<p>My D got admitted to Baylor but I didn’t fully understand Baylor’s Honors College.
It has FOUR different programs per web site. (BIC(Baylor Interdisciplinary Core), Honors Program, University Scholars, and Great Texts).
It’s time for my D to apply to one or more honors programs.
As a pre-med student at Baylor, can she apply all of the honors program ?
Can she drop from the program if she doesn’t like after attending ?
Whak kind of study-load is expected ?
Thanks for your advice in advance.</p>
<p>By the way, my D told me that she chose University Scholars (BA) as a her major when she applied using AppyTexas. Does it mean that she is already in Baylor’s Honors College ? Or, should she apply individual honors program ?</p>
<p>It is a little confusing! I think that usually you receive your acceptance to Baylor, and then you receive your acceptance to the Honors College separately after you have applied. I think that just because she said she wanted to major in USchol doesn’t mean she got accepted, as she hasn’t officially applied, right? She can apply to all and then choose once she is accepted, in case she doesn’t get USchol.</p>
<p>My daughter is doing BIC and Honors, and is dropping Honors as she has decided it is too much along with pre-med classes. (She loves BIC but it is a lot of work, I think that USchol and Honors have a lot of crossover so it is more common.) You will take at least 15 credits in USchol. I would suggest looking at the University Scholars Program Student Handbook which is available online to have a good understanding what the program entails. There is also a good overview under the “prospective students” tab on the honors college page.</p>
<p>In BIC/pre med my daughter has 17 credits both freshman semesters. There is a lot of info on the honors college website about each of the Honors College programs. You can always drop a program (like my daughter will probably drop honors) but there is a lot to do in four years so you don’t want to be too far into a program and then drop it. Don’t be afraid to email the honors college, they were very helpful when we did.</p>
<p>^pacnwmom, My D didn’t apply any of Honors separately except for ApplyTexas. She picked UScholar as major and goBaylor indicated she was accepted as undecided. We will clarify it contacting admission office.
By the way, why she chose BIC over Honors Program as a pre-med? I read Baylor’s web site, it’s not clear to me. Did Baylor pre-med give good advice to your daughter in taking volunteer opportunity and other preparation guideline?</p>
<p>We found the Admissions office super friendly and organized but not always the most knowledgeable about Honors. I would contact someone in the Honors College. As your daughter was accepted as undecided I am pretty sure she has to do the seperate, additional application for the Honors programs/majors such as University Scholar.</p>
<p>We are not from Texas so if you have a different way of applying I am sorry if I am confusing things!</p>
<p>My daughter enjoys real thinking and learning and for her BIC provides that. Small classes and lots of discussion with the classes totally integrated (for example, one class might combine writing, english, religion, art and history credit for core ciriculum-instead of taking those different classes for core credit). Honors program is centered around writing a thesis and she decided she would rather have more time for some of the other things she would like to do like volunteering. (In Honors you also take honors sections of classes like bio, or can contract for additional reading/writing in other classes for honors credit. She didn’t feel that was enriching, just extra work-her opinion after one semester.)</p>
<p>The pre med and honors advising is very good, very organized and helpful. There are many clubs, activities, trips, special speakers, etc for pre med students.</p>
<p>I am a recent graduate from the BIC and Honors Programs, so I may be able to help you out if you have any specific questions.</p>
<p>What were the advantages of the Honors College to you?</p>
<p>What were the disadvantages?</p>
<p>Would you do it again? </p>
<p>Thanks for your replies in advance.</p>
<p>Were you part of the BIC and Honors program affiliated with PreMed?</p>
<p>I plan on doing those programs with PreMed and so I was just wondering about how well they help prepare you for Med School, if they help you get into a top med school, and if there are any opportunities (i.e volunteering at clinics, working on research projects with professors and things like that)? Thank you so much!</p>
<p>GRBadger and Mika723, you’ve both asked great questions. I’ll provide some thoughts now, but you (and others) are welcome to inquire further should any additional questions arise about programs at Baylor or the university/area in general. </p>
<p>“What were the advantages of the Honors College to you?”
