<p>I'm stealing GamecockGirl's idea and starting this thread for any questions you might have about the Honors College, honors requirements, or the Honors Dorm (lived there last year and will be living there again this year). I'll do my very best to help you out and/or point you in the right direction for an answer. I'm a Chemical Engineering major from New Jersey, BTW.</p>
<p>Thanks for starting the thread. Do you have any advice for the application process? The number of essays is rather daunting!</p>
<p>No problem. My advice is to not procrastinate like I did. There are a ton of essays, and it’s no good waiting until the last day and throw stuff together. If you do really well on the application and have good stats, you could be considered for McNair/Carolina. So start working on it or at least thinking about it ASAP. Get a good mix of books for that one question in asks you. And, please, DO NOT wait until the last day like I did. You will be so stressed out it’s not even funny.</p>
<p>Can you tell us how roommates are assigned in the Honors dorm? Is it completely random, or is it based on some kind of personality/habits/compatability quiz? Also, what is the general atmosphere in the Honors dorm? Thanks again!</p>
<p>It can be either. You can do a random roommate and there is a short questionnaire on housing about habits, etc. You can also request a roommate (and suitemates) but all must list each other to be put together. Daughter met someone she decided to room with at scholars weekend. They found suitemates through honors dorm facebook page. Loved that honors dorm was new and nice with convenient dining and centrally located. Great freshman experience. Maybe students will weigh in on more specifics of atmosphere…I will say that you will find a cross section of students just like in any dorm.</p>
<p>I was told that they didn’t let freshmen request suite-mates this year. Not totally sure if that’s true.</p>
<p>At every dorm at USC, you can either go random, find each other through the Housing Application (where it asks about 8 compatibility questions), or choose someone you know from an outside source(either from high school, facebook, church, etc.)</p>
<p>Even if you go random, they still try to place you with someone who had similar answers to you on your Housing application.</p>
<p>The Honors dorm is definitely a good mix of people. You have your "over-achievers’ who spend the weekends studying, the type of kids who play video games 24/7, people who party like no other and everyone else in between. It’s one of those dorms where you most likely going to find at least few other people who are interested in the same things as you are, no matter what.</p>
<p>After speaking with a friend whose d is a student in the Capstone program, I’m back with a few more questions. Friend’s d is disappointed at the ease of the classes she’s taking, along with the apathy of the students and even the professors. She wants to be challenged but even her advisors are apparently telling her to “take x class instead because it’s easy”. Granted, she is taking general requirements this semester as a freshman. I understand that SC is a large state school and many students are not there for the academic rigor. This is the reason my d has been looking at Honors programs at state schools. Can you tell me if the students and professors are more engaged in the Honors classes? Is there a limit to the number of Honors classes a student can take each semester? My d does not want a hyper-stressful/competitive atmosphere, but she wants classes where the students are engaged and truly interested in learning. This is one of her top priorities, so we appreciate any comments that will help her in her decision. Thanks!</p>
<p>There is not a limit to number of honors classes a semester. One semester my D had 4 of 5. It is easier to have that many when you’re doing gen ed or some majors that have more offerings. A good student will definitely find some classes at USC easy but I would say honors course sections are generally more rigorous and smaller and you’re looking the professor in the eye so definitely more engaged. D definitely feels compelled to be in every class! She is now is upper level for her major and about half of those are honors but by moving beyond introductory the non-honors are harder also. Capstone is only for fresh and sophmore years when you are taking more gen eds, including obviously, some classes in areas you are not interested in which probably leads to people being advised to take “easy” classes in those areas. Some areas have classes designed for non-majors and these are probably not as rigorous also. However, if your D is a good fit for honors, then she wants classes she likes not that she can just get by in and she can find these at Carolina as a whole and definitely in Honors. For instance, D needs honors lit class…could take 200 level section designed for non-majors, but is taking upper level instead because the topic and books look more interesting.</p>
<p>As far as competitiveness, it will be what she puts on herself. There are just too many students with different majors/schedules to feel the same degree that existed in HS IMO. D has found other students to be more helpful than anything else with study buddies/homework groups in several class and professors very helpful and encouraging.</p>
<p>If you are close enough, call honors and they can arrange for her to sit in on honors class.</p>
<p>Per my D’s adviser - There is a limit to the numbers of honors classes you can take. It is three per semester. The adviser also wanted my D to take a less stressful load as she adjusted during her first semester at USC. A few of the classes could be described as easier, but not all of them. Many Honors students start out as Sophomores due to all their AP credits and dual credit course. However, USC wants to make sure students get off to a good start during their first semester. Attending USC involves a lot more than just taking classes.</p>
<p>^^must depend on advisor and circumstance or this is new. My sophmore D had 4 Honors classes each semester freshman year, mostly because everything she took had an honors section. But that is hard to keep up once get past some of basic classes. This semester she had 3 and next 2.</p>
<p>I did want to add to above…I’m not saying it’s necessary. You can take 2 most semesters and finish all your honors requirements, but to me one big advantage of the HC is in taking honors sections of what would normally be big classes…history, science, math, pysch, etc. so I would do as many of those as possible. Getting honors credits done also makes it easier if you want to study abroad. Study away (includes options other than overseas), internships or research is required and you have to fit it in at some point.</p>
<p>Honors does make point of pushing freshmen to get involved beyond academics and to not stress out too much. For instance, they don’t encourage large course loads- like 18 hours even if you are science major and they don’t encourage you to necessarily skip entry level science and math based on AP/IB scores (depends on when took classes and major, etc) and they want students to be involved in some organization on campus.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input, scmom12 and CollinsFactor.</p>
<p>When did you hear back from the Honors College? Was it around Dec. 15 when the early action admissions decisions are released, or later?</p>
<p>According to website, honors acceptances start around that date and continue until mid February.</p>
<p>It came in two waves. The first round of Honors College notifications came Christmas Eve. The second round came in February.</p>
<p>My D first heard in mid-January last year.</p>
<p>What are the benefits of being part of the honors program at USC? I visited Clemson recently and they pointed out that the honors students get free tickets to musicals, concert shows, etc.</p>