<p>HS senior looking at UT, Tech, A and M. </p>
<p>Trying to learn more about the science dept, biology in particular, at a and m. Are the professors accessible? are classes at ug level taught by TA's? Are A's a possibility, as GPA for med school is critical. Know some larger u's have all the above problems.</p>
<p>Anyone in the honors college? What are the pros and cons of the honors school???</p>
<p>33 act texas boy looking for the best option to assist him on the way to med school!! thanks!!</p>
<p>Howdy!</p>
<p>I just graduated with a BS in Biology from Texas A&M in Dec 2012 for Pre-Nursing (Basically the same as Pre-med course-wise). The professors are very accessible, but as with any college, you have to actually try and talk to them. Showing initiative will open up opportunities for them to better aid you in their classes. Generally, classes are not taught by TAs, and professors are good instructors. Out of all of my classes, I only had half of one taught by a post-doc. A’s are definitely a possibility. My Biology GPA was a 3.7, and I started in engineering. I wouldn’t waste your time in honors. Just means more work for you, and med schools don’t care much. They’re more into your previous experience, extracurriculars, and your MCAT score. That’s what A&M’s med school was into when I worked there anyway. They want you to have a high GPA, but they also want someone who consistently shows that they can handle large amounts of tasks at once because that is what students will experience in their first 2 years of med school.</p>
<p>OP, do you know about MyEdu.com?</p>
<p><a href=“https://www.myedu.com/TAMU-Texas-A-and-M-University/school/206/course/by-department/[/url]”>https://www.myedu.com/TAMU-Texas-A-and-M-University/school/206/course/by-department/</a></p>
<p>You can look at both UT and TAMU, any class and get an idea about what grades are usually given for which classes, which teachers and read reviews. There’s a lot of good information there.</p>
<p>My D is in Honors at A&M in Chemistry. I think the main benefit is Freshman year and living in the Honors Dorms. There is a great community and family feel to these dorms that most other dorms don’t seem to cultivate. The other great thing is getting to sign up for classes early. This can really make your schedule choosing easier! I think she will drop Honors eventually, but it has been a great experience for her first year. She did get a few extra awards and extra scholarships that might have been influenced by Honors. I’m not really sure if that played a role or not. She has a 4.0 GPA, so A’s are definitely possible.</p>
<p>Howdy NettiK!</p>
<p>The primary benefits of Honors at Texas A&M are in the course work, the community and the additional advising. As Debbie mentioned, there is a strong freshman community that is a requirement for freshman in the program as of Fall 2012. As our redeveloped program grows, we expect that this will also translate to a closer community for upperclassmen as well. More information about the benefits of Honors can be found at [Honors</a> Program](<a href=“http://honors.tamu.edu/ProspectiveStudents.html]Honors”>http://honors.tamu.edu/ProspectiveStudents.html).</p>
<p>I would encourage you to connect with Honors Students in the program to get their insight and perspectives. One way to do that is through the Facebook pages for the Honors Student Council (<a href=“Facebook - log in or sign up”>Facebook - log in or sign up) and the Honors Housing Community (<a href=“Facebook - log in or sign up”>Facebook - log in or sign up).</p>
<p>If you make a campus visit, our advisors are also happy to talk with you. You can schedule an appointment by calling 979-845-1957. While you’re in our building, you can also visit with the Office of Professional School Advising ([OPSA</a> at Texas A&M University](<a href=“http://opsa.tamu.edu%5DOPSA”>http://opsa.tamu.edu)) and get their advice about the value of Honors study for med school.</p>
<p>Hope this helps!</p>
<p>Jon Kotinek
Associate Director
Honors and Undergraduate Research</p>