We want to start this post by saying that we hope all of our students and their families are safe and doing as well as possible with all the changes in their educations and lives at this time. Our hearts go out to all high schoolers who are currently missing sports practices, play rehearsals, club meetings, and all of the other activities that often make the hard work of high school seem worth it.
Because we know that many students are also now faced with cancelling school visits they had planned for spring break, we wanted to bring campuses to you virtually. Over the years, we’ve visited dozens of colleges, chatted with admissions officers and tour guides, and compiled notes on the peculiar quirks and benefits that make each institution special. Beginning today, we’ll be sharing some of our favorite finds with all of you.
First up: Elon University. We wanted to start with a college that many New Jersey students have flocked to in recent years, and we hold Elon in particularly high regard due to its unique out-of-classroom offerings and impressive student outcomes. (We’re also not ashamed to admit that perhaps we remember it so fondly because we had an amazing slice of pizza during our visit there. Shout out to Pandora’s Pies.)
The Facts:
- Location: Elon, NC. Closest small cities are Burlington and Greensboro, but students can access Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and Winston-Salem within an hour’s drive.
- Total Students: 6,277 undergraduate & 877 graduate
- Tuition & Fees: $36,571
- Room & Board: $12,685
- Admitted Student Statistics: 3.99 GPA | 1240 SAT | 27 ACT
- Female : Male Ratio: 60:40
- Athletics: NCAA Division I–Colonial Athletic Association
- Greek Life: 44% involvement
Academics:
- 4-1-4 academic calendar provides students with the opportunity to take one three-week winter term course, although many use this time to study abroad.
- 4 undergraduate schools: College of Arts & Sciences, Martha & Spencer Love College of Business, School of Communications, and School of Education
- School of Communications houses 20% of undergraduate students and offers programs in Journalism, Strategic Communications (2nd highest enrollment of all majors), Cinema & Television Arts, Communication Design, Media Analytics, and Sport Management. We were particularly impressed with the facilities, required internship and minor/double major/abroad experience, and partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis reporting.
- School of Business is second in enrollment numbers with approximately 2,100 students. Majors offered in Finance (highest enrollment of all majors university-wide), Accounting, Economics, Economic Consulting, Entrepreneurship, International Business, Management, and Marketing. Minors offered in many of these areas, as well as Professional Sales and Supply Chain Management. We loved the multitude of centers, including the William Garrard Reed Finance Center, that provide hands-on experiences for students.
- School of Education is the smallest of Elon’s undergraduate schools with approximately 260 students. The majority of students are enrolled in the Elementary Education program, although studies are available in other interesting areas such as Adventure, Health, and Physical Education, Coaching, and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.
- College of the Arts & Sciences enrolls the most students (approximately 2,850), the majority of whom are studying Psychology, Biology, Political Science, Exercise Science, and Public Health Studies. Other notable and unique programs, particularly for a liberal arts college, worth checking out are Acting, Dance Performance, Music Production & Recording Arts, and Theater Design & Production Technology.
- GAP Semester program (must indicate interest on application) offers 15 selected students access to a 3-week leadership program, 4-week service experience, and 6-week international study term in Costa Rica.
- Max class size: 33 | Average class size: 20
- Experiential Learning Requirement (ELR) guarantees that all students graduate having participated in at least one crucial experience outside of the classroom, whether it be an internship, study abroad semester, research or service-learning project, or mentored leadership position.
“Boldy Elon” Strategic Plan (Vision for 2030):
- Create a School of Engineering, complete with an “Innovation Quad”
- Launch nursing program in fall 2021
- Reach goal of 100% study abroad access (approximately 84% of Elon students currently complete at least one study abroad experience)
- Provide financial resources for students hired for unpaid internships
- Double international student enrollment
- Improve student housing options and strive for 80% on-campus living
Campus Aesthetics
- 636 acres (approximately 1 square mile)
- Traditional brick buildings surrounded by plenty of green space, fountains, and even a few lakes
- Click here to explore Elon’s interactive campus map
- Officially designated as a botanical garden in 2004
- Across the street from a small selection of local shops (ice cream, pizza, coffee, bookstore, boutique, a couple sit-down restaurants)
- To get a better sense of the downtown area, watch this short video
Strong option for students who are…
- Interested in a communications, business, or conservatory-style performing arts education that remains grounded in liberal arts education
- Committed to pursuing experiential learning during their undergraduate years
- Looking for an energetic student body that thrives more on collaboration than cutthroat competition
- Searching for a mid-sized university with a robust set of academic offerings
Not a strong option for students who are…
- Hoping for a bustling social scene within walking distance of campus
- Looking to avoid a strong Greek life scene
