Hi everyone!
So I was accepted to Drexel’s business school and was also admitted into the Pennoni Honors Program. I was wondering if anyone had any information on the honors program? Are there any benefits? Is it really competitive/intense?
Also, when I was applying I didn’t know much about the Co-op program they offered at Drexel so I selected the regular 4 year no co-op option. When I read about the co-ops on their website it made me nervous that I’d be going to school over the summer and I wasn’t sure if I want that. Does anyone have any information about their business co-ops? Are they worth it? And would it make a difference if I just did my 4 years and interned on my own time? One last question (sorry!), what type of companies/ employers do the business students have the option of working at when involved in the co-op program?
Thanks in advance!
Hey man,
I’m in the honors program and it’s definitely very useful. Being in honors gets you access to the honors lounge where you get free printing and extra study space, the honors living learning community (One of our freshmen residence halls, millennium, is given priority to honors students) and the opportunity to be part of a smaller, more close community within Drexel. Also, you get early registration for classes. This is the biggest and best advantage by far.
It’s really not very rigorous and doesn’t make your specific major more difficult- the majority of your honors credits come from classes outside your major in a wide variety of subjects ranging from “History of the American SuperHero” to “Intro to BallRoom Dancing”. (Two classes I’ve taken, as examples). The idea is to increase students well-roundness and provide students with a break from the standard curriculum, not to burden them.
Co-op is Drexel’s trademark and I definitely suggest doing the 5-year, 3 co-op track (or the 4year 1 co-op if you’re really in a wish l rush to get out of school).
Here’s how I like to put it. Yes, you will graduate one year behind those who went to the typical 4 year school. But you will graduate with 1.5 years worth of real-world work experience under your belt. This is invaluable as a fresh-out-of-college 23 year old and gives you an enormous leg up over other college students.
Co-ops are different than internships in that they are 6 months as opposed to 2. This makes quite a difference if you look from a company’s perspective. If your student employee is going to be doing any real work, It takes at least a month to train them. So with an intern, you get a month of useful value out of them. A co-op, you get 5. From a company’s perspective, that Co-Op will be worth a lot more than that internship. If you translate that to the student, that means you’ll be paid more to be doing better work with more responsibility, which in turn makes you learn more.
For examples of where students co-op, definitely check out the business college website. I have two teammates who are on co-op right now; one is a finance major currently at SIG, another is doing accounting for ComCast. These are just two examples but I’m sure there are tons more listed on the website.
@OnWithTheRiotDU Wow thank you so much for the information, I can definitely see why a co-op would earn a student way more working experience rather than a normal internship. It’s also reassuring to hear that their honors program is not all geared toward academics but towards an individual’s development in general. I just have to see if I can swim for them now before I make any decisions. Anyway, thanks again! 