Good question. As the Honors Program and Interdisciplinary Core are both within the Honors College, I will be speaking to my experience as a student in both programs:</p>
<p>As an undergrad, Baylor’s Honors Program provided me with opportunities to pursue a rigorous core curriculum and conduct independent research in a multitude of ways. Opting to stay in the program and complete my senior honors thesis was one of the best academic decisions I had ever made. Period. For personal growth as well as for graduate school. With a substantitive paper under my belt, I now look ahead with confidence toward the likelihood of pursuing a doctorate in Political Science beginning fall 2014. </p>
<p>As I was enrolled in both the Honors Program and the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core concurrently, it will be difficult for me to give a stand-alone critique of both programs (you’ll find that there are co-requisites if you’re double-dipping in the Honors College at Baylor. You may even finish your degree on time or early if you take maximum hours, as I chose to). I’ll give a bullet-point version of what I liked most about the Honors Program:</p>
<h1>1. Honors Thesis; the ability for students to publish personal research during undergrad. This is invaluable when looking ahead toward future careers, graduate schools, and professional programs</h1>
<h1>2. Honors Contracts; if you are a member of the honors program, you can complete “honors contracts” with professors of courses that are generally non-honors, as long as you earn a B+ or higher. Through completing an extra assignment previously agreed upon between the professor and student (usually a research paper or something of the sort), you can earn honors credit for a course. What is nice about this is that, in addition to pursuing independent research and going above and beyond during the semester, the “honors” will go onto your transcript for that course. On my transcript, it showed up in two ways: 1) “East Asian Philosophy-HONORS, 2) Soc. and Cultures of SE Asia-HON” — Graduate schools pick up on this and see that you opted for a more rigorous course load. If you are to pursue the honors program, I recommend contracting as many courses as you can AFTER your first year (so you know what you can handle). The weight of the load you take on will also depend upon your major.</h1>
<p>Side-note: If you are enrolled in BIC and Honors, you can complete course contracts certain BIC courses, which assists you in fulfilling your degree requirements.</p>
<h1>3. Faculty Connections; through pursuing independent research, you will have the opportunity to interact with faculty in a way that may be otherwise inaccessible to you. Take advantage of the opportunity to learn from intelligent (and often wiser) men and women!</h1>
<h1>4. Extracurricular Opportunities & Meaning on Transcript — graduate schools love Honors. If you think you can handle it, go for it. Be prepared to read a lot and “think out of the box.” There are also guest lectures and various speaking series (extra-curricular) that bring such a depth to the Honors experience. Attend these when the opportunity is offered to you.</h1>
<p>Baylor Interdisciplinary Core (BIC):</p>
<p>The Interdisciplinary Approach - Our world is interdisciplinary, and I love how the BIC acknowledges this reality through its curriculum and its faculty interests. Team taught, with small groups and large groups, the BIC provides a way for Honors College students to engage the world within its true, global context. Be prepared to read A LOT, however! When combined with the Honors Program, the BIC can be quite heavy. During your sophomore year, you will have 10 hours of BIC coursework each semester, making certain major requirements difficult to navigate (but not impossible! BIC advisors are dependable and they KNOW their stuff, including department and university policies). </p>
<p>BIC, with its heavy focus upon reading primary texts, confronts contemporary issues in a well-informed and internationalized manner. Is this a shameless plug for the BIC? Heck yes. Will you need to explain it to a graduate or professional program? Most likely. Will it improve your application? I believe so (and it certainly won’t hurt). My passion for the program relates back to how I believe it shapes aspiring scholars to build holistic approaches to academics. As our world is interdisciplinary, we are not called to be monolithic in the way we live. The BIC embraces this reality and equips students to <em>actively</em> learn.</p>
<p>The Disadvantages:</p>
<p>Pursuing a degree with Honors College requirements attached is not trivial. Also, the BIC and Honors Programs are more compatible with certain majors than others. From what I hear, engineering majors have more demands outside of the BIC, which makes the sophomore year 10 hour semester requirements more difficult to navigate. One of my roommates Junior year was an engineering major in the BIC, and he managed his course load quite well. Did he have to work hard? Absolutely. </p>
<p>My major was International Studies, and I found that the BIC and Honors curricula coincided with my plan of study quite well. For each student it will be different, according to his or her major, study habits, and outside obligations. Also, if you have some AP credit, know that you will not be exempt from BIC coursework (as it is interdisciplinary in nature and combines several disciplines within each of its courses). Your AP credits will be awarded as elective hours, which is actually a great help if you’re planning to graduate in four years’ time.</p>
<p>For certain students, I would recommend easing into Baylor, taking as light a load as possible for your first year (14-16 hours)—unless you are confident of your academic abilities (specifically reading and writing–this includes reading speed). For others, I recommend diving right into the mix. </p>
<p>You do not know how easy or difficult the transition to college will be until you’re there. At minimum, you will be placed within a new environment and be required to navigate through unfamiliar life circumstances. All in all, breathe easy and realize that you’re about to begin some of the most enjoyable and fulfilling years or your young-adult life, and you will meet friends who will likely be there for years to come. </p>
<p>Side-note: the BIC has traditionally provided teaching assistants for students enrolled in first-year BIC courses, whom have assisted freshman in their transition to Baylor. I served as a TA (or P.I., as they’re often called) for two semesters in the BIC.</p>
<p>(continued)</p>
<p>Were you part of the BIC and Honors Program affiliated with Pre-med?</p>
<p>I was not, however I have several close friends who completed both programs, as well as the pre-med track. Pre-med is compatible with BIC and Honors, but be aware that it will be a demanding academic track. As for whether it will help you get into a top medical school, that will depend largely upon your eventual MCAT score, GPA, and letters of recommendation. With so many “pre-med biology” and nothing-else majors applying to medical schools, programs such as the BIC or Honors Program can offer a competitive edge to prospective applicants. Several of my friends within the BIC have been admitted into graduate and medical school programs. It is very possible, but—as with wherever you go—admission into medical school will not be a given. </p>
<p>As for my applications, I applied to five of the top ten in my field, and all of my applicants are within the top 30 in the country. I’m not a 4.0 student, but I feel confident about how Baylor has equipped me as an aspiring scholar.</p>
<p>Would I do it again?</p>
<p>Yes. As I have now submitted my applications for Ph.D. programs, I am beginning to realize how valuable opportunities such as the BIC and Honors Programs truly were. Was it a pain to complete several term papers and read thousands of pages? Yeah, but it wasn’t impossible. If you try to consider all of the work a program will involve in one day, it will be overwhelming. When spread across a few years, the demands becoming quite negotiable. Following the first semester of my freshman year, I upped my hours to an average of 17 hours (which is quite high), and did summer school each summer. In my original plan of study, having transferred 12 credit hours (3 courses), I could have studied abroad during one winter (1 month), two summers (6-7 months), and one academic year (9 months), still graduating in 4 years’ time. Instead, I opted to study abroad twice, for one winter and one summer, and graduate one semester early. Without the help of BIC and Honors advisors, I would have missed recognizing the flexibility of my course of study.</p>
<p>In a lecture, given by the dean of the Honors College during my freshman year, one particular statement stood out to me: “The scholar is the one who, when provided the opportunity, asks the next most relevant question.” </p>
<p>Wherever you go and whatever you plan to pursue, be willing to engage those around you. As for Baylor, I recommend working with the professors around you. This practice will likely grow you the most!</p>
<p>@bayloralum Thank you so much for your very thoughtful and thorough reply! I really appreciate it!</p>
<p>It’s good to be in honors college. But my daughter didn’t apply to honors college yet since she is just waiting for B2B medical track. Is April too late for Baylor honors college application ? We will ask same question to admission officers when we visit Baylor in 1/31 Excellence day, though.</p>
<p>Thank you for that outstanding response. Very helpful. Good luck in your academic pursuits!!</p>
<p>GRBadger & Mika723, you are both very welcome! I will be serving as a graduate research assistant at Baylor in the spring and will be on campus when you visit on 1/31. I am available on campus to meet or field any further questions if desired. I have worked with Invitation to Excellence in the past; I’m glad you both will be attending!</p>
<p>Dad2013, April is not too late for your daughter’s honors application. I do recommend applying as soon as possible, however.</p>
<p>@bayloralum what’s your experience with the University Scholars program? Would you recommend combining it with BIC or just sticking with one or the other?</p>
<p>Thanks a ton for the help!</p>
<p>@bayloralum, why do you recommend to apply ASAP ? Is there any max limit in number of students ? And among the 4 honors, which one is the most prestigious one although my question sounds like stupid ?</p>
<p>@Dad2013,</p>
<p>While I am unaware of any concrete figures, I know that there is a general cohort size that is predetermined. The earlier a student applies–assuming his or her application is complete and ready for submission–is more likely to guarantee a position into the Honors College (assuming it is approved). As for a clear cut-off date? I am unsure, and it is possible to admitted into the Honors Program while already enrolled at Baylor (although this does not take place as frequently). </p>
<p>Baylor definitely emphasizes its University Scholars program–which is for the ‘cream of the crop.’ In my view, it will take some explaining to graduate programs (as would the BIC). In general, I appreciate the Honors Program because it is most universally understand. Now, if I were pursuing an advanced degree in French literature, classics, or another humanities-related degree, Great Texts would be a wonderful program to pursue. Baylor’s Classics department is considerably strong. </p>
<p>Overall, there is no wrong decision with honors programs at Baylor. Just consider where your interests lie and apply to any that you could see yourself engaged and learning in. If I knew more about a students particular interests and/or career aspirations, I could give more detailed advice about which program may suit them best. And even then, it is only the opinion of one–I recommend speaking with Honors Program advisors when given the opportunity.</p>
<p>Thanks for good explanation. :)</p>
<p>@bayloralum I was visiting the Honors college yesterday, and one of the students told me that about 75% of honors students lose their scholarship because of GPA. Is that true? It sounded to me like that happened to her, so maybe she was overestimating? I REALLY want to go to Baylor, but even with full tuition + fees, it’s going to be a stretch. If there’s a 75% chance I’ll lose that, there is no way I can go.</p>
<p>@EowynInk </p>
<p>Her statement was an overestimation.</p>
<p>Baylor’s minimum GPA requirements are more stringent for students admitted into their University Scholars program, requiring a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 for graduation. For the other Baylor Honors College programs (including the Honors Program, Baylor Interdisciplinary Core, and Great Texts Program), a minimum GPA requirement of 3.0 is necessary to maintain any applicable merit scholarships and good standing within the department.</p>
<p>(Edited for grammatical reasons)</p>