Commonwealth Honors College

<p>Can someone who is there tell me what it is like? </p>

<p>Is every Class you take an Honors course? At Dartmouth they had requirements but they also had (for example) math for students who didn't need it for their major but did need it to fulfill College requirements. I know several people who were straight A students going into college and then struggled their first year just to pass. Eventually they became A students again, but I'm wondering how much the Honors program turns up the heat on Freshmen.</p>

<p>Also, what are they building on campus?- is that going to be dedicated housing for the Honors college as well as classrooms, etc.</p>

<p>I'd like to find out a little more from someone who is living it. </p>

<p>thanks.</p>

<p>(I e-mailed them but they're off till January)</p>

<p>Yea I’d also like to learn more about the honors college</p>

<p>DS is applying this year but we did visit and sit down with honors admission person. The new buildings are all honors related - dorms, classrooms, faculty offices, cafe. The honors program is 45 credits out of the 125 or so. Check their site and you can find out more about buildings and honors courses. I believe the majority of the gen ed classes can be non-honors (<a href=“https://www.honors.umass.edu/curriculum[/url]”>https://www.honors.umass.edu/curriculum&lt;/a&gt;)</p>

<p>Amherst is a great college town with 5 colleges around the area. Make sure you stop at Antonio’s Pizza if you’r in town…the greatest and most diverse pizza slices anywhere!</p>

<p>You have to take 8 honors courses over the four years, along with a capstone project of some kind. Very easy to find honors course in the liberal arts. In the sciences or engineering you have to be a little creative. For example, a science or engineering course could be counted as an honors course if the prof allows you to write an extra paper, for example. S was able as a freshman this past semester to take 3 honors courses (calculus, chemistry, and a freshmena writing course) and was able to do well. So now he has 3.5 years to find just 5 more.</p>

<p>Yes, over on the west side of campus they are building an honors college complex that will include dorms and classrooms. Honors college students will not be required to live there, but may be tempted by a gorgeous new building, AC, etc. S likes the convenience of Northeast to his engineering/science courses, hasn’t decided yet if he will go over to the new digs.</p>

<p>Do students in the honors program get priority registration?</p>

<p>I lived in northeast back when I went there in the dark ages. Stayed even after I changed out of engineering. Visited the campus with D and our tour guide was a sophomore in honors college . She made it sound like it was pretty intense.</p>

<p>Yes, I believe that S was able to register a few hours before the rest of the freshmen for the spring semester.</p>

<p>^ I don’t think MADad is correct, AFAIK there is no priority registration for Honors students.</p>

<p>It is based on your year classification - that is, seniors go before juniors who go before sophomores who go before freshmen.</p>

<p>It is not uncommon for Honors students to have enough credit from AP courses that they are considered sophomores by the spring semester of their first year, so that may be why MADad’s S got to go before other freshmen.</p>

<p>notrichenough—</p>

<p>I am not saying freshmen register before seniors, but S seemed to indicate that ComCol freshmen had a window of opportunity to register before the rest of the freshmen.</p>

<p>My daughter was accepted to UMass today via her online account. It did not state she was accepted into the Honors College, however. We are hoping she is (or will be). Does anyone know if the online acceptance would say she was accepted into the Honors College? Or do we need to wait for the admittance package in the mail to find out…Thanks.</p>

<p>Maybe this will help:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/15248095-post128.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/15248095-post128.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

</p>

<p>[Facilities</a> Planning Commonwealth Honors College Residential Complex](<a href=“http://www.umass.edu/fp/CHCRC/]Facilities”>http://www.umass.edu/fp/CHCRC/)</p>

<p>Live camera on the project:</p>

<p>[Untitled</a> Document](<a href=“http://www.umass.edu/fp/CHCcam.html]Untitled”>http://www.umass.edu/fp/CHCcam.html)</p>

<p>CollegeBound3333, I got accepted into my major today. On the website, it states that I also got into the Honors college. So apparently, you find out about the Honors college at the same time as you find out your admittance to UMASS.</p>

<p>If your freshman GPA is above a certain value, you can apply to the ComCol for sophomore year.</p>

<p>Once in honors you must maintain a 3.4 gpa to stay in it. Also you are required to take at least one honors class a semester which come to the total of 8. You can obviously bunch them up but that’s not a smart idea as honors courses are usually more intensive. </p>

<p>As fair as class registration goes, honors students don’t get priority when picking classes. Selection is done for incoming freshman based on how early you register for summer orientation. For semesters on registration depends on how many credits you have taken. People who have more college credits pick earlier. So having AP credit does help to pick before other freshman students. Has nothing to do with being in honors </p>

<p>The new buildings for honors is for dorms and office space for the department. All freshman honors students will have to live their. There will be a few courses that will be there as well. So you will still have classes around the campus. The honors dorms are located in the best location on campus as its near academic buildings, Mullins center, band practice field, library and the rec center.</p>

<p>rlouisne–</p>

<p>Are you sure that freshman honors students will be REQUIRED to live in the new complex, or is it that the honors floors will be located there, and that ComCol freshmen will be encouraged to live there? Engineers or pre-meds might prefer Northeast or