First-Year Summer Experiences
Want to start your Elon experience before you arrive on campus?
First-Year Summer Experience (FSE) programs are designed to help incoming students feel confident and prepared as they enroll at Elon. The FSE programs embrace the university’s commitment to experiential learning, and use this guiding philosophy to help students develop self-awareness, enhance relationships, and define community in preparation for their Elon experience.
You will be able to access the registration system after you have paid your enrollment deposit and activated your Elon email account, which is required for registration.
Engage: Community Engagement in Alamance County
Engage provides a unique opportunity to support incoming first-year students in their transition to Elon through a community service lens. While participating in Engage, you will get to meet other first-year students who share similar interests, and get to know current student leaders, staff, and faculty members. Through Engage, you will:
- Spend a week living in a residence hall and get time to explore campus
- Volunteer with multiple community organizations
- Explore parts of Alamance County that many students do not get a chance to see
- Get to know the local community outside of Elon
- Get advice on preparing for your first-year and beyond from current students, faculty, and staff
If you have any questions, contact Abigail Wiatrek via email at awiatrek@elon.edu or phone at (336) 278-7129 for more information.
Dates: July 7-10, 2026
Program Cost: $300
Capacity: 20
Adventures in Leadership Session 1: Camp, Surf, and Kayak on the Outer Banks of North Carolina
Participants on Session 1 will travel to eastern North Carolina and explore NC’s beautiful beaches. You’ll meet on campus and spend time getting to know Elon before heading off to the coast. Once there, you’ll kayak, surf, spend time on the beach, camp, and experience all the local town has to offer. No camping or paddling experience necessary–we’ll teach you everything! You can expect about 3-4 miles of hiking or paddling per day on this moderately active session.
If you have any questions, contact Hunter Holland via email at hholland5@elon.edu or phone at (336) 278-7529 for more information.
Dates: June 14-19, 2026
Program Cost: $500
Capacity: 28
Adventures in Leadership Session 2: Camp, River Tubing, Mountain Biking, and Explore Asheville, North Carolina
Participants on Session 2 will travel to Asheville North Carolina to enjoy the beautiful mountains, engage in leisurely river tubing, explore the trails on mountain bikes, and to engage in cultural tourism. You’ll meet on campus and spend a day getting to know Elon before heading off to the mountains. No prior tubing, camping, or mountain biking experience is required–we’ll teach you everything!
If you have any questions, contact Hunter Holland via email at hholland5@elon.edu or phone at (336) 278-7529 for more information.
Dates: June 28-July 2, 2026
Program Cost: $500
Capacity: 28
Adventures in Leadership Session 3: Camp, Zipline, River Tubing and Explore Bryson City, North Carolina
Participants on Session 3 will travel to western North Carolina and explore Nantahala National Forest. You’ll meet on campus and spend a day getting to know Elon before heading off to the mountains. We’ll spend a day ziplining through the canopy, getting a bird’s eye view of the trees. Then we’ll spend a few days hiking and exploring one-of-a-kind lakes and trails around Western North Carolina. Each night, we’ll camp in Nantahala. No ziplining or camping experience necessary–we’ll teach you everything! You can expect about 3-4 miles of hiking per day on this active session.
If you have any questions, contact Hunter Holland via email at hholland5@elon.edu or phone at (336) 278-7529 for more information.
Dates: July 12-17, 2026
Program Cost: $500
Capacity: 28
Adventures in Leadership Session 4: Camping, Whitewater Rafting, and Waterfall Repelling in Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina
Participants on Session 4 will travel to western North Carolina and explore beautiful Pisgah National Forest. You’ll meet on campus and spend a day getting to know Elon before heading to Pisgah. We’ll spend a day on the river, learning how to whitewater raft and practicing skills. Then we’ll spend a day waterfall repelling and canyoneering in one of the best climbing spots in the Southeast before hiking and exploring waterfalls around western North Carolina. No camping, rafting, or climbing experience necessary–we’ll teach you everything! You can expect about 4-5 miles of hiking per day on this active session.
If you have any questions, contact Hunter Holland via email at hholland5@elon.edu or phone at (336) 278-7529 for more information.
Dates: July 19-24, 2026
Program Cost: $500
Capacity: 28
Off the Court: Introduction to Sport Management
Off the Court: Introduction to Sport Management offers first-year students an immersive, behind-the-scenes look at the dynamic world of sport. Through site visits, professional panels, and hands-on experiences across community sport, college athletics, and professional sport organizations, you will explore how sport functions beyond the playing field. With access to industry professionals, alumni, and applied learning opportunities, this small cohort experience is designed to help you understand career pathways in sport management, build professional awareness, and reflect on your own interests all while forming meaningful connections with peers and mentors.
If you have any questions, contact Cara Lucia or Khirey Walker via email at clucia2@elon.edu / kwalker8@elon.edu or phone at (336) 278-5884 / (336) 278-5746 for more information.
Dates: July 12-17, 2026
Program Cost: $TBD
Capacity: 12
Beginning in early March 2026, registration will be available until two weeks before each program or when each experience is full, whichever comes first. A deposit is acceptable for registrations up to June 5, and the remaining cost is due by June 19. Registrations after June 5 must be paid in full.
To inquire about program status or to ask general questions, contact New Student Programs (nsp@elon.edu) or phone (336-278-7000). For questions pertaining to a specific program we encourage you to reach out directly to the program facilitators.
Upon program acceptance, participants will receive further information directly from their respective program. Some need-based scholarships are available; contact the program facilitators for more information.
For assistance with accessing your login information, please contact the Information Technology Service Desk at 336-278-5200.