How to Apply to Elon University for Undergraduate Chemistry: ACS-Certified B.S., A.B. and Biochemistry B.S. in a North Carolina Private University, Research Required of Chemistry Majors, for U.S., International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Elon University is a private university in Elon, North Carolina. The chemistry degree is offered by the Department of Chemistry in Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences. You apply to the university as a whole, not to the department. This article follows Elon’s own pages, with sections for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, then transfer students. Biology is not covered here; medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health are outside the scope of this article, so please see Elon’s website.

1. Degrees and programmes in chemistry

• The department’s degrees: the department’s fast-facts page lists a B.S. in Chemistry, a B.A. in Chemistry (the majors page calls it Chemistry A.B., a Bachelor of Arts), a B.S. in Biochemistry and a chemistry minor. The admissions-site chemistry page says the curriculum emphasises the most current technologies and instrumentation and provides a strong base for entering graduate school and health-professions schools.
• Chemistry B.S. (ACS certified): the department says this American Chemical Society certified B.S. “provides the preferred course of study for entrance into graduate school and an excellent foundation for premedical studies”, and its overview page says the department’s B.S. in chemistry is certified by the ACS.
• Chemistry A.B.: the department says the Bachelor of Arts is excellent preparation for studies in chemistry and medicine and, because it requires fewer credit hours than the B.S., is “an ideal option for a double major”.
• Biochemistry B.S.: administered by the Department of Chemistry, 61-65 semester hours in three tiers: foundational courses in biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics; intermediate courses in biochemistry, genetics and organic chemistry; advanced electives in biochemistry, biology and chemistry; and a capstone on an advanced biochemistry topic with a scientific research proposal. The admissions-site page says graduates are prepared for careers in the biotechnology industry or graduate study in biochemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry, molecular biology or medically related fields.
• Course lists: required and elective courses and credits for each degree are held in Elon’s academic catalogue and are not published on the pages read; please check the catalogue.
• Size: the fast-facts page lists 10 full-time faculty members and over 100 chemistry and biochemistry majors.
• Instruments: the department says students work from day one with a 500 MHz NMR spectrometer, a liquid chromatograph–mass spectrometer and an ICP-OES; the admissions-site page also mentions infrared and X-ray fluorescence spectrometers. Students are encouraged to assist in laboratory instruction.

2. How admission works: apply to the university, choose a major later

• At application: the application requirements page does not ask for a major or say that chemistry has its own admission standard; Elon’s international FAQ says students need not declare a major until the end of sophomore year, though those who know what they want may begin major courses in the first year.
• Entry requirements for the chemistry major: the admissions-site and department pages read give no GPA threshold, prerequisite grades or cap on places; not published, please contact the department.
• Internal transfer into chemistry: not published; please contact the department.
• Double majors: the department says the A.B. suits a double major because it needs fewer credits.

3. Prerequisites and course selection

• High school courses: see “Recommended high school courses” in the application section (mathematics 3-4 units, at least 3 units of science including a laboratory science); no specific high school chemistry, physics or calculus requirement for chemistry is stated.
• AP and IB credit: the international FAQ says Elon gives university credit for AP and IB, with students “typically” needing 4 or better on AP and 5 or better on IB Higher Level to be considered; which AP/IB exam earns credit for which chemistry, maths or physics course is not stated on the pages read, and A-Level treatment is not published.
• Undergraduate research in chemistry: the department’s research page says that early in the fall semester rising sophomore and junior majors are invited to a meeting where faculty present their projects; students then meet individual faculty and an algorithmic matching process pairs students and mentors; “all students interested in research MUST attend this meeting”. It also says chemistry majors, College Fellows and Honors Fellows are required to do independent research. The admissions-site page says all chemistry majors take on original research projects; the fast-facts page gives an average of 30-35 students a year involved in undergraduate research and 15-20 student presentations at regional and national conferences.
• Research funding and honours: the fast-facts page names the National Science Foundation, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, Research Corporation and the American Chemical Society as major funders of undergraduate research, and lists 29 Lumen Award winners and 2 Goldwater awardees (plus 2 honorable mentions). The admissions-site page says students can present at the annual Spring Undergraduate Research Forum and most travel to regional and national conferences with university support.
• Student groups: the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society and the national chemistry honorary society Phi Lambda Upsilon.
• Competitions: the pages read do not say how chemistry olympiads are viewed in admission; not published.

