<p>What do you guys think of the AAP(Academic Advancement program)? Is anybody out there a member of the program? Do you think it's a waste of time if i apply for it? i mean, how is it any different than the counseling/tutoring already offered at ucla?</p>
<p>im a member, but like i really dont know how or why, they jsut sent me letters saying i was part of it, i really dont knw much about it either, even though i went to the AAP meeting, i mean i was new so i was still kind of lost..but anyways i guess its a good thing to be a part of, if u have more info on it let me know too..thanks</p>
<p>Is it for anyone who wants to join, or a certain group of people?</p>
<p>wasnt AAP application due like august 1?? i didnt feel like writing the essay so i didnt bother joining it.. i heard it's MANDATORY to attend ALL the meetings or something and i thought that would be a great hassle in college (i should do what i want.). and only real benefit is the "counseling" u get and priority enrollment for first year.</p>
<p>"priority enrollment" --> doesn't the honors program cover this? no need for aap</p>
<p>Certain people are automatically placed into AAP. I had a friend who was in it, and yea...priority enrollment and special AAP tutoring. It doesn't hurt, I mean if anything you can slap it on your grad/professional school application, but college honors covers the priority enrollment, and covel tutoring (which you'll all discover, esp. if your a science major) is just as effective if not more so than AAP tutoring. Stay in it for the name, but know that there are other ways to gain access to the benefits it provides.</p>
<p>oh yea, and if you guys have any questions about the honors program, don't hesitate to ask...i'm one of the 12 Honors Fellows at ucla, so I know the honors program inside and out.</p>
<p>Hi shebsmehr - can you explain what a fellows is and specifically describe your position?</p>
<p>And if you're in Honors already, there's really no point in doing AAP's PLUS is there? You get the same benefits and it's because of merit, not some condition that you couldn't control (1st gen, low-income, disabled). So wouldn't the Honors program look better?</p>
<p>And at Orientation, they've mentioned that about 4000 students do honors, but only about 400 graduate with it. And there's about 9000 students in the class? So basically half of the students start with it and 5% complete it successfully. What would you say is that main reason for so many people to drop out?</p>
<p>ucapplicant05,</p>
<p>let me address your questions one at a time:</p>
<p>1) Honors Fellows is a group of 12 undergrads that have been selected by interview process by the Honors Department. Our responsibility is to basically serve as student Honors counselors (you'll often see us at the front desk of the Honors office in the mornings, answering questions you may have), to organize social events to get the word out about the Honors Program, and we also provide tutoring and on campus counseling, much like the Peer Ask student counselor stands you find around campus.</p>
<p>2) Honors looks great, but honestly, my guess is that most grad/professional schools aren't aware of the conditions under which AAP students are selected. if anything, they see the title "Academic Advancement program" in addition to Honors Program, so my guess is that if anything, you can only benefit from being in AAP, even if you don't do anything with the benefits they provide you.</p>
<p>3) As for less than 5% of honors students graduating with Honors...thats actually one of the things that the Honors Fellows are trying to work on. Unfortunately, most people who actually would pursue the Honors Program because they like the challenge have no clue what the eff it is, and those who do sign up usually only do so to get priority registration. After a few years, their upperclassmen status makes this priority registration rather meaningless, and many have a hard time keeping up with the honors units and GPA requirements of the program out of sheer laziness.</p>
<p>Moral of the Story? If you're lazy and don't plan on finishing the Honors Program and are in AAP, then stick to AAP. Honors Program is useless to you unless you actually go through with it, and trust me there are a ton of benefits that most people overlook.</p>
<p>Hope Ive answered your questions, ucapplicant05.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the clarification.</p>
<p>"...and trust me there are a ton of benefits that most people overlook." Which program are you referring to about the benefits?</p>
<p>Why is it such a priority to expand the program? It already is enormous at 4000 students. The more inclusive it is, the less prestigious the program becomes. 5% is pretty optimal. UCI Campus Honors Program only claims about 70 or something around there that graduate with the program. And just for the benefits alone, with 4000 people with priority enrollment, priority isn't that much of a priority anymore.</p>
<p>I've read in a Daily Bruin article that the progress check is not struictly enforced; many students that no longer qualify do not get removed from the program and still enjoys priority enrollment -- irritating some of the upperclassmen.</p>
<p>As for AAP, the workshops and additional resources are mandatory to attend. So what good is that? It's like having another class. And priority there is just for one year. It seems like EVERYONE has priority from one way or another.</p>
