Elon University’s Scholarship Weekend is expected to see 1,143 applicants on campus, with 130 interviewing virtually, for the Fellows programs, Accelerated programs and the 3+1 Dual Degree program. According to Vice President for Enrollment Greg Zaiser, registration is approximately 30% higher than last year.
Last year, Scholarship Weekend — also known as Fellows Weekend — was split into two different weekends due to a high number of applicants. The application process for the Fellows programs was part of students' Common Application, where students can submit their general college applications, but Elon has since changed this process. Now, students will submit their applications through the Elon website.
Director of the Center for Leadership Tierza Watts said last year’s application process with the Common Application was an experiment. The Leadership Fellows program had more than 1,700 applications last year, with around 400 applications this year, according to Watts.
“There was an explosion of students who were applying, but they weren't necessarily really interested in Elon,” Watts said.
When it comes to the application process, specifically for Leadership Fellows, there is an interview with a faculty member and a current upperclassman fellow, with a current underclassman fellow taking notes, according to Watts. Along with the interview, there is a simulated group project that is meant to see how students work together to solve a problem with a chosen scenario. The project lasts for an hour and a half.
Assistant Director of the Center for Leadership Olivia Brown said that when looking through applications and interviews, they are looking for a variety of students to fit their program.
“We're really looking for students who are motivated to create positive change,” Brown said. “We're looking for students that have been really passionate about maybe one or two things and have worked for over the span of years.”
Watts said she enjoys seeing a student who is nervous at first, but then can settle quickly and be authentic.
According to Zaiser there are 340 open spots across the incoming Fellows programs. Zaiser wrote in an email to Elon News Network that the Engineering Fellows program will see the biggest change — including a change in the program’s name.
“Interest in all programs is strong,” Zaiser wrote. “Engineering Fellows is now Engineering and Computing Fellows since that is the name of the school that launches when students arrive in the fall.”
Applicant for the Honors Fellows program Florence Schneider said she was drawn to the program after seeing how well it would fit with her intended major, international and global studies.
“I knew that I wanted to be surrounded by like minded people who also have the same ideas as me and kind of the same academic drive,” Schneider said.