.
We asked during our tourātold freshmen are not allowed to bring a car. Still, seemed like no one was complaining or feeling strandedāI think the kids with cars are generous with shared rides.
After our visit, Itās very high on my sonās list despite being the opposite of what my son was looking for. He wanted big, rah rah, urban, diverse. Elon is small, cozy, pretty homogeneous. But so overwhelmingly large in āpersonalityā from what we experienced, and an unreal level of personal interaction with faculty.
And despite clearly standing out racially, everyone seemed genuinely welcoming. That really made an impression on us. I went to a very diverse school, and canāt say everyone I encountered was welcoming of me.
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Again - Iām defining remote as - can I walk to it? I noted that my recollection of the immediate area of Bucknell, while not large, is larger. That was what I understood by what OP was saying - now how close it is to other cities that require another mode of transport besides the feet. Rather, I took it as - somewhere I can walk to - on a daily basis.
All that said, they are visiting - and whether it works or not - theyāll be able to decide themselves - which is how it should be.
Same with mine! He only took the tour because i suggested it after i attended an Elon/WM football game at Elon. He was thinking he wanted big sports, a little bigger campus. But after getting accepted with a scholarship, he started looking into it a bit more. There is lots to like, and Elon is very good about making a student feel that they are wanted.
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My D Is a junior at Elon and works for Elon outdoors. Let me know if you have any specific questions. Enjoy your tour, the admissions building is beautiful as are many other buildings on campus. I love the historic neighborhood on campus, itās really pretty and a lot of the freshmen live and have classes there. Just note that you have no choice in where you live as a freshman unless you join an LLC but all of the dorms are pretty nice.
Check out the bookstore right off campus and the little strip of restaurants there. The strip also goes around the corner. Also down the road is Fat Froggs which is the bar where the kids hang out. You can get in at 18. Next door is a sports store that has a good selection of Elon gear at more reasonable prices than the bookstore. Also check out Burlington. There is a lot more there than just a Target. There are lots of restaurants and plenty of them are budget friendly for college kids (my D loves a couple of the Mexican ones) and plenty of shopping. There are also cute towns nearby and outlets about 20 minutes away from campus. My D has also found a lot of thrift stores they like. Sheās never really felt a need to go into Greensboro except for maybe a concert once. Sheās found lots of places to go hiking and other outdoor activities. There is a nice bike path from campus. Sheās never had a car and has never had a problem getting a ride anywhere.
A good friendās son is a freshman at a school in Boston. He is transferring as Boston is too āboringā. Canāt get into bars as they are so strict and parties immediately get broken up. School clubs are too hard to get into as you have to apply. He has no interest in art museums and canāt afford Boston prices for shows or concerts. I guess my point is that a city doesnāt guarantee funā¦all depends on what you are looking for in a a school.
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Interesting. We were told they could unless they live within a certain distance.
I will add, Iām fine if she canāt bring her car. We are from CA so itās kind of a car culture.
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This is from 2021/22 school year but I imagine a call or email to admissions would answer the question. As I read below, it says āany studentā - so Iād assume first year can have carsā¦but if this matters to the student, Iād assume they can simply ask.
Rules and Regulations
Any Elon University student or
employee may have a motor vehicle on
campus provided it is properly
permitted and/or legally parked.
Parking in restricted areas and no
parking zones, without a proper permit,
could result in a fine and/or tow. The
University reserves the right to change
motor vehicle policies when such
change is necessary. Finally, the
University does not assume
responsibility for any personās motor
vehicle when it is parked on campus.
Parking is a privilege which can be
revoked for continuous rule violations.
Many of my daughterās freshman friends have cars. At least 2 from NJ and 2 from nearby-ish NC.
Then I guess we were just being discouraged from bringing one 
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A lot of freshman live in a neighborhood that doesnāt have a ton of parking and that requires you to move your cars for football games and other events. Itās easier not to have one sometimes.
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Thanksāthat puts the comments during our Elon visit in better context.
Thanks. For us we have to go through Seattle to get anywhere, so RDU may be our fastest option if she ends up at Elon.
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Yes, this aligns with what I told her. Maybe having everyone on a close knit campus is actually more social in that they know where to find each other. Anyway I hope she likes it. The price is much more palatable than some of her other options and from what Iāve read itās a generally happy, friendly place.
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I looked at the geographical stats and there were zero from Oregon! That was last year, but ā¦
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Following up. Visited yesterday. On the drive in my daughter was sour, thought it was too rural. Once we entered the campus her jaw dropped and she loved it. Impressed with tour/presentation, they took the time to line up the tour guides with applicants with similar majors. Friendly, inviting campus. Loved it.
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Thanks for the follow up.
It is a pretty campus as noted.
But driving away and seeing the distance from things, how does she feel ?
Where does it rank vs other admits ?
Which airport did you drive in from ? Did you see other schools while there ?
Ps itās not rural or remote or isolated. You should get yelled at for saying so so Iām not the only one
Glad she liked it! Did you have time to do anything else?
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My daughter was the same. She even was annoyed by our tour guide but STILL loved the school.
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