Elon University

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Students Say - Academics
Elon University works hard to "broaden students' horizons in all aspects of life, both in and out of the classroom" by "embracing the idea that student involvement is a key tool to developing a strong future." Central to this mission is the school's emphasis on experiential learning. "You will work your butt off in the classroom," students assure us, "but that is not where your day ends-you get involved outside the classroom and gain more knowledge" through "extensive undergraduate research, service learning, study-abroad, and internship opportunities." Of these, students are most vocal about the "amazing study-abroad program," through which Elon seeks to transform a student into a "world citizen rather than just another American with a college degree." Undergrads report approvingly that the school "fully prepares you for your [study-abroad] experience and tries to ensure that every student gets to go somewhere." The school's strengths trend toward the professions-business, communications, education, and biology are all considered among the best departments here-but Elon also boasts "one of the very best performing arts schools with a liberal arts education," including "a great dance department." In all departments, "The class sizes are small, and professors take an interest in student achievement both inside and outside of academics." "The class size and teacher-student ratio, I'm convinced, are the main reasons I am succeeding at this school," one student believes. "If it weren't for the teachers knowing me personally, I probably wouldn't care at all."

Students Say - Campus Life
Any individual can fit in at Elon, so long as they take the time to find what they are interested in, because "Elon offers a wide variety in its student population and activities. Going to sporting events, attending schools plays, and getting involved in community service organizations are all major factors of Elon life," and "if Elon does not have exactly what you want, you can start it up." That said, students who love the Greek scene will have an easier time fitting in than those who don't; Even though "there are a ton of other things to get involved with so long as students try to get involved," many here still believe "in order to have fun at Elon, students should get involved in Greek life." Students report "the campus is absolutely gorgeous," contributing to "a definite aspect of southern comfort." Burlington, the nearest town, "is the fast food capital of North Carolina, so there is always somewhere to go out and eat, but in terms of entertainment we have a bowling alley, parks, the mall, and a movie theater-which isn't much. But, we're also 30 minutes from Chapel Hill and 15 minutes from Greensboro, so we're with- in traveling distance of other areas with a more varied choice of activities."

Students Say - Student Body
The Elon student body is sometimes criticized "for being too preppy or not diverse enough, but these are just generalizations," students tell us. "Sure, there are a lot of preppy people here, but there are a lot of different types of people as well. Not everyone here is rich, Southern, and dresses like an Easter egg." They are hardly your stereotypical selfish, rich kids, as "the majority of students at Elon simply want to make a difference in one way or another. We are a very community-service based school and constantly have fundraisers and drives for a variety of causes." "The typical student is in a sorority of fraternity, and the Greeks have a very large presence on campus. There is a lack of 'atypical' students as most people tend to fit the Elon 'mold.' If you are interested in Greek life, this is a great place to be, but if you aren't, don't bother."

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