<p>How do the research grad schools view science majors graduating from the Clark Honors College? </p>
<p>Is there any difference in undergrad research opportunities between UO and CHC?</p>
<p>My kid took a hard look at the Clark Honors College - CHC - at the University of Oregon but was surprised to find that it is really more of a program than a college. Only about one third of the student courses needed to graduate are taken through the CHC, which appear to be very good and of smaller class sizes (under 20). But that still leaves another two thirds of the courses to be taken with the general Oregon student population, who are not on average of the same caliber, hence the need to even have an honors program. Those general population class sizes are sometimes over fifty or in the hundreds. The impression about CHC is that the students will only participate in honors courses, and that is far from the case. </p>
<p>For those students that the University of Oregon rejects into the CHC, they have something they call the College Scholars Program. As I understand it, any applicant who scores a 26 ACT or higher receives an automatic invitation to the College Scholars Program, which they tout as also smaller in size (they won’t say how much) with better instructors. A closer look though reveals that the College Scholars Program consists of ten credit hours freshman year, another ten sophomore year, and none thereafter. So that’s roughly 20 credit hours of special treatment out of nearly 180 credit hours needed to graduate. It looks like a business deal where the student gives Oregon his or her higher ACT/SAT score in return for an extra designation on the diploma of being an honors student, which was basically achieved upon admission, not necessarily performance in college.</p>
<p>The CHC may still be worth consideration, but the Scholars program is only worth doing if the student would go to Oregon regardless, in which case why not get the added accolade. Only 20% of the CHC applicants are accepted and half of those go elsewhere. Don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade currently enrolled, but future applicants should know what the CHC really entails before passing on other opportunities. The CHC representatives are kind and honest in their answers - but you have to know what questions to ask. Remember - they are competing with really good schools for top talent and not many outside of Oregon even know about Clark Honors College. Heck, even some regular Oregon students are unaware it exists and it has its own building (Chapman) on campus.</p>
<p>It seems like there is a great discussion going on here. While you’re all doing a great job of keeping this conversation alive, here are some web links in case you’d like the “official word” on any of these honors-related programs.</p>
<p>[Top</a> Scholars at the UO | Office of Admissions](<a href=“http://admissions.uoregon.edu/topscholars]Top”>Honors College | Why UO)
[Home</a> | Robert D. Clark Honors College](<a href=“http://honors.uoregon.edu/]Home”>http://honors.uoregon.edu/)
[College</a> Scholars | College of Arts & Sciences ? University of Oregon](<a href=“http://csch.uoregon.edu/]College”>http://csch.uoregon.edu/)</p>
<p>My D just visited UO, and is very interested in the honors college. Many state U’s don’t emphasize the honors program, and UO seems proud of theirs. Wondering if, and how it has changed in the 3 years since these posts were written. Is it still super limiting in terms of coursework? Is it still ahuge hassle to withdraw and then have to repeat requirements. Are the professor choices still so limiting that if you get a horrible one…you’re stuck in the program? This set of comments is really offputting to a program that they tout. So what’s the truth. "Terrific " or “horrible and limiting”.?</p>
<p>I would say, probably not much has changed in the last 3 years in terms of how Clark honors college operates. My kid has graduated since this thread began. She had a very good experience there, many excellent professors. In retrospect, it was a great choice for her. I’m not sure about the “super limiting” coursework. My daughter graduated in 4 years with a degree from the honors college, her major, three minors, summa, PBK. I don’t think she could have done all that if it was so “limiting”.</p>
<p>Thanks for the response. my “super limiting” phrase was a little bit tongue in cheek…most of the old comments were so negative I was trying to flush out newer info.</p>
<p>thx!</p>
<p>What’s great about the honors college really is the school within the school structure. Students get the benefit of a wonderful dedicated faculty, taught in small classes by professors, not TAs, being well known to the staff and each other, very challenging classes, the thesis process (not easy, but so meaningful), PLUS the range of majors and classes and other opportunities that being in a large research university provides for those who take full advantage of it. It’s pretty cool. My older kid opted for a small prestigious liberal arts college, and his experience has been great too, but not really better than his UO Honors college sibling… and in some ways not as good because of the scope of what’s available at a large university.</p>
<p>My son is looking at it also. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>How do employers think about Honors College especially in comparison to regular U of O? If the student plans on entering the workforce, do they have options? Or is it considered the same as regular Oregon program?</p></li>
<li><p>Is it easy/hard for Business Majors to complete the Honors Program? </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thank you </p>
<p>My freshman is at the Clark Honors College and couldn’t be happier. He was accepted at a number of competitive colleges with a good amount of merit aid, so it was a hard decision. I’m sure this is the case for probably most everyone’s students! But in the end, the price was right, and the academic rigor has been what we hoped it would be. Classes are capped at 19 students, which has been perfect. For anyone concerned with the la-de-dah factor, if that is something that matters, all of his profs so far have earned an Ivy League degree or two or three somewhere along the way, and all have been truly excellent teachers. I have nothing against grad students, was one myself long long ago, but it’s pretty nice, as a freshman, to have classes taught by experienced mid-career profs. </p>
