How to Apply to Life Sciences and Pre-Health Study at Elon University: Biology and Neuroscience in Elon College, a Direct-Entry Four-Year BSN in Nursing, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Elon University is in Elon, North Carolina. Its life-science and health majors sit in two places: Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, which offers Biology, Biochemistry, Neuroscience, Exercise Science, Public Health and others; and the Department of Nursing in the School of Health Sciences. There is no pre-med major in the United States; Elon runs a Health Professions Advising program, described below. This guide follows Elon’s own pages for fall 2027 entry and speaks to U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, then transfer students. One caution: Elon’s degree requirements are in a third-party catalog (smartcatalogiq) that I did not open, so required-course lists are “not stated on the pages I read.”

1. Relevant undergraduate majors

• Biology (Department of Biology, Elon College): the department page says students can earn a Bachelor of Arts (also written A.B.) or Bachelor of Science; the B.A. also has a teacher-licensure option. Within the B.S., students choose one of three tracks: Integrative Biology; Foundations for Medical Science (with sub-tracks for allied health or therapy disciplines and for human or veterinary medicine); or Biotechnology/Molecular Biology. There is also a biology minor. The department sits in the McMichael Science Center, which the page says has a DNA sequencer, fluorescence and scanning electron microscopes, a greenhouse and a herbarium, and it encourages majors to do research and present at conferences.
• Biochemistry: the admissions page describes the molecular-level study of living organisms with an interdisciplinary chemistry and biology foundation, preparing for biotechnology work or graduate study. The degree type (B.A. or B.S.) is not stated on the pages I read.
• Neuroscience (Elon College): a college feature on the admissions site says the B.A. requires 48 semester hours and lets students explore neuroscience beyond STEM approaches, while the B.S. requires 64 semester hours and offers an exercise neuroscience specialization; additional electives are required.
• Exercise Science: the department page lists an Exercise Science B.S. and a minor, with sub-disciplines including exercise physiology, neuroscience, psychology, motor control and biomechanics.
• Public Health: the department page lists Public Health Studies (A.B.). The major includes 28 credit hours of core coursework (epidemiology, research methods and statistics) and two interdisciplinary focal areas (socio-cultural context of health, or mathematical and biological aspects of health and illness), plus a three-week full-time practicum in a winter or summer term.
• Nursing (School of Health Sciences): the four-year BSN is a pre-licensure program for high-school graduates that qualifies graduates to sit for the NCLEX. A separate 16-month accelerated BSN is for people who already hold a bachelor’s degree in another field. Both are approved by the North Carolina Board of Nursing and SACSCOC. The first BSN cohort graduated in May 2025.
• Engineering and biomedical-related engineering are not covered here. Whether these majors are DHS STEM-designated: not stated on the pages I read.

2. Admission: most majors are declared later; nursing is direct entry

• Most majors: the international FAQ says Elon offers more than 70 undergraduate majors (the admissions majors list says 80+) and students do not have to declare a major until the end of their sophomore year, though students with a plan can begin major courses in the first year. The admissions pages I read do not mention separate quotas, a separate application or a higher bar for biology, neuroscience or public health, and they do not give GPA or course-grade conditions for entering the major; not stated, ask admissions or the department.
• Nursing (a restricted major): Elon says the four-year BSN is direct entry: you apply to nursing when you apply to Elon, rather than entering Elon and applying after two years. The nursing page lists these requirements: apply to Elon and declare Nursing as your major, and have a minimum SAT of 1100 or ACT of 22. To stay in the program, students must finish all School of Nursing prerequisites with a C or higher before nursing clinical courses and all nursing courses with a B- or higher. Deadlines given there: Early Decision and Early Action November 1, Regular January 10. Note that Elon’s overall policy is test-optional, which conflicts with the nursing page’s minimum; the pages do not say which applies, so confirm with admissions. The number of nursing places, internal transfer into nursing and whether international students can apply to nursing are not stated on the pages I read.
• Choice of B.A. or B.S. and of biology track: the pages I read do not say whether this must be chosen at admission.
• Accelerated Pathways to PA and PT: for incoming first-year students who want to become physician assistants or physical therapists. It is a 3.5-year undergraduate curriculum with an opportunity for admission to Elon’s PA or DPT program in the final semester. Elon says it is for students with a GPA of 3.8 or higher and rigorous natural-science coursework who plan an arts and sciences major; it is only for first-year applicants (transfers and lateral entry from within Elon are not allowed); you submit the first-year application by November 1 and the Accelerated Pathways application, found in your Acorn Account, by November 10. To stay in, students keep a 3.3 cumulative GPA and 3.0 science GPA, earn a C or better in prerequisites and complete the required healthcare volunteer or work hours. Whether international students may apply: not stated.

