Elon University
Reviews

Elon Is the Town

Elon is basically the town of Elon. It seems as if the only reason the town exists is for the university at times. Even the cop cars are maroon and gold, our school colors. The restaurants for the most part take "phoenix cash", there are tons of apartments and houses off campus where students live, and theres everything you need in town. Burlington is really close though and it definitely has a lot to offer. If your a freshman like me, you can take the bio bus to a mini mall with target, old navy, and a plethora of other useful places, and you can also go to Alamance crossing, which is more like an outdoor mall with select stores like sephora and american eagle that college students would probably like more. There isnt a clubbing or concert scene AT ALL, NO CITY LIFE- so if you are into that beware. But the town of Elon's small charm just adds to the feeling of community.

Transportation

The Elon Biobus is amazing it takes you downtown Burlington and around great shopping areas!

Drinking Is a Way of Life at Elon

Alcohol is HUGE on campus here at Elon and dominates the drug scene. Frats and other parties make alcohol easily accessible to underaged minors, who (trust me) take advantage of the opportunity. Not choosing to drink, I have had a hard time enjoying Elon's social scene, which I believe is quite unfortunate.

Other than alcohol, marijuana is the most common drug used.

Working on It

We could really use a bigger library and a MUCH bigger music building! Our theatres are nice, but there are only 7 practice rooms for the entire school! As a music major, I am sick of fighting to get a room and having to sit outside waiting for people to leave for hours on end. Also, some of the dorms aren't so great but they were recently torn down and new ones are being nuilt which is a plus! An expanded communications building is also a must-do. Since Elon IS working on all of these things, I'll give them a C+ but since the music building won't be re-done for at least 10years, I won't see that change which is the most dissappointing to me.

Diversity

Ehh, Elon can do better with their diversity. Yes we have a diverse population in terms of geography, activities, clubs, religion, academics, and characters; however, what about racial diversity. I'm not talking about just bringing in more African American students, we need more ethnic groups.

Nightlife at Elon

The atmosphere of the Elon completely changes at night. It doesn't matter the age of the student, everyone ends up having a good time, whether is partying or just hanging out.

The Social Scene

Elon is a very social school. The students take pride in their parties, organizations, and other social programs. Besides the social scene, Elon has an amazing study abroad program. Every student is encouraged to study abroad at least once in their 4 years at Elon.

It's a Search

Elon is a great school, I will not deny that. Being a girl who loves the city, people, noise, and shopping, Elon is not where you would want to be. Besides this, Elon is amazing. The people are friendly, and area is safe, and the education is amazing. There is not a lot of culture, unless you go 20 or so minutes down the road to Greesboro.

Drug Scene at Elon

There are some drugs on campus, mainly pot, but drinking is the big thing here. Like any college, there are those who do more hard core stuff like e and coke, but its not very popular.

Those Who Attend Elon

There are a wide variety of white people here at Elon. You will see girls who range from kinda a boho, international vibe to those who could possibly in a Lilly ad. The majority of girls are good looking. Elon is a pretty fit campus, most people are skinny to normal weight. The guy population is a different story. It is quite polarized. You're either in a frat and most likely an ass, or no, and therefore most likely normal. People are pretty nice though. I personally have a wide range of friends and you can find atleast someone here who fits into your life style. The majority of minority students come from athletics or are international students, but Elon is working very hard to expand its diversity, which is respectable.

Elon Bubble

If you talk to anyone who has gone to Elon, they will mention the "Elon Bubble". It's this great atmosphere of engaged, involved students who are academically interested. If there isn't a group you want to be part of - create one. If you want to study abroad at a place we don't offer (hard to imagine!) - find another program and get it approved! Elon is very accomodating and works with students.

Sick of the Social Scene

The social scene here is pretty redundant. There are only 4 bars, but one of them (West End Station) is more popular than the rest and normally attracts a rather large crowd on Wednesdays and Thursdays. However, the cover charge is ridiculous ($5-15 for under 21 and $3-5 for over). And normally I feel like I've wasted my money because I'm there for 2 hours and it's not that fun. Also, Elon is a dry town so they only serve beer and wine. Ladies, don't expect a guy to ever buy you a drink because that is basically unheard of and Elon gentlemen are virtually nonexistent.