<p>"...and trust me there are a ton of benefits that most people overlook." Which program are you referring to about the benefits?</p>
<p>By that statement I was referring to the Honors Program.</p>
<p>"Why is it such a priority to expand the program? It already is enormous at 4000 students."</p>
<p>I think you may have misunderstood what I meant...our goal is not to expand the programs membership, but rather to stream line it...we DON'T want students applying for Honors just for priority, and if anything we want to expand the number of students who intend on taking the program seriously, thereby increasing the 5% honors grad rate to >5%, while simultaneously decreasing the initial membership size. Think about it...if people actually know what they are getting themselves into and that, just as you said, "with 4000 people with priority enrollment, priority isn't that much of a priority anymore," our hope is to weed out the slackers and attract the hard workers in order to return the Honors Program to its former prestige.</p>
<p>"many students that no longer qualify do not get removed from the program and still enjoys priority enrollment -- irritating some of the upperclassmen"</p>
<p>actually...if you notice on myucla under Honors Progress, each students progress is updated every spring quarter, and those who do not meet the minimum requirements are removed from the program and forced to apply again. Although this may seem somewhat useless, let me remind you that to apply, the student needs to have a 3.5 GPA, and if they are removed from the program for not maintaining that gpa, then they have no chance at regaining their membership. As for priority enrollment, most upperclassmen take their major courses, not lower div or a gang load of GEs like most underclassmen, so most of the time they are not competing with underclassmen Honors students for registration and their 1st pass is close to, if not before, the priority enrollment of most underclassmen Honors students.</p>
<p>As for AAP, yes their workshops are mandatory to attend, but so are most workshops and tutoring on campus. For instance, Covel Tutoring is in high demand, so if you miss more than 2 sessions you are removed and can no longer come to that tutors sessions.</p>
<p>"It seems like EVERYONE has priority from one way or another."</p>
<p>you know, it may seem that way, but you'd be surprised how many students are actually NOT in the Honors Program or AAP. I've seen one too many of my peers get shut out of an impacted chemistry or biology course due to the fact that they did NOT have priority. Honors/AAP priority is nice, but yea...it shouldn't be the only reason your in Honors. and as for AAP, I personally would have done it if I had been placed into it...though the choice is yours.</p>
<p>haha, anyway, I hope Ive addressed your concerns.</p>
<p>yea it seems like every freshman is in the HOnor. but i've heard that some of the reasons why ppl drop out of honors is that that program is not flexible enough and forces people to take certain classes. im not sure if this is true and have not reseached much about it as it doesnt apply to me (only apply to ppl in L&S). but either way i agree that the program should be restored its former prestige.</p>
<p>the only classes that honors students are "forced" to take are 6 units of honors collegium courses, which are for the most part GEs and count as such. the rest of the honors units are rather flexible...fiat luxes, srp (student research projects), and honors contracts which for the most part can be applied to any course as long as the professor is willing to spend an hour a week of office time with you to further explore the topics of the class.</p>
<p>haha, sorry if I seem a bit defensive of the Honors Program...i'm just trying to let people know that its not really as evil or crappy as most think. like you said Westow, it needs to be returned to its former prestige</p>
<p>im part of the aap program, but i want to join the honors program, how do i do that?</p>
<p>"The deadline to apply online through MyUCLA for Fall 2005 Freshmen Admits is midnight of Monday, May 2, 2005."</p>
<p>You'll have to wait and apply for winter quarter.</p>
<p>Hey, shebsmehr...question:</p>
<p>I'm taking a cluster and a fiat lux...does that mean that I'm taking 6/7 honors units this quarter? I went to the Honors workshop to talk to a rep. and felt a bit overwhelmed by all the of requirements.</p>
<p>Michelle</p>
<p>That would be 6 units. Don't worry about honors units if you're taking a cluster...they pretty much take care of you. I didn't take one, so I had to resort to completing an Honors Contract and 2 fiat luxes in one quarter to get my units for the year. As for all the requirements...yea I was overwhelmed too. I didn't understand how it all worked until I had to learn it well enough through Honors Fellows to be able to teach it to other people. </p>
<p>If you have any other questions, let me know.</p>
<p>Thank you! I'm assuming you know who I am =P, so I'll facebook you for any further dilemmas if that's okay...</p>
<p>Clusters are great for Honors credit as long as you get a B or better. For every quarter you earn that minimum grade, you get 5 units of Honors. So by the end you can have as much as 15 units, almost twice the minimum that's required by the end of your first year and more than a third of the total you need (around 40). Also, your Spring quarter cluster takes care of HALF your Honors Collegium requirement.</p>