<p>Do you guys think applying to an Honors program as a sophomore is harder, easier, or neutral than applying as a freshmen? Also, considering that freshmen year courses are all introductory courses and so you're pretty much guaranteed whatever classes you desire, do you think that being in Honors is really necessary as a freshmen? In terms of the advantages you receive from being in the Honors program, do you think you really get to utilize these advantages as a freshmen or do you think you really don't tap these resources in depth until you get sophomore year and up?</p>
<p>Well, what are the advantages of being in the honors program at your university? Honors programs vary dramatically in structure and some programs are more of an inconvenience than anything else.</p>
<p>For example, priority registration, honors housing and honors scholarship provide tangible benefits, but they don’t exist everywhere. Requirements for the honors program (mandatory honors courses, etc) are a real disadvantage, and sometimes restrictive enough that pursuing honors becomes a real burden. Most honors programs encourage undergraduate research or independent study, but students outside of the honors program usually have the same opportunities available to them as students in the program. (Anyone can make a research arrangement with a professor and sign up for research credit. Honors students don’t have an advantage in that regard. The only potential advantage would be guaranteed research funding IF that’s part of the honors program.)</p>
<p>Why do <em>you</em> want to join the honors program? What do you hope to get out of it? The answer to that question will let you know if there are any disadvantages to joining after your sophomore year. I would also suggest that you talk to a couple of students in the honors program and ask them if it is a worthwhile experience.</p>
<p>What school are you talking about? What is their policy for honors admissions for current students?</p>
<p>It is a worthwhile experience here. I am planning to take advantage of its priority registration, exclusive scholarships, as well as benefits in attaining research opportunities (though I agree, especially at large schools, everyone technically has about the same opportunities available to them in research). </p>
<p>Although it is a worthwhile experience overall, I’m wondering if you think it is a worthwhile experience specifically as a freshmen? Meaning, as a freshmen all your courses are introductory courses, and therefore everyone is pretty much guaranteed whatever classes they wish to enroll in, so although an Honors student may have priority registration, a non-Honors freshman student should encounter no problems in that regard. Do you think this is true? In this case, I’m wondering whether (freshmen specific) being in an Honors program is significantly beneficial to a freshmen-specific student over another freshman who isn’t in Honors. I do plan on applying ultimately and getting in, however am considering postponing applying for a year.</p>
<p>Requirements to apply for entering freshmen is 3.8 HS-GPA (I believe) and 1350 on SAT. Requirements for an already enrolled student is a 3.6 college-GPA.</p>
<p>I have heard generally that applying to Honors program as a current student bears similar competition as applying as an entering freshmen, would you agree?</p>
<p>It completely depends on the university, and if you’re not going to tell us the university we can’t really help you.</p>
<p>It’s VT Engineering, I didn’t tell because I assumed that no one would know the specificities of Virginia Tech. However, it’s okay though. I decided to apply so all is well, thank you for the tips & help.</p>