Your Elon Bound Checklist

We are incredibly excited you are Elon Bound! There are numerous tasks for you to complete so you are prepared to begin your Elon journey. Pay attention to these dates and be sure you’re fully prepared to be Elon Bound! This is the same checklist that is in your Acorn Account and the Elon Bound Virtual Pre-Orientation. Don’t forget to check your Elon email account regularly. All university communications will be sent to that address, including important information leading up to your arrival on Move-in Day!

For a personalized checklist login to your Acorn account!

Trying to figure out what to pack? Download a packing checklist.

Your Checklist

  • Stay Connected!
    • Stay connected and up-to-date on all things Elon by:
      • Checking your Elon email account for important updates regularly,
      • Follow:
        • @elonuniversity (FB, Twitter, & Insta)
        • @elon_studentlife (Insta)
        • @elon_healtheu (Insta)
        • @elonadmissions (FB, Twitter, Insta)
        • @elonresidencelife (Insta)
  • Pre-order the Commemorative Elon t-shirt and Purchase Family Send-off Picnic tickets by August 3
    • T-shirts are $12 and Family Send-off Picnic wristbands are $20 (students do not need a wristband). You will receive your orders on move-in day.
    • T-shirts and wristbands will be for sale in person on Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22 at our Orientation HQ in the Moseley Student Center.
  • Submit any housing accommodations requests and requests for an emotional support animal for priority first round review by noon (EST) on April 30 (if applicable)
  • Complete your housing application by May 5
    • Students are assigned to spaces, using a random process. Roommates can be mutually requested on the housing application or will be assigned by Residence Life using roommate matching information submitted on the housing application.
      • Students will log onto Phoenix Living using their Elon email username and password. Choose the Housing Application for 2026-2027 from the menu. Students who wish to request a roommate, can form a roommate group on Phoenix Living.
      • Students will complete the questions on the housing application.
      • Students will be able to apply for a living-learning community, if interested.
      • Students will choose a food (meal) plan.
      • Students will have access to roommate search tools on the last page of the housing application. These tools can be used anytime before May 5 to create a roommate group with one desired roommate. One student initiates the roommate group and sends the request and the other student must accept the request.
    • Please contact Residence Life at residencelife@elon.edu or (336) 278-7300 if you have any questions.
  • Sign up to take the World Language Assessment online by May 22
    • To take your first attempt at the language assessment online for French, German, Italian and/or Spanish, please click here and signup/log in with your @elon.edu email account.
      • Typically, the assessment takes about 30 minutes.
      • Since we need to assess what you currently know, based on your past experience, no external resources can be used to answer the assessment questions.
    • To take the assessment for Arabic, please contact selgamal@elon.edu. For Hebrew, please contact bkatz2@elon.edu. For Chinese, Latin and all other languages please contact languages@elon.edu.
    • Assessments must be completed by October 1 in order to place out of the world language requirement.
    • Once your assessment responses and high school transcripts have been reviewed, your placement(s) will be posted in your Acorn account.
  • Take the Mathematics and Statistics Placement Assessment by May 22
    • Use the link provided in your Acorn account to take the Mathematics and Statistics Placement Assessment.
  •  Complete Advising Course Interest Form by May 27
    • Submit your Advising Course Interest Form by May 27 for an advisor to build your first semester schedule of classes. In the form you will also be prompted to select a date/time for your virtual one-on-one meeting to discuss the selections. Virtual sessions are offered June 10 to July 17 with a limited amount of evening and weekend hours.
  • University Health Insurance Semesterly Compliance Requirement enrollment or waiver by June 1
    • All full-time students are required to maintain adequate medical insurance during their enrollment at Elon University. Having adequate insurance to cover medical emergencies and routine visits is an important aspect of the health and well-being of Elon students. Students may fulfill the requirement in several ways:
      • Coverage as the primary subscriber on an employer plan
      • Coverage as a qualified dependent on a parent/guardian/partner employer plan
      • Coverage through a plan in the United States health insurance marketplace
      • Enrollment in the Student Blue Plan for Elon students through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina
      • Elon offers a student health insurance policy for all full-time undergraduate, graduate and law students. Students may waive the Student Blue policy by providing proof of existing insurance coverage (including image of their insurance card) during the designated time frame each year (for spring enrollment the deadline to waive out of the Student Blue policy is December 1 or ten days after admission). International students on a “F” or “J” visa are required to enroll in the Student Blue plan.
      • Visit the Student Blue website to enroll or waive out by the due date. Questions about the student health insurance requirement may be directed to the Student Health Insurance Project Manager at healthinsurance@elon.edu or (336) 278-7276 during regular business hours.
  • Register for a First-Year Summer Experience (space is limited) by June 5
    • 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. Register on the FSE website . (space is limited)
  • Attend your Virtual Advising Session. Required of all incoming Elon students. Come to the session with any questions or concerns. These sessions begin June 10. The last available session is July 17. Signups were done in the Advising Course Interest Form.
  • Complete the Elon Bound virtual pre-orientation program by June 30
    • This required Elon Bound virtual pre-orientation program is for all new, first-year and transfer undergraduate students. Beginning in May students will access the program using their Elon username and password. Families can create a guest account and explore the virtual pre-orientation program for themselves. It includes a series of modules, videos, and quizzes to help prepare you for your Elon journey.
  • Submit health and immunization forms by July 1
    • The state of North Carolina law requires college students to receive certain vaccines prior to entering college. To be fully protected from vaccine-preventable diseases, students should receive all age-appropriate immunizations unless there are viable medical or religious exemptions. Immunization records must be submitted by students via their Immunization Compliance Verification Portal before July 1 (fall enrollment) or December 1 (spring enrollment) or within seven days of admission (if after the due date).
    • For the most up-to-date vaccination requirements and policies, email immunizations@elon.edu. These are due July 1 (or 7 days after admission if after the due date).
    • These due dates are for undergraduate, readmitted, transfer, and graduate students. For graduate programs with varying start dates, please check with your program director, the Student Life Health and Well-Being Immunization-Compliance website, or call 336-278-7276 or email immunizations@elon.edu.
  • Check your roommate and housing assignment! On July 10 log into Phoenix Living or access it through OnTrack, to find your housing location and roommate information.
  • Check your arrival time! On July 10, log into your Acorn Account to check what time you should arrive at the Schar Center on Friday, August 21 to check-in and then proceed to your move-in location. All students must come through the Schar Center first to receive their new student packet.
  • Academic Accommodation Requests (if applicable) by July 15
  • Beginning in July | Read the Elon Common Reading by August 25
    • Access the Intro to the Common Reading course and your Common Reading! (Available in July)
    • The Common Reading is your first academic experience as a new Elon student. Make sure you read the book before the first day of classes. Information about what to expect from the book and exercises to prepare you to engage with it in your first-year courses is available in the Introduction to the Common Reading course on Moodle. Information about how to access the Moodle course and the book will be sent to you in early summer.
  • International students: Register for your International Student Orientation by July 17
    • Register for International Student Orientation, held August 19-21, 2026 by logging into your International Student Portal.
    • International Students will participate in an orientation experience August 19-21, 2026. Directly following that experience, all international students will participate in New Student Orientation.
  • View your spring tuition bills via Elon’s ebill website and submit your payment by August 1
    • If someone will be paying tuition on your behalf, you must add them as an authorized user.
    • If you’d like someone else—such as a parent or guardian—to make payments on your behalf, you can add them as an authorized user in e-Bill. Once added, they’ll receive an email with instructions to access their account. You can find step-by-step guidance on how to add an authorized user on the Student Financial Services website.
  • Submit a photo for your Phoenix Card by August 1
    • Submit a photo for your Phoenix Card! If you have trouble submitting your photo online, you can email it to phoenixcard@elon.edu with your name and student ID number.
  • Parking – Register your vehicle and purchase a parking permit (if applicable) by August 3