3. Pre-med: what Elon says

• Elon’s Health Professions Advising sits in the College of Arts and Sciences. A program director and the Health Professions Advisory Committee give advice on curriculum, health-related internships and applying to professional programs (medicine, dental, veterinary, physical therapy, physician assistant, nursing, occupational therapy, public health, clinical psychology and others). The page says the program aims to give a liberal arts foundation, help students develop interests and strengths, and guide them through developmental and procedural milestones.
• Appointments: bring a draft graduation plan (including research, study abroad, internships, service and leadership) and questions.
• Prerequisites: the site has downloadable prerequisite sheets by career (medicine, dental, veterinary, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant, nursing, public health and others; the files are labeled 2021). I did not open the PDFs, so see the site. The page recommends the Cell Biology (BIO 1112/113) and Genetics (BIO 245/246) sequence for the one-year biology requirement.
• Medical-school acceptance statistics and committee letters: not stated on the pages I read. Separate guidance for international students and any limits on applying to U.S. medical schools: not stated. BS/MD-type combined programs: not stated.

4. High school preparation

• The admissions pages give general recommendations, not biology- or nursing-specific high-school prerequisites: English 4 units (3 must be completed for consideration); mathematics 3 units required (Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry), 4 recommended; science 3 or more units including at least one lab science; social studies 3 or more (including U.S. History for U.S. residents); foreign language 2 required, 3 recommended (students without two units in one language must take a 121-level language course at Elon).
• AP and IB credit: the international FAQ says Elon gives university credit for both, typically for AP scores of 4 or better and IB higher-level scores of 5 or better. Course-by-course equivalencies are not stated.
• Nursing prerequisites (before nursing clinical courses begin): 24 credit hours, including human anatomy and physiology (8), microbiology with lab (4), introductory cell biology (4), lifespan development (4) and nutrition (4), each with a C or higher: BIO 1112/1113, BIO 2122/2123, BIO 2312/2313, BIO 2412/2413, PSY 2100 and WHE 3240. The nursing curriculum is 67 credit hours with 540 clinical hours, inside a four-year, 140-credit-hour curriculum that satisfies all core requirements and allows a biology minor.
• First- and second-year required sequences and math or chemistry placement for biology, neuroscience and public health: not stated on the pages I read.

5. Rounds, deadlines and materials

Caution: the dates below come from Elon’s dates page and the international page. Some notification dates on the page are printed as 2026, and the pages do not say they are for fall 2027, so check them against the latest cycle.

• Early Decision (binding): November 1; notification December 1; non-refundable $1,000 deposit by January 10.
• Early Decision II (binding): January 15; notification February 10; deposit by March 1.
• Early Action (non-binding): November 1; notification December 20; deposit May 1.
• Regular Decision: January 10; notification March 20; deposit May 1. Spring first-year: December 1. Honors and Fellows: November 10; Odyssey: January 12.
• Platform and fee: Elon’s own application or the Common App; $60 fee, with fee waivers.
• Materials: the application, an official high-school transcript and the School Report. Elon says it is test-optional and an SAT or ACT is not required; home-schooled applicants must submit test scores. The most important factor is the academic record (courses, grades, class standing), then the essay. The international FAQ says teacher recommendations are not required, though you may submit them.

6. U.S. applicants

• Costs: Elon is private and its cost page gives one tuition figure, with no in-state/out-of-state split. For 2026-27 newly admitted students: tuition and fees $51,368, food and housing $17,535, total $68,903. The financial-aid cost of attendance is $73,403: tuition $50,386, student activity fee $292, health and wellness fee $690, housing (first-year average) $9,306, food $8,229, books $1,000, transportation $1,500 and miscellaneous $2,000. Program fees specific to biology, neuroscience or nursing: not stated.
• Scholarships: all first-year applicants are considered for the Presidential Scholarship and Elon Engagement Scholarship; the Fellows and Scholars programs need a supplementary application and interview; the Odyssey Program is for students with high financial need and requires the FAFSA (Odyssey candidates should not apply Early Decision). Early Decision admits also receive a $3,000 Elon Experiences grant. For need-based aid, submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile (CSS code 5183), generally by mid-January.
• Residency: the cost page mentions federal aid, North Carolina residency need-based aid and institutional need-based aid. The admissions pages I read do not mention preference for North Carolina residents.
• Research and internships: the biology department encourages research and conference presentations; the admissions site lists past internships including Duke University Medical Center, LabCorp, the North Carolina Zoological Park, NIEHS, the UNC School of Medicine and the National Cancer Institute (varying by major); nursing lists clinical partners such as Alamance Regional Medical Center and Moses Cone Hospital. Numbers of places are not stated.

