Does anyone have any thoughts/experience with the Elon social or even party scene? Anything uniquely Elon-ish? I'm just looking for a general idea of what to expect.
All I can tell you as a parent is that my son who graduated in '04 loved it there--never lacked for social opportunities. He spent a good deal of time in Chapel Hill (girlfriend there) but said Elon had more going on and students were good about including others.
Son (younger one) who is now at another school goes to Elon for weekends when he wants to kick back and have a good time. He said he hasn't met an unfriendly or rude person yet there.
There are tons of things to get involved in, with regards to the social scene.
Greek life is fairly large and obviously a great opportunity if that is your forte. But even if you don't wish to be a part of it, many opportunities still exist no matter what your interests are.
I have not yet met a person here who has had trouble meeting people/making friends or finding organizations/clubs to join that suit their interests. The main factor in my decision to come to Elon (I got into other, more presitgious academic schools) was due to the social atmosphere here, and I definitely chose correctly.
For one, will a freshman without a car feel marooned and bored? Two, will someone with zero interest in alcohol feel left out of the social scene there? And last, will someone who loves Irish music, science fiction/fantasy books and can recite whole sections of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" find any fellow nerds there to hang out with on Friday nights? Any insights will be helpful. We attended Fellows weekend and my daughter was very impressed, especially with the Honors students. Thank you for any information you can offer.
1. I'm sure my freshman S (who will have a car) will be more than happy to drive a fellow freshman around. Being a female will help As long as she doesn't mind a beat up '96 Explorer.
2. The drinking thing concerns me a bit as well. I'm pretty sure S will not be a teetotaler, but not a party animal either.
3. Irish music? dunno. Science Fiction? He's read all of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. Monty Python and the Holy Grail? He owns the DVD.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed Fellows weekend. My S was ED so he's definitely committed. Good luck to your daughter as she makes her decision.
i don't have a car and i'm still able to get around when i need to. sometimes i feel a little stuck to campus having to ask people, but it works out.
There are many people that don't drink. as long as she is able to handle being around people that have been drinking, there won't be much of a problem. it seems the trick is being able to laugh at these people.
my roommate seems to fit many of the questions you ask. he doesn't drink, he's a bit of a self proclaimed nerd, and he enjoys elon and tells me he wouldn't ever consider going anywhere else. i have a feeling that your daughter would be able to find her niche
Iderochi-- Cue the Disney music. Talk about a small world. I didn't mention any sf/fantasy authors, and you come up with one of D's favorite authors of all time. She and her friends give each other Prachett's books for birthday presents all the time. Thanks for your comments. We are on tenterhooks waiting to see if D got into the Honors Fellows program. Fingers crossed.
grantb-- I appreciate getting comments from a current students. D was very impressed with your campus. Fellows weekend shot Elon close to the top of her list. Depending on the letters we get this week, she will have some very difficult decisions to make.
msreadalot-Parent of graduating senior chiming in here. If your child likes Elon, run, do not walk, to the post office and send that deposit.
Elon has been a parent's dream for our 4 year involvment. The Princeton Review comment 'runs like butter' hits the nail on the head. From administration's communication with students, the user friendly webpage, personal contacts to parents for out of ordinary events, we have been impressed every step of the way. They even address issues like Clorox wipes in the computer labs!
Our unfocused freshman has become a responsible young man ready to face the world in that supportive environment (and we had our doubts it would happen in 4 years).
Mominva - WOW, what an Elon endorsement for parents of potential incoming freshman making tough decisions about Elon and their other options. It makes a parent consider whether waiting for possible upcoming Fellow's offers should neccesarily keep us from running to the PO and sending in that deposit. That is what my D would like, she is enamored with the Elon friendliness and faculty support vibe, and has been losing interest in the alternatives. I'm still pondering this. Good luck to Fellows and RD applicants looking for good news from the school that apparently "runs like butter".
Hey, once you send in the deposit your kid gets to have the fun of pre-registering for classes! Granted, when all is said and done there are only about 2 "elective" classes, but it was still fun to watch him do it.
Thanks Iderochi. Understood. I think there may be some advantage with dorm selection too for decisive folks. D want's me to pull out the check book and head to the PO asap but I'm stubborn and not too well off (another good option is NCSU, my alma mater, for a good bit less $). A bit of a parental dilemma. I also look forward to a chance for watching her pick elective options, albeit limited.
Wow, NCPOP, what a juxtaposition Elon and NC State. Not the kid at Elon, but the engineering major, she and a friend didn't even get out of the car at NS State back in 2001. The size overwhelmed them. The girls ended up at schools with 5,000 and 12,000 students.
From our families 3 searches, it seems the friendliest places are midsized schools.
As long as she doesn't mind a beat up '96 Explorer. 
