College Tour of Elon was Informative and Fun

On our April break trip, we traveled through the Carolinas and finished our trip touring Elon University, which is located in the middle of North Carolina in the town of Elon. The university has approximately 6,700 undergraduate students, and the campus is beautiful with lots of fountains and landscaping. We stayed in the Elon Inn and tried out many downtown Elon restaurants that students enjoy. 

On Monday, April 25th, we attended the official information session in the admissions office. The Associate Dean of Admissions, Barry Bradberry, encouraged future applicants to tailor their college essays to Elon, as this is one of the main considerations. He also said Elon supports internships and the development of social skills to avoid graduating students who are  “basement dwellers.” This comment provoked laughter among the group.  

Next, we joined a campus tour led by a student tour guide, Kenedi Boston, who was originally from Ohio.  She was a very enthusiastic senior at Elon. When asked what she loves most about Elon, she said, “It has to be the people.” She went on and talked about how everyone she meets is so friendly and welcoming. During the tour, we saw academic buildings, the cafeteria, the Elon communications facilities, and a student dorm. 

One of Sydney’s neighbors, SHS grad Matt Melanson, who attends Elon, offered to give us a more personal tour where he shared his experiences throughout his first year attending Elon. He gave a different perspective than the other tour guide on more social aspects of Elon and shared knowledge about Greek Life there. Explaining how Greek life is popular there, Melanson told us about  the “rush” process of joining a sorority or frat. (Students interview and demonstrate their interest in joining a Greek organization.) 

We received some advice from one of Matt’s friends at Elon, Anna: She suggested anyone attending Elon as a female freshman should stay in an all-girl dorm. She showed us around her spacious dorm and the nice bathrooms included in the space. 

At Elon, we went to two restaurants when we were there, Pandora Pies and The Root. Both of these restaurants were close to campus, and the food was very delicious! To get there from the Inn, we had to walk through the campus and along the downtown road. Pandora Pies is a wood-fired pizza restaurant with a casual college hang-out vibe. The Root is a restaurant where you might take your parents for a family-style lunch or dinner. We were impressed with the variety of restaurant options close to campus for students if they want to have a night out to eat. 

We stayed at the Elon Inn right next to the campus for one night. The staff was very friendly and welcoming and the room we stayed in was very nice and extremely spacious. The Elon Inn is a perfect place to stay on many occasions, whether you are visiting a friend or simply touring the campus! 

We had a great trip to Elon and loved the school!