Elon University

Date: Apr 29 2010
Major: Biology (This Major's Salary over time)
I honestly have to say that these negative comments astound me. I too considered transferring at one point, but I am very glad I did not. While there are negative things to say about every school I am just shocked by the amount of slack Elon is picking up. It is true that Greek Life is an important part of social life on campus and while I am affiliated most of my guy friends are not and I have many girl friends who are not as well. I still hang out with these people all the time and they know they are always welcome at parties. I think that many of these reviews are people who didnt get what they want out of rushing and are upset about it. I understand this but at the same time that was the Greek system that did that not Elon. In addition, there are hundreds of other things to do on campus so that you dont feel like you are missing out. We have an absolutely wonderful campus rec system that hosts intermurals all the time. There is wallyball, football, soccer, volleyball, plus hundreds of others. The campus rec community is tight knit almost like its own sorority or fraternity so that is great to get involved in.

That being said, do not come to Elon if you crave diversity. Almost everyone here comes from an upper-middle class white family and there is little other diversity. In addition, there is some social pressure to look nice for class. If you want to be able to wear sweatshirts and soccer shorts to class everyday, thats fine, its what I did freshman year, but now I wear dresses or skirts to class in the summer. Some people still do just wear soccer shorts, but it is just something I think you should be made aware of.

Now to address Elons meal plan. Anyone who says that Elon does not have one of the best meal plans is CRAZY! Yes, it is expensive and Elon needs to get control over that, but no other school in the nation has the amazing options for food. We have vegetarian options, gluten free options, etc. We have the best food at our disposal. I have friends who go to Davidson, Univeristy of Akron, Miami of Ohio, and Ohio State who have all eaten on campus with me and they are all shocked not only by the beauty of our dining facility but also by the quality of food. If you come to Elon you may pay a little more than is necessary for food but you will not starve, you will actually enjoy the food that you eat! It really is good. What other campus has Chick-fil-a in their student center and has it on a meal plan?

Now to address academics, I am a biology major and while I have struggled in some classes I think that overall my course work has been manageable. I was in the top 5% to graduate from my high school and I got into schools like Wake forest and william and mary but decided to come to Elon instead because I did not want my entire college experience to be work. There is plenty of time to stress about life every waking moment once I graduate. At the same time I feel as though my degree will actually be worth something when I graduate and if you want to network Elon is a great place to do it. Almost everyones mom or dad is someone important or can hook you up with someone important. Also Elon is definitely improving, the seniors who are here now would not get in next year if they applied because academic standards are rising so much. Elon is now being mentioned as one of the best private universities and I think it deserves it. Our president Leo Lambert has worked super hard to put Elon on the map and I think that he is succeeding.

Overall Elon is a great place, but just like any school, if you dont find a niche you wont like it. Hundreds of kids transfer from every school in the US each year and I hate to see that Elon has so many clearly biased views on this website. Some days do I wake up hating Elon? Yes everyone does, but overall Elon has provided me with a great education while allowing me to have a social life and eat ballin food. I think that if you decide you fit in at Elon you will not be disappointed