| Application deadline | March 1, 2027 (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: Free attendance; check separate expenses; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Unconfirmed — check official site | Wild Country2027: $5,200. Selected trek only, not a single umbrella tuition quote.; Mountain Desert2027: $8,795. Selected trek only, not a single umbrella tuition quote.; Paleontology2027: $4,400. Selected trek only, not a single umbrella tuition quote. (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | Catalog terms: Weekly salary: $500; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Grade 9 when applying; summer rising grade is one higher |
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| Additional eligibility | Citizenship: U.S. citizen; Residency: Enrolled at an Illinois high school; Requirement: Senior in 2027–28 or 2027 graduate; proof of insurance | Ages 13–18; Residency: Applicants may come from the United States or abroad if they can lawfully travel to the program; no citizenship restriction is published; Requirement: Select the trek and its age/gender band: Prairie14-16 young men; Turquoise14-18 young women; Wild Country13-15; Mountain Desert16-18; Paleontology14-18.; Requirement: Confirm selected trek physical, consent, payment and travel terms.; Exclusion: Applicants outside a selected trek's age band; Exclusion: Applicants who cannot participate safely in the trek's essential physical and community activities with available supports; Exclusion: Applicants unable to attend the full residential dates; Exclusion: Applicants seeking a gender-specific Prairie or Turquoise placement who do not fit that trek's published grouping | Residency: Reside in Alamance County or attend a school in the Alamance-Burlington School System; Requirement: Be a current ninth grader when applying; later entry as a sophomore is not offered; Requirement: Reside in Alamance County or attend school in the Alamance-Burlington School System; Requirement: Be first-generation under Elon's definition and/or demonstrate financial need; Requirement: Show academic promise, character, hard work, growth, and a desire to pursue higher education; Requirement: Student and parent/guardian complete their own application sections; Requirement: If advanced, complete the essay, in-person group interview, and individual interview; Requirement: Commit to the complete residential summer sessions, monthly Saturday programming, and ongoing communication; Exclusion: Open-enrollment applicants outside the Alamance/ABSS service area; Exclusion: Students seeking to join after ninth grade; Exclusion: Partial summer attendance without program approval; Exclusion: Assuming participation guarantees Elon admission, another college admission, college funding, or a scholarship |
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| Session dates or duration | Starts July 12, 2027; Ends August 6, 2027; 4 weeks (2027 cycle) | Catalog terms: 2–6 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | Unconfirmed — check official site | In person | In person |
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| Housing and supervision | Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Unconfirmed — check official site | Thoreau, New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, American Southwest and Four Corners | Elon, Alamance County and Alamance-Burlington School System, North Carolina |
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| Selection and application | Unconfirmed — check official site | Selection: Trek acceptance is based on the application and ability to participate fully; Pick Your Price selection does not affect admission. Capacity, fit, health and safety, and financial-aid availability can still limit placement. Application materials: For need-based aid: separate scholarship form, amount requested, household financial information, parent statement, and applicant written statement or video | Selection: Competitive local cohort of fewer than 30 ninth graders per year; Elon does not publish applicant totals, acceptance rate, score weights, or a guaranteed academic threshold. Application materials: Essay for selected applicants; In-person group interview and individual interview for finalists |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-10 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-12Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20Source 5 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-20Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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