Lily Weber, a freshman from Stowe, Vermont, said she has been pleasantly surprised by how smooth the move-in process has been so far.
“It was super easy,” Weber said. “We didn’t even have to get out of our car.”
Weber is moving into Historic Neighborhood, which comprises six buildings, has undergone recent renovations and is occupied by 86% first-year students. She said she is excited to move into Historic because she’s looking forward to building community this year on campus.
Weber also said she is looking forward to orientation weekend.
“I’m super excited to just get to know the campus a little bit better,” Weber said.
Weber said she chose Elon because of how welcoming it felt when she toured.
“It kind of felt like home,” Weber said. “It was familiar, but at the same time it was a new place with new people and new experiences.”
Weber’s mother, Laura Goddard, said she is emotional about the move-in process.
“She’s my first child to go to college, so I’m going to miss her like crazy,” Goddard said. “But she’s in good hands.”
Vice President for Student Life Jon Dooley was in Historic Neighborhood greeting incoming freshmen, and said he is eager to see the class of 2027 flourish.
“This year feels like one of the first years in several that we've been able to have a campus that's fully open,” Dooley said. “There's just an energy here that's really exciting.”
While Dooley said this class is a comparable size to the class of 2026, he said the university has hired new personnel to keep up with growth.
“We've got new faculty and staff who've joined the university over the course of the summer,” he said. “So we are ready and excited.”
Dooley said the day has gone smoothly so far.
“Move-in day has been outstanding. It's always good when the sun is shining and there's no rain,” Dooley said. “This is the greatest day of the year.”
Jude Powell, a freshman from Miami, Florida, applied and was accepted early decision to Elon, and moved in Aug. 17. He said his whole family moved him into his room in Virginia residence hall so he has been able to help his roommate unpack on Move-In Day.
“It’s cool seeing everyone coming in,” Powell said. “It’s just very exciting.”
Powell said he picked Elon for its grounds and location, which has cooler temperatures than his home.
“I just wanted to get out of Miami. It’s too hot,” Powell said. “It’s pretty hot here, but I’m excited for the fall and the winter.”
Kenley Bidwell, a junior and resident assistant who has lived in Hook, Barney and Brannock her entire time at Elon, said the Historic residence halls are different from other buildings on campus because of the suite style.
“People are a lot closer together,” Bidwell said. “It’s very community based. We get to see a lot more of each other rather than being just focused on ourselves.”
Bidwell also said she is excited to introduce her residents to new experiences.
“The biggest thing is getting people involved,” Bidwell said. “Introducing them to things that they’re maybe not comfortable with yet is that I’m looking forward to helping them with the most.”
Paul Nunno, a freshman from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, said he is most excited for the community at Elon, which he said he has already experienced this morning.
“It’s just been 15 minutes, but everyone works together,” Nunno said. “Everyone's a part of something bigger.”
Nunno said he is looking forward to the academic support from Elon University faculty and staff.
“Everyone's here to do something. The school is willing to help you to do anything you want,” Nunno said. “They want to see you as a student succeed and I really like that.”