    • If you plan to bring a vehicle to campus, register it and purchase a parking permit online. Complete by August 1 to ensure your permit is included in your new student packet on move-in day.
  • Request final high school transcripts be sent to the Office of Admissions by August 3
    • Request final high school, college, or community college transcripts be sent to the Office of Admissions.
    • Send any transfer credit, dual enrollment credit, Advanced Placement scores and/or International Baccalaureate scores to Elon University by August 3 or as soon as you have the scores available.
  • Order textbooks by August 3
    • Order textbooks from the Barnes & Noble at Elon University and either ship them home or pick them up on Move-in Day.
  • Complete the Transition & Wellness Form by August 7
    • This short information form is used to provide you with additional resources and support as needed throughout your time at Elon. The information you share is maintained by the Office of the Dean of Students and can only be disclosed according to federal FERPA privacy regulations. In most cases, we use this information to provide you with important Elon resources related to some of the needs you share.
  • Technology for Success: Preparing to be Digitally Organized @ Elon by August 14
    • Participants in this summer Moodle course will follow a sequence of modules that are geared toward student success at Elon. This course will provide an introduction to Technologies that prepare you to be digitally organized at Elon and help you understand file storage and management. This course is online, and all incoming students are encouraged to enroll here. You will have the opportunity to interact with designated faculty and staff from Data Nexus and Teaching Learning Technologies (TLT) throughout the summer course. This will allow you to ask additional questions and build a sense of community through forums and video office hours.
  • Complete three online programs (made available in July): Alcohol Edu, Sexual Assault Prevention for Undergraduates, and Diversity Edu (instructions will be emailed to your Elon email account) by August 15
    • You will be emailed information regarding completing the three required online education programs:
      • Alcohol education
      • Sexual assault prevention education
      • Diversity, inclusion, and belonging for student
  • Update/Confirm Your Emergency Contact by August 15
    • Step 1: Navigate to OnTrack using the link below.
    • Step 2: Click on “Add new contact” and complete all fields.
    • Step 3: Click the blue “Confirm” button to update your student record. (Note: Your Acorn Account will not show completion until you have updated information and clicked the “Confirm” button.)
  • Register to vote! Check out the New Student Resources from Elon Votes! by August 21
    • Be ready to cast your ballot in the next election. Elon Votes! is a nonpartisan campus initiative created to provide students with the necessary resources to register to vote and cast their ballots in upcoming elections.
  • A benefit for Elon students is access to the on campus Student Health Services. In order to visit Student Health Services students MUST have a physical health insurance card (copies will not suffice). So don’t forget to bring your health insurance card to campus with you! *For any physical or travel preparation visit, you will also need your immunization record.
  • For students interested in campus employment, once hired by the university you will need to complete an I-9 form. Below is a quick list of what you need to bring to campus for the I-9 form process:
    • List A: U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport Card
    • OR List B + List C
      • List B (choose one): Driver’s license/ID card | School ID card with photograph
      • List C (choose one): Social Security Account Number card | Original birth certificate

These are common examples of documents for this form, but other forms of identification may be accepted.

    • Move to Elon August 21
      • Print the dashboard sign from your Acorn Account and have it displayed in the dash of your vehicle(s) upon arriving at the Schar Center for your move-in time. This has your housing assignment and will help our team direct you to the right check-in line.
      • Be sure to head to central check-in at the Schar Center first. Refer to these driving directions – Elon Bound Driving Directions & Map. If you pre-ordered your textbooks from Barnes and Noble at Elon don’t forget to pick them up!
    • New Student Orientation August 21-24!
      • New Student Orientation begins after move-in on Friday, August 21, 2026 and ends in the afternoon on Monday, August 24, 2026. It is required for all new students, both first-years and transfers.
      • International students, don’t forget, you have International Student Orientation Wednesday, August 19, 2026-Friday, August 21, 2026. You will join the main program in the afternoon of August 21. 
    • Log into PhoenixConnect and explore all of Elon’s student organizations by August 25
    • First day of classes August 25