4. Rounds and materials

• Platform and fee: apply with the Elon University application or the Common Application; the fee is $60, non-refundable unless a waiver is issued. Required: the application, an official high school transcript and the School Report (included in the application). Elon says it receives about 19,000 applications for 1,685 first-year seats.
• Rounds (dates as printed, mostly without a year; please check that they apply to fall 2027 entry): Early Decision (binding) due November 1, notification December 1, and a non-refundable $1,000 deposit by January 10; Early Decision II (binding) due January 15, notification February 10, deposit by March 1; Early Action (non-binding) due November 1, notification December 20; regular deadline January 10, notification March 20; spring first-year December 1 (rolling). The deposit for EA and regular is May 1. Elon lists the benefits of ED as faster admission and aid notices, a $3,000 Elon Experiences grant and priority for a Living Learning Community.
• What is considered: Elon says the most important factors are the academic record (courses, grades, class standing), then the application essay, with leadership potential, extracurricular and service activities, special talents and ability to contribute to the campus also considered. Teacher recommendations are not required but may be submitted; the essay length is not stated on the pages read.
• Testing: SAT/ACT are optional; scores may be self-reported and official scores are required only after admission and enrolment; applicants may ask Elon not to review scores already on file. Elon says all students are considered for merit scholarships without scores; homeschooled applicants and nursing (BSN) applicants must submit scores.
• Recommended high school courses: English 4 units (3 completed for consideration); mathematics 3 units (Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry), 4 recommended; science 3 or more units including at least one laboratory science; social studies 3 or more (including U.S. history for U.S. residents); world language 2 units, 3 recommended (students without two units of one language take a 121-level language course at Elon).
• Honors, Fellows and scholarship programmes: apply to Elon by November 1 and to Honors or Fellows by November 10; the Odyssey Program (for students with high financial need) is due January 12; Scholars has its own application (the page says it opens in February and is due April 15, printed with 2026). Recipients also receive a $1,000 Global Study grant.

5. U.S. applicants

• Costs (2026-27, newly admitted students): the page lists tuition $50,386, student activity fee $292, health and wellness fee $690, housing (first-year average) $9,306 and food (basic meal plan) $8,229; it totals tuition and fees at $51,368, food and housing at $17,535 and the total at $68,903; the financial aid cost of attendance (adding books $1,000, transportation $1,500 and miscellaneous $2,000) is $73,403. Elon is private, and its cost page gives one tuition figure with no in-state/out-of-state split; no extra fee for chemistry majors is listed; not published.
• Aid: need is based on the FAFSA, and the page mentions federal, North Carolina residency need-based and institutional need-based aid; forms should be completed by mid-January. Other categories listed: merit-based, programme-based, exceptional need- and merit-based, and need-based scholarships; amounts are on Elon’s site.
• Testing and in-state preference: testing is optional; any in-state preference or guaranteed admission is not mentioned on the pages read; not published.

6. International applicants

• Who counts as international (Elon’s definition): any non-U.S. citizen (in the U.S. or abroad), any U.S. citizen attending school outside the U.S., any U.S. permanent resident, and any U.S. citizen who also holds another citizenship.
• Materials: the application and $60 fee; official secondary-school records in English sent directly to admissions by the school’s designated official; SAT/ACT optional; English test scores (below); the School Report. The FAQ says international students who have spent at least three years of high school outside the U.S. may apply without SAT/ACT scores; teacher recommendations are not required.
• English: required if the school’s language of instruction is not English — TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo. The international requirements page: for TOEFL taken before January 21, 2026, minimum 80 (internet-based); for exams taken on or after January 21, 2026, minimum 4 (internet-based, as printed); IELTS minimum 6.5; Duolingo minimum 110. The international FAQ lists only TOEFL 80 and IELTS 6.5, which differs from the requirements page; please rely on Elon’s latest page.
• Interview: Elon says that if the applicant has chosen to do an InitialView interview, it invites the applicant to submit it.
• Scholarships and aid: all first-year applicants are considered for the Presidential Scholarship, the Elon Engagement Scholarship and the International Scholar Award; the Fellows and Scholars programmes need a separate application and interview. Elon gives the total scholarship range for international applicants as $3,000–$23,500 per year; it does not currently offer need-based aid to non-U.S. citizens and offers no full scholarships.
• Visa documents after admission: passport copy, Certificate of Financial Responsibility, and an original bank statement or letter from the last six months; these are not used in the admission review and are submitted after admission to issue the I-20. Applicants must show funds to cover tuition, fees, room and board and miscellaneous expenses.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages read do not say how Elon uses Gaokao results; not published, please contact admissions.
• Interview and English: see the previous section; Elon accepts an InitialView interview that the applicant submits, and the English-test requirement depends on the school’s language of instruction.
• Transcripts: records must be in English and sent directly by the school’s official; China-specific guidance on transcripts or school-leaving examinations is not published.
• Elon has no other China-specific guidance on the pages read.

8. Beyond costs: departmental support and outcomes

• Departmental support: the chemistry pages read do not describe chemistry-specific scholarships; not published, please check the department website and Elon’s scholarship pages.
• Outcomes (the department’s wording): graduates pursue positions in industry, advanced studies in chemistry and biochemistry, professional training in medicine, dentistry and health-related fields, teach at secondary level, or take paths to environmental science, forensics and business. The fast-facts page lists examples: graduate programmes (Duke, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, Vanderbilt, Emory, University of Kentucky, University of South Carolina, Boston University, Tufts, Wake Forest), health-profession schools (UNC-Chapel Hill, George Washington, Virginia Tech, Johns Hopkins, Wake Forest, East Carolina, Maryland, Tulane, Loyola-Chicago), companies (Moderna, Glaxo, Lab Corp, PRA Health Sciences, BASF and others) and AmeriCorps and Teach for America. The admissions-site page lists past internship hosts including the Florida Crime Lab, Cirrus Pharmaceuticals and Carolina Biological Supply.
• Biochemistry: the admissions-site page says the biochemistry major has a “near-100 percent” acceptance rate to graduate programmes and that approximately 95 percent of biochemistry majors do independent research (Elon’s own wording).

9. Transfer students

• Criteria: Elon lists a minimum GPA of 2.7 from a regionally accredited two- or four-year institution; at least one full-time semester completed with at least 12 transferable credits; a record of consistent success; a Student Conduct Form from every institution attended; the transfer application with a $60 fee; official transcripts from every college; and a final high school transcript with SAT/ACT scores (which may be waived for some advanced or non-traditional students). Elon adds that previous college work is the primary factor, followed by high school performance and SAT/ACT scores.
• Deadlines: fall July 1, spring December 1 (no year printed; please check); applications are usually still accepted after the deadline on a space-available basis, and on-campus housing for transfer students is not guaranteed.
• Credit: evaluated course by course after admission; up to 65 semester hours from two-year institutions; grade of C or above; courses in the same department and similar in nature transfer as equivalents, otherwise usually as electives; three-credit courses are accepted (Elon uses a four-credit system); Math-Stats is the lowest math course accepted. Courses taken elsewhere between admission and enrolment must be approved.
• International transfer students: a Visa Clearance Form and related paperwork are required after acceptance if enrolling, not for the application review.
• Specific requirements (prerequisites, grades) for transferring into chemistry: not published; please contact the department.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Elon application or Common App; ED November 1, ED II January 15, EA November 1, regular January 10 (check the year); $60 fee; testing optional; teacher recommendations not required
• A major can be declared as late as the end of sophomore year; chemistry majors must do independent research, and the department holds a research-mentor meeting each fall for sophomores and juniors

International applicants (including China):

• TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo if the language of instruction is not English (scores above); English-language transcripts sent by the school; an InitialView interview may be submitted; ask admissions how Gaokao results are used
• Scholarships of $3,000-$23,500 a year, no need-based aid; financial responsibility form and bank statement after admission

Transfer students:

• Fall July 1, spring December 1 (check the year); GPA of at least 2.7; one full-time semester and 12 transferable credits; chemistry credit transfers course by course within the same department

Sources: Elon University, Majors list; Chemistry (admissions site); Biochemistry (admissions site); Department of Chemistry; Chemistry: majors and minors; Chemistry: fast facts; Chemistry: undergraduate research; Application requirements; Dates and deadlines; Test-optional FAQ; International admissions requirements; International FAQ; Transfer requirements and deadlines; Credit transfer; Tuition and aid. Most dates on the admissions pages carry no year and a few notification dates print 2026, so please check that they apply to fall 2027 entry; costs are 2026-27 figures. Rely on Elon’s latest official pages.