On the weekends there are fraternity parties, but they are normally over crowded and many of the guys are not very nice unless you are a huge slut. The buckets/juice at these parties are extremely sketchy and I have heard of some fraternities putting Xanax, ruffies, or niquil into the juice that they make/serve. If you want a drink or a beer from the keg, you will probably have to wait in line for 20 minutes and then deal with people who seem extremely reluctant to even give you a cup.

Every weekend is exactly the same, and while it is easy to have fun at first, after you get used to the parties it is very common to get burnt out or bored. Many students even say that they don't mind going away for a weekend because they don't feel like they will be missing anything that they can't experience again the next weekend.

Weed and Blow

Weed is extremely common, many students smoke on a daily basis, if not multiple times a day. Cocaine (coke) is also pretty commonly heard of and there is a large number of students who snort coke mostly on the weekends.

Upperclassman Have It Made

A lot of great options for upperclassmen. Underclassmen still have a fair amount of options, some even single dorms or suite options but not new construction.

Eh, Its OK

There is usually something going on every night, usually the frats will have good parties, non exclusive. Some good bars and clubs in Burlington, not many.

Fairly Good Finaid

My school is private and very pricey. I got a little bit of financial aid but my parents are still going to squeeze pennies to send me there and I am taking out a few loans.

Small Town - Lots to Offer

The Elon area is small, we frequent in Burlington because that is where all the restraunts and shopping is located. I love small towns and the rual areas so if you don't like that this is not the school for you. Elon is definitely a college town. I love it here, our campus is so beautiful. I wouldn't want to be in school any where else! This place has always been a dream of mine and it is perfect! I am so happy!!

Beautiful

Our whole campus is beautiful inside and out which is one of the main reasons I came here. All the facilities are clean and a good size for a smaller campus.

Ultimate Student Experience Meets Real-World Application

Elon is the best thing that ever happened to me. It's a unique place because you will be an academic, with an incredible global knowledge, while also serving the community, doing required internships, research, and studying abroad at least once... all while participating in student organizations and still getting coated in mud and having a blast at Festivus in the spring. (Facebook search it.) Students here do more than the average college student, our facilities are incredible, Princeton Review says we're one of the prettiest campuses in the country, and we send almost all of our students abroad. You'll work hard, play hard, and have a killer resume when you leave here. This place will never leave you. It changed my life.

Its All About Drinking, No Drugs

More students at Elon drink instead of do drugs. Some people smoke weed, but not that many. Not that big of a problem on campus and if it is, residence life is there to fix it.

Drinking Punishments

Don't drink on campus. Most people I know have gotten citations from on campus drinking. The RA's are pretty strict and you have to go through quite a process after getting written up. It's better to only drink off campus.

Library

Our library is gorgeous with three floors. The bottom floor has a full computer lab and the top two floors are designated quiet areas. There are also private study rooms on the top 2 floors where students can enjoy complete silence while they work. Food is also allowed in the library, which is nice for long periods of studying.

Good, but Too Many Intro Requirements and Freshmen Gen Eds

For the most part, I learned a lot from my professors. All were very caring and were willing to meet out of class. Some of my classes just weren't college-level- I'd say I had at least two classes a semester that were filled with busy work or just memorizing facts. Some of my teachers just taught with powerpoints, and really didn't take advantage of the smaller class sizes. I came from a very competitive school- so it was disappointing when I felt that my classes weren't helping me to excel.

Another problem I had was the freshman required classes. I felt that I wasted time takign college writing and statistics when I could've been filling my time with more challenging classes. It wouldn't have bothered me as much if the classes had not beeen so easy and I had learned something new.

I'd say, overall, the workload isn't bad at all. I really did not have that much homework- and because of this I had a lot of time to socialize.

If you're smart and care about academics, research opportunities, and challenging classes, apply as an incoming freshman to the honors programs (ome you can't transfer into after you're enrolled) or apply to Periclean scholars. This will give you the challenge you need if you're used to a more challenging class load.

Off Campus Housing Is Great, but Not Cheap

Elon's off campus housing comes in varieties of four room apartments to actual houses. These off campus houses are great and are built to make you feel as home as possible, however one must pay quite a bit for this home sweet home feeling.

Awesome

I'm a freshman and Elon paid for me to study abroad to Mexico and create a business plan for a Mexican village. I would choose elon again. Campus is awesome. People are awesome.