<p>He loves being part of the smaller community within the larger university and all that that offers. He’s already looking forward to and thinking about his thesis project. I’ve been quite impressed with the HC kids I’ve met. All are clearly smart cookies, articulate, doing fascinating things in many different areas, and they are just nice kids. He hasn’t encountered any attitude, which is something that was important to us. He’ll be finishing up his first major next year and is planning on an additional major and probably a minor. He’s also had to miss a few days of school over the last two quarters for professional reasons, and I cannot begin to describe the incredible flexibility and support that was offered him from his profs and his fellow students. Really wonderful. </p>
<p>Lynnebrad, I afraid I can’t really say how employers view the HC as compared to the U of O, since we’re not there yet. I can only imagine that, since the stats of entering freshman are pretty high, it is probably looked upon a bit more favorably. But I think this depends largely on the student as well. Each experience is what you make of it. I think there are majors which may be more challenging to complete within the framework of the HC. Music and architecture come to mind as they require many credits that are quite time consuming although I know of one HC music major. Hopefully someone else will chime in re. business. I do think the HC has a nice record of quite good grad school admits. </p>
<p>“Only about one third of the student courses needed to graduate are taken through the CHC, which appear to be very good and of smaller class sizes (under 20). But that still leaves another two thirds of the courses to be taken with the general Oregon student population, who are not on average of the same caliber, hence the need to even have an honors program.”</p>
<p>Just wanted to comment on this. Yes, this is probably true. However, at least one third of those two thirds will be higher level courses taken in the student’s major at the 300 or 400 level. I would assume these would then be smaller classes, but perhaps that depends on the major. My student tested into 300 level courses in two areas, and his classes are small at that level — between 12 and 25 students at most.</p>
<p>I suppose that’s one of the purposes of HCs at large state research universities…to offer academically gifted students the possibility to study at a higher level in smaller classes at a reasonable price.</p>
Updating this thread, looking for anyone who’s currently in (or has a child in) CHC, or is considering it for next year. We went to visit a few months ago, and it seemed like a good option, and it certainly would be more convenient to where we live (driveable) and more affordable (by a lot!) than the other places my kid has been accepted (east coast). I’d love to know if students who chose CHC over other, more well known places have been happy with their choice or regretted it. And how’s life in Eugene and on the UO campus? (BTW - for anyone reading the older posts here, they’ve opened a new honors dorm that seems very, very nice!).
No one has responded to the March 27, 2015 post. We would be curious also. Have a D seriously considering CHC and would love more recent information than some of the older posts that predominate this thread.
I am currently a Freshman at the CHC this year and I would be happy to put in my two cents.
Although some of the comments are older, I feel like they are still true.
I am a biochemistry major, interested in pre-med, and I feel like the curriculum does not work for my major or myself. In fact, all the literature and history requirements take up so much of my schedule that I won’t be able to graduate on-time (major or any minors) without taking summer classes at a community college or taking 18+ credits every term!
To me, this is very annoying because I came into college with 76 credits from community college and AP exams. The CHC does not accept AP/IB history or English credits, so I am required to take their classes instead of moving onto material that is more important to me.
The curriculum encompasses a history sequence and a literature sequence (each take two classes, then one research class), at least five colloquia classes, and several classes regarding the writing of a thesis. I am currently taking the history sequence with the research option. The class does not seem like a traditional history class, but more like a literature class about history. There is a very strong emphasis on reading historical text and then being able to write about it. Readings vary, typically 40-70 pages between classes, and there is anywhere from two to four essays a term (depending on what professor). If you or your child enjoys and is skilled at reading and writing, the CHC will be good for you.
The history classes I have taken were very interesting, but the courses overall do not leave a particularly good impression. Because the readings are long and dense, the information is hard to access and learn from. Even then, much of the information is mundane, such as discussing agricultural practices of 15th century Europe. As I said, they are interesting, but certainly not applicable. I anticipate the literature classes to be less disappointing because they will be more traditional in their structure.
Despite my thoughts above, I do thoroughly enjoy the small class sizes and personal attention from professors. The small classes make discussion interesting and engaging. Not very likely to dose off! Once you get past some pretension and vagueness from the professors, they are kind and helpful people. The CHC professors are very good, but I have had better professors from other colleges and departments.
Finally, for the CHC, there is a $1,200 a term fee ($3,600 year) that you must pay in addition to tuition. For my family, this is kind of annoying because you pay that fee regardless if you are taking any classes. Most students will take only one a term. I do not know what this money is going towards and I feel somewhat cheated because I doubt the CHC is worth $14,400 over four years. Personally, these fees eat up most of the academic scholarships granted to me by the university.
