Elon University welcomed the Class of 2014 on Friday with a clear blue sky and low humidity making move-in day a relatively comfortable experience for students and families who carried clothes, computers, food and furniture into residence halls across campus.
Lines of cars snaked into campus shortly before the official 8 a.m. start to registration. Preliminary data shows that 24 percent of the freshman class comes from North Carolina. Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia round out the top five states represented in the class.
The Class of 2014 is the largest incoming class in Elon history. Other data includes:
Expected class enrollment: 1,365
Core high school GPA: 3.94
Male/female ratio: 42:58
Top 10 majors: Business, communications, biology, psychology, education, journalism, English, international studies, political science, and history
Number of high school valedictorians: 16
The process of unpacking turned out to be a pleasant experience for many students and parents.
“It’s been really smooth. Everyone has been very helpful,” said Susan Sills, whose daughter Madeline, is moving to Elon from her home in Jacksonville, Fla. “There’s still another load of things from Bed Bath & Beyond and from Target waiting at our hotel to be retrieved and brought over.”
“A friend who does a lot of online research said, ‘Watch out for Elon, they’re the top up-and-coming school,’’ said Richard Codella, father of freshman Gianna Codella. “My daughter likes the academics here. She wants to be challenged.”
Emotions were also mixed for parents helping their students to unpack. “I wish it was me!” said Joe Bruno, whose son, Joe, is an incoming freshman with plans to study communications. Tammy Bruno, however, wasn’t as elated as she helped organize her son’s room. “I’m a little sad and didn’t want him so far away.”
Freshmen Kate Macaulay, Elizabeth Jester and Josie McKinnon had introduced themselves to each other through Facebook months before arriving on campus. Jester and McKinnon are roommates, with Macaulay their suitemate in the Colclough residence hall.
“A bunch of people told me I’d like Elon, and when I came for a visit, I fell in love,” Jester said.
“And it’s a beautiful campus, which I wanted,” Macaulay chimed in, to which McKinnon added, “I also like how it’s small, yet it’s still a big enough school.”
Sara Spadacene noticed a difference between her own move-in experience, and that of an older sister at another institution several years earlier. “When we moved her in, I was in sixth grade and it was hectic,” said the music theatre major from Pittsburgh, Pa. “Here there aren’t as many people, we have privacy and everyone is friendly.”
Spadacene hopes she’ll be able to study abroad in her four years at Elon while studying in the musical theatre program. “I’m 100 percent Italian,” she explained, “so I want to learn Italian and travel abroad to Italy.”
Study abroad opportunities also appealed to Manuela Mbouma, a freshman from Gaithersburg, Md., who was moving into Moffitt residence hall after driving overnight with her family from home. Mbouma plans to study education and psychology and, possibly, try out for the women’s basketball team.
“I really enjoy teaching, and if I get into teaching, I can also do counseling,” she said. “I can’t wait to experience the next four years. I’m really excited!”
What else convinced new students that Elon was the right school for them?
“It’s a great school for communications, and I really like the engaged learning, internships and study abroad,” said Todd Leonard, a freshman from Cary, N.C. “I want to get involved with the TV station and the shows they have.”
“I came here and loved the campus, with its school spirit, and the Business Fellows program was too awesome to pass up!” said Erin McGuiggan of Marshfield, Mass. “And study abroad, with all the opportunities Elon has, I think was great!”