7. International applicants

• Who counts: non-U.S. citizens, dual citizens, U.S. permanent residents and U.S. citizens who attend school outside the U.S. are handled by the international admissions team.
• Materials: the application (Elon’s or Common App), the $60 fee, an official secondary-school transcript in English sent directly by a designated school official, and the School Report; SAT or ACT is optional; TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo if your school’s main language of instruction is not English. An InitialView interview is optional.
• English minimums: the international requirements page says TOEFL iBT 80 for exams taken before 21 January 2026 and 4 for exams taken on or after that date, IELTS 6.5, and Duolingo 110. The international FAQ lists only TOEFL 80 and IELTS 6.5, so the two pages differ; check the latest. TOEFL code 5183.
• Testing: the FAQ says international students who spent at least three years of high school outside the U.S. may apply without SAT or ACT scores, but may submit them to be considered for merit scholarships.
• Proof of funds and visa: admitted non-U.S. citizens who enroll submit a passport copy, a Certificate of Financial Responsibility form and an original bank statement or bank letter issued within six months, used to issue the I-20 for the F-1 visa. The requirements page says these are not needed for application review and can be sent after admission; the FAQ says non-U.S. citizens must provide documentation of funds as part of the application process. The two statements differ; confirm with international admissions.
• Scholarships: all first-year applicants are considered for the Presidential Scholarship, the Elon Engagement Scholarship and the International Scholar Award; the total scholarship range for international applicants is $3,000 to $23,500 a year. Elon says it cannot currently offer need-based aid to non-U.S. citizens and does not offer full scholarships; U.S. citizens living abroad can apply for aid with the FAFSA and CSS Profile.
• Limits for international students in nursing or clinical placements: not stated on the pages I read.

8. Applicants from China

• China appears in Elon’s list of countries its international students come from, but I found no China-specific admissions page.
• Gaokao: the pages I read do not explain how it is used and do not mention the Huikao; not published, contact international admissions (the international page links a counselor-appointment registration).
• Transcripts: all academic records must be in English and sent by your designated school official directly to Elon’s admissions office.
• English: as in section 7, TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo; the two pages give different minimums.
• Testing and math/science expectations: SAT and ACT are optional; Elon gives no separate math or science expectations for the Chinese curriculum, so follow section 4 and confirm with admissions.
• Anything specific to Chinese applicants in biology, neuroscience or nursing: not stated on the pages I read.

9. Transfer

• Who counts: Elon defines a transfer student as one who has completed 12 transferable credit hours after high school with a minimum GPA of 2.7; a student in a first semester with at least 12 hours should also apply as a transfer. Part-time students or those with fewer than 12 semester hours apply as first-year students.
• Requirements: a minimum GPA of 2.7 from a regionally accredited two- or four-year institution; at least one full-time semester with at least 12 transferable credits; a record of consistent success; a Student Conduct Form from each institution; official transcripts from all colleges; a final official high-school transcript and SAT or ACT scores (which may be waived for some advanced or nontraditional students); the $60 fee.
• Deadlines: fall semester July 1. For spring, the transfer home page says January 15 and the requirements-and-deadlines page says December 1; the two differ. Applications after the deadline are usually considered on a space-available basis, and on-campus housing for transfers is not guaranteed.
• Credit: evaluated course by course after admission; up to 65 semester hours from two-year institutions; a C or above is required, credit transfers but the grade does not; courses must be in the same department and similar in nature to count as equivalents, otherwise they usually transfer as electives; Math-Stats is the lowest math course accepted; Elon uses a four-credit system and accepts three-credit courses; GST 110 is waived for students transferring 18 or more hours. To graduate you must complete 60 or more semester hours at Elon, including your last term.
• Transfer scholarships: for students with at least 24 transferable credits, $10,000 a year for a GPA of 3.5–4.0 and $5,000 a year for 3.0–3.49. For need-based aid, submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile; no aid is awarded until admission.
• Requirements for moving into nursing, biology or other majors (chemistry, biology and calculus sequences, GPA): not stated on the pages I read. Because nursing is described as direct entry at application, ask admissions whether transfer students can enter the BSN.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• ED and EA November 1, ED II January 15, Regular January 10 (check the dates for fall 2027 entry); test-optional
• Most majors can be declared by the end of sophomore year; nursing is direct entry and the nursing page states a minimum SAT 1100 or ACT 22

International applicants (including China):

• English: TOEFL (80, or 4 on the new scale), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 110; the two pages differ, so check the latest
• English transcripts sent by your school; confirm how the Gaokao is used; no need-based aid, only merit scholarships ($3,000–$23,500 a year)

Transfer students:

• GPA 2.7 and at least 12 transferable credits; fall deadline July 1; C or better transfers, up to 65 credits from two-year colleges

Sources: Elon University, Majors list (admissions site); Biology (admissions site); Biochemistry (admissions site); Neuroscience (admissions site); Nursing (admissions site); Exercise Science (admissions site); Public Health (admissions site); Department of Biology; Department of Public Health; Department of Exercise Science; Department of Nursing; Four-year BSN; BSN curriculum; Health Professions Advising; Health Professions Advising: appointments; Prerequisites by career; Accelerated Pathways to PA and PT; Application requirements; Dates and deadlines; International admissions; International requirements; International FAQ; Transfer admissions; Transfer requirements and deadlines; Credit transfer; Tuition and aid. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures); check Elon’s website for the latest.