<p>What are the actual benefits of attending an honors program? Also if anyone has any specific information on the engineering honors program at CU Boulder, that would be much appreciated.</p>
<p>My daughter is in the honors college at UO (Oregon). It’s terrific, small classes taught by full professors, its own dedicated faculty, has its own building with lounge, kitchen, computer lab, additional advising, certain library benefits, etc.</p>
<p>Honors colleges and honors programs can vary radically though from school to school. I don’t know anything about CU Boulder.</p>
<p>At my school (U Alabama), honors students get priority registration and the more deluxe dorms. It really depends on the school what the tangible benefits entail, but I personally am glad that I’m in an honors program for the reasons previously mentioned, the academic focus, and all the very intelligent people I wouldn’t have otherwise met because they have vastly different majors. I suggest visiting campus, talking with professors and current students, and researching the program’s website if you haven’t done so already.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses. Anyone with more information?</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>I’m in the Honors Program at University of Delaware and to be honest, the students really aren’t as smart, dedicated, etc as I thought they would be. This is my only qualm about being in Honors, but they are certainly better than the non-Honors kids. I live in Honors housing, which is quieter than regular, but I still hear people stumbling around at all hours. I don’t get any kind of priority registration, but Honors classes are very small (less than 20 students in General Chemistry) with usually the best professors in the departments. If you are interested in getting an education at a state university, go for the Honors Program. The work isn’t very difficult and the perks (newer housing) are great. Just don’t be surprised when you find yourself wondering what “Honors” really means.</p>
<p>Thanks nvilla. I made a mistake and waited too long to apply for any of the top private schools, so now I’m basically stuck with the top schools in Colorado (CU, Mines, and maybe CSU). In your opinion (or anyone else’s), would the honors program of a top state school be comparable to an ordinary program at one of the more prestigious universities? Also I believe that the housing for the engineering honors program at CU was renovated before this past semester, so that’s good. I think I can deal with the lack of dedicated classmates. I prefer to work alone ordinarily anyway.</p>
<p>bump</p>
<p>10char</p>
<p>Another reason for honors - job placement or grad school.</p>
<p>You’ll be a bigger fish in a small pond (by small, in this instance, I don’t mean it literally, but in a state school as opposed to an elite school). Being in honors already shows you accomplished more than the rest of the class. It’s a boost for grad school, a scholarship to grad school, or a job application.</p>
<p>Oh, and, in addition to the things everyone else said (small classes , priority registration, first choice housing, etc), there might be undergrad scholarship consideration and might also be senior advisors to help you with your class selection…that CAN be daunting.</p>
<p>Oui?</p>
<p>Nvilla: This is what I am so worried about. UD Honors is my financial safety since I’m in state, but I’m really afraid that it won’t be intellectual at all. I don’t want the social life to be centered around partying and sports. Do you think there are any really intellectual people at UD?</p>
<p>bump</p>
<p>10char</p>
<p>*This is what I am so worried about. UD Honors is my financial safety since I’m in state, but I’m really afraid that it won’t be intellectual at all. I don’t want the social life to be centered around partying and sports. Do you think there are any really intellectual people at UD? *</p>
<p>University of Denver is your safety because you’re in-state?? It’s a private school - how does being “instate” matter? </p>
<p>Can you afford to be a “full pay” or did they give you a scholarship? On another thread you said that you need financial aid. Does UD give good aid? How much can your family pay? If you’ll have a big gap, UD isn’t a “safety.”</p>
<p>25% of students at UD score in the 91st percentile or higher. You have an ACT 33. You will be one of the smarter kids on many/most campuses. But, that doesn’t mean that you won’t be challenged. Your ACT is the same as my kids’ and they are very challenged. </p>
<p>A lot depends on choice of major. If you pick an easy major, you’ll be bored. If you choose a harder major, such as engineering (as you noted), math, physics, etc, you’ll be challenged. There will be other smart kids in your major.</p>
<p>If you don’t like UD, why not apply elsewhere? There are schools that are still accepting apps.</p>
<p>Anyway…back to your question.</p>
<p>I think that no matter which college you go to, you’ll find…</p>
<p>1) people who are very smart (often in the harder majors)</p>
<p>2) people that you’ll think are dumb (often in the lighter majors)</p>
<p>3) people who party</p>
<p>4) people who like watching sports</p>
<p>The benefit of an honors program is that those classes will have the smarter kids in them.</p>
<p>What are the minimum req’ts to be in UD honors. If it’s - say ACT 28 - then the kids in honors will have scored in the 91st percentile and above. A pretty smart group.</p>
<p>mom, I think he/she meant Univ. of Delaware</p>
<p>Yeah he was definitely talking about U of Delaware.</p>
<p>Yes, I was talking about University of Delaware and I am a junior, I haven’t even applied to college yet. I am instate, both my parents are alums, and I’m nearly certain I can obtain a substantial scholarship. UD’s average SAT scores are something like 550-640 per section. I consistently score 2100+ on old SATs though I’m taking it for real in March.</p>