Elon Academy welcomes largest cohort in program history in Alamance County
Elon Academy chose 30 ninth-graders for its Phi Cohort, its biggest class yet, after a countywide recruitment push aimed at widening access.
Elon Academy’s largest incoming class in program history is more than a milestone for Elon University. It is a sign that the college-access pipeline in Alamance County is reaching more families, and that more students want in. Thirty ninth-grade students were selected for the Phi Cohort, and the academy marked the announcement by traveling to schools across the county to celebrate their admissions in person.
The June 10 rollout came after the academy redesigned its recruitment and selection process to make the program feel more personal and more accessible. The new model emphasized family engagement, stronger partnerships and broader access, with streamlined applications, redesigned group interviews and more collaboration with school partners. Assistant Director Briston Whitt said the goal was to make students and families feel seen, supported and connected from the start.
That approach matters in a county where college-prep programs can shape who sees a postsecondary path as realistic. By moving beyond a quiet admissions decision and into schools throughout Alamance County, Elon Academy turned the selection process itself into outreach. The expanded cohort suggests there is real demand for this kind of support, and it also shows that the academy’s mission continues to resonate with students, families and school-based advocates.
The students now entering the Phi Cohort will receive immersive campus experiences and mentoring designed to build college readiness over time, from ninth grade through college. That long runway is the heart of Elon Academy’s work: helping students imagine themselves on campus, then giving them structure and support as they move toward college. For Alamance County parents, counselors and students, the bigger class raises a practical question as much as a celebratory one, whether this year’s expansion is the beginning of wider opportunity or evidence that many more students still want access to a program with limited seats.
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