Academics: Learn What Matters to You
Elton emphasizes personalized education without conventional semesters, high-stakes testing, or meaningless papers. The university combines freedom with student-developed passions and real-world academic standards.
Studying at Elton Is...
Relevant & Rigorous
Focuses on "Don't Waste Time" principle—avoiding irrelevant requirements. One-on-one coaching tailors learning to individual skill levels and goals.
Connected & Committed
Students form community through shared commitment to curiosity, offering mutual encouragement and feedback.
Flexible & Efficient
Flexible scheduling accommodates complex life situations. One-on-one meetings available at various times.
Accessible & Affordable
High-quality education emphasizing "luxury guidance, community, and support" over physical campus amenities.
How Will I Learn at Elton?
🙌 Collaboration
Constant support through collaboration with peers, faculty, staff, and industry mentors.
⚡️ Resourcefulness & Motivation
"Open college" model using updated Socratic Method. Coaches ask powerful questions and unlock personalized resources. First-month focus: learning to "GSD" (get stuff done).
🔬 Curriculum of the World
Tutors leverage global educational resources (Khan Academy, MIT Open Courseware, digital textbooks) rather than adding institutional content. Personalized learning design based on student passions.
🤝 Project-Based Learning
Learning through doing: "write by writing, read by reading, code by coding." Inquiry-, design-, and project-based strategies develop skills. Most students build portfolios for paid internships/jobs before graduation.
📈 Mastery-Based Success
Credit awarded for learning, work, and project completion rather than seat time. One credit equals 25 hours of engagement. Weekly tutorials with professors discussing student ideas and work.
Personal and Professional Development Reinvented
Replaces traditional semester courses with one-on-one work between students, coaches, and professors for setting and completing scholarly, artistic, and professional goals. Portfolio-based learning through original projects, writing, and research.
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Learn In and About Real Life
Goals aligned with real life (travel, family history, community organizing, investing, film editing). For example, a student developing a healthy food business learns small business finance, food production legalities, hiring, taxes, and team leadership.
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21st Century Skills and Career Readiness
Five real-world career concentrations: Explorer, Artist, Entrepreneur, Researcher, Engineer.
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Introducing The Elton Tutorial System
Central to Elton is the Tutorial System—replacing large classes with 1-3 student meetings weekly lasting about one hour with professors. The system originated about 1,000 years ago at Oxford University.
The tutorial system is incredible. Great for big picture thinking and detailed complexity exploration. Builds valuable peer relationships; tutors become personal mentors.
Maddie, St. Catherine's CollegeClose quarters allow full topic breadth exploration with expert guidance. Best academic experiences came from tutorials—approaches impossible in impersonal lecture halls.
Jin-Gyu, Keble CollegeTutorials are small, focused groups (normally two students and tutor). Discuss weekly essay topics, debate themes, bounce ideas. Space to ask about readings; tutors provide essay feedback—highly concentrated learning environment.
Chloe, St. Catherine's CollegeTutorial system allows testing ideas in judgment-free space. True privilege having tutor devote time to one or two peers.
Hamidah, The Queen's CollegeMethod encouraging student autonomy and personal education responsibility. Weekly essay writing makes students self-teachers. Concentrated hour or two weekly allowing deeper topic exploration. One-on-one focus enables specialized area study and personalized education versus typical lecture experience.
Lauren, St. Catherine's CollegeMeet Some of Elton's Many Faculty
Faculty are recruited to match candidate interests, research, and goals.
Owen Raisch
Jody Jacobson, PhD
Thomas Cox
Adam Braus, MSc, MSc
Colin Lumsden, PhD, MSc
John Schuler, PhD
Ken Weingardt, PhD
Aviral Chawla, PhD
Nicole Crevar, PhD
Mara Simmons, PhD
Regina Yoong, PhD
Milad Amir Toutounchian, PhD
Francisco Contreras Morán, PhD
Carola Oliva Olson, PhD
Kai Adams, MBA
Mhaire 'Mary' Fraser, PhD
Marianna Campbell
Jing Jin, MSc
Ian Fletcher
Brandon Berry, PhD
Erkin Ötleş, MD, PhD
Charles Xavier, PhD
Ragnar Van Der Merwe, PhD
Drew Fitzsimmons, MBA
Myrtil Mitanga, MBA
Your Life Enrolled at Elton
Setting Learning Goals & Picking Projects
Weekly tutorial meetings with coaches and professors establish goals and development plans. Weekly check-ins adjust strategies and troubleshoot blockers.
Studying & Completing Projects
Weekly study and short-term goal completion building toward larger goals. Professors guide fastest learning paths (books, expert interviews, lectures, online courses).
Add to Your Portfolio
Completed projects evaluated and counted toward education: writing, companies, software, designs, art, other projects.
The Elton Coaching Program
One-of-a-kind program pairing students with professional coaches serving as allies and advocates. Based on six universal skills: Purpose & Meaning, Actionable & Warm Communication, Teamwork & Consensus Building, Time Management & Follow-Through, Adaptability & Resourcefulness, Taking & Giving Feedback.
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Purpose & Meaning
Coaches help Eltonians discover answers to: Who am I? What are my values? What should I do for work? Where should I live? Drives success and happiness in program and beyond.
Actionable & Warm Communication
Communication skills critical for personal and professional success. Elton provides instruction and opportunities to hone communication abilities.
Teamwork & Leadership
Explores becoming valued group member and identified go-to person. Proven techniques for teamwork excellence; best teamwork practitioners become leaders.
Focus & Follow Through
Addresses procrastination, dropout, energy loss, distraction. Coaches and professors provide proven strategies for defeating obstacles and accomplishing planned goals.
Adaptability & Resourcefulness
Preparation for inevitable change and problems. Rapid, smart response to daily challenges through finding and requesting help from books, Google, friends, bosses, counselors.
Taking & Giving Feedback
Explains how continued improvement requires ongoing feedback. Mastering feedback giving and receiving unlocks highest mastery levels.
Growing Day-by-Day
Without semester-long courses, serious study occurs year-round without summer/winter breaks. Professors and coaches offer weekly workshops and lectures. Faculty band together students learning the same subjects into classes for mutual support.
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Learn In and Outside of a Classroom
Elton enables learning anywhere from anyone or anything—not traditional 200 or 30-person classrooms. Learning sources include mentors, coaches, books, online courses, teachers, bosses, parents, friends, colleagues, self. Learning locations: internet, libraries, cafes, jobs. Learning methods: volunteering, working, interning, creating, researching, studying. Community support and professor/coach personal investment in success.
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Start a Career With a Digital Portfolio
Modern economy requires: analyzing data, project management, teamwork, marketing, design. These skills are learned through application from day one achieving learning goals with professors.
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Learn Everywhere, Study at Elton
Elton inverts traditional lecture-based learning. Not a bubble—valuable higher education possible in community, home, and world at large.
Meet Nelly: Interested in social justice and healthcare/wellness. Rather than quitting job and incurring debt at traditional college for anthropology/nursing degree, Nelly continues working, avoids debt, completes program with Elton coach guidance and expert professor support.
Meet Frank: Completed associate's degree, wants to move to NYC for finance career while continuing education. Instead of enrolling in NYC college and incurring debt, Frank kickstarts finance career with coach/professor help, then continues undergraduate program while working in finance.
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