Overall, I do regret the CHC and I have met many people who feel the same way. I know several who have already dropped it. I have talked with a wide array of people and most (if not all) are frustrated and annoyed by what the college asks of students. I am currently considering leaving the CHC.
To answer the non-academic questions about UO, Eugene, and dorms…
The UO campus is beautiful, compact, and very active. Unless it’s a Saturday/Sunday morning, there is always people out and about. Lost of little conventions to provide students with information about clubs, classes, jobs, studying abroad, etc. Sports is very big here (obviously) and can annoy people who couldn’t care less, but there are many people who are passionate and there is a strong community around it. Very similar with Greek life, very active community. Overall, love the campus and life on campus.
As for Eugene, though, I am somewhat underwhelmed. Despite being the second largest city in Oregon, there is not very much to do. There is some shopping: immediately off campus, on 13th Ave, there is a small strip of restaurants and shops, the (very small!) downtown area is 10 minutes away by bus, and there are three malls that are 25-45 minutes away by bus. The bus system is great because it is fairly clean, on-time, and free to U of O students! The only other things I have heard a lot about in the Eugene area is hiking, but these areas are impossible to get to without a car. Although I do not recommend bringing a car, it is harder to do things without one.
Anyway, all of that is my own opinion. I am probably biased, but I just wanted to provide my experience to prospective students. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask!
Oh I forgot to talk about the dorms!
If you are in CHC, a language program, or College Scholars, you receive preferential treatment for being placed in the Global Scholars Hall. By no means is any student required to live there, it just provides a nicer space and a sense of intellectual community.
I personally live in the Global Scholars Hall and enjoy it. I believe it is the nicest dorm on campus. The rooms are very spacious in comparison to others, each room comes with a sink, private or shared bathrooms are available, and the floor “public” bathrooms are still very nice and very private (locking stall doors for each shower). There is a small cafeteria downstairs that has a deli, pasta, and rice bowls, as well as a cafe. Other eating places are nearby that offer some more variety, so it’s not a huge hassle to go elsewhere. The building has its own library and librarian, as well as many study rooms throughout the building and on many floors. Wouldn’t have picked another dorm!
Only downside is that it costs $1,000-$8,000 more a year, depending on what you want. The cheapest room in GSH is about $11,000 a year (including food), which is $1,000 more than the cheapest elsewhere, but can run up to $20,000 a year for a one-person room with a private bathroom.
Hello there. I am a senior in high school, and I recently committed to U of O. Two days ago, I received my acceptance to the Clark Honors College. Although I’m not entirely sure about what I want to major in yet, I’m thinking about journalism and history as possible options for me.
Does anyone know if these fit well within the CHC curriculum? I’m concerned that since I’ve already committed to the university as a whole that if this isn’t true I’ll be stuck in the honors college. Please HELP
Honors College is completely optional. You can try it out and quit if you don’t like it also. Or you can turn it down outright. In my mind, there are two negatives with the Honors College. One is it costs another $4k per year. The second is that you can end up not being able to count your AP/IB courses. I think this is less of a problem if you are in a humanities or social science major because some of those become part of your major and not your distribution classes (which become all honors classes). But the two Honors students we met were well over 200 credits and only 180 are required to graduate.
Rejected
ACT 31
GPA 3.2w (3.8w senior first semester)
3 5s on AP, 5 more APs in progress
2 SAT subject tests 610 & 800
Hello, everyone.
I was accepted to the Clarks Honors College, with an SAT of 1980 and GPA of 3.76(GED).
I’ve been able to glean a lot of information from this forum and other resources online.
However, I still have some unanswered questions that I’d greatly appreciate someone helping me out with, if that’s okay.
I plan on majoring in psychology (currently taking classes at LBCC), and am working towards going to graduate school after earning my bachelor’s to earn a MA or PhD in I/O psychology. I’ve taken a WR 121 class, and am taking WR 123 alongside MTH 111 and PSY 201 this term. I’ll be transferring these credits to the UO promptly.
However, I read that the CHC has its own prerequisites, and thus, WR121 and 123 don’t fulfill their requirements.
While this isn’t a problem within itself, would this apply to any of my other classes?
And as a Psychology major, would the CHC be too much of a strain and too unfocused on my field, or would it complement my major?
I also have to take two terms of a foreign language in the UO, since my current source of language isn’t regionally accredited (lived abroad for a good part of my life). However, if I attend the CHC, I’ll have to take two years of language courses.
I am also concerned that my scores might be less than the status quo compared to the average applicant to the CHC(average Sat is 1350 or so). Does that imply that I’ll have a greater time struggling compared to my classmates, or would I be about on par with the community?
Given my overall situation, I guess I’m just wondering how good a fit the CHC would be for me. I’m intrigued by the classes, and the community. The direct relationships with professors is also a huge plus, as that could be a great aid to make it into graduate school.
To whomever replies me, thank you for your time!
Respectfully,
A potential student.