Academics
The student-centered approach of North Carolina’s Elon University is woven throughout the many hallmarks of its education, which include global engagement, service learning, and mentorship. All students are required to complete experiential learning via Elon Experiences, which can include study abroad, internships, or research, and the core curriculum “requires students from all majors to take many different classes outside their major,” ensuring that they “have a very high level of openness.” This is coupled with “many personalized resources that Elon provides to succeed beyond the classroom,” and an “amazing support system of resources for everyone.” This extends to career development as well, as Elon provides “massive amounts of leadership opportunities and is very hands-on when it comes to helping students get internships,” and there are “many free learning labs and workshops all across campus that allow students to experience new concepts both in and out of the classroom.”
Classes here “are enjoyable with a great balance of lecture from the professor and group discussions,” and “with the study abroad and great internship programs we really do develop professionally here.” Teaching mediums vary and keep students engaged: “For one of my classes we left the classroom to walk around campus and find different sustainable and non-sustainable practices, [and] then presented our findings to the class.” Overall, students suggest a high level of engagement during class, as “no one’s ever afraid to contribute to a lesson.” Faculty “[serve] as teachers, but also as mentors for career and educational aspirations.” They “will share their experience, knowledge, and connections with students after they have finished the course…which makes students feel incredibly supported during their four years.”
Student Body
This “diverse thinking community filled with every variety of person” tends “to be very self-motivated and have concrete goals and aspirations.” There is “a strong emphasis on well-being (mental and physical health), [and] it is common for students to be involved in on-campus jobs, community service, and research or internships.” A student says: “If you ask someone, ‘What are you involved in on campus?’, you may have to ask them to narrow down to their top three involvements.” Elon students “are also interested in a myriad of subjects and extracurriculars,” so “it’s a great place to meet peers in your field, as well as explore new realms with others.” As one student says: “My friends and I have nightly ‘homework parties’ where…even though we are all in such different disciplines, we help each other through topics.” Though Greek life is very popular here, students take their studies seriously and “there is a campus-wide excitement to learn and gain knowledge.” On the whole, this is “a school full of high-achieving, social, and happy students, who always strive to be involved in as much as possible on campus.”
Campus Life
Elon’s 690-acre campus is “beautifully maintained…just overall a very pretty campus.” That makes it easier for the school to encourage students to live in one of the campus’s eight residential neighborhoods, each of which is led by faculty, staff, and student mentors and has an area of focus such as sustainability or civic engagement. This aspect ensures that students are “consistently and effectively pushed to become involved on campus by a faculty that cultivates an environment of inclusiveness and motivation.”
There is no shortage of things for students to do when not in the classroom, with more than two hundred student organizations and dozens of intramural and club sports teams, as well as seventeen Division I varsity teams. The Student Union Board “plans nighttime events every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, such as bingo, karaoke, [and] painting classes,” and numerous traditions such as College Coffee and Turning 21 Dinners “make our school special and encourage a connection back to Elon long after graduation.” Although this tends to be “a pretty busy student body, there is usually a good balance of work and fun” that students manage practically. “Elon truly offers everything, so it is up to you to choose what you want to do,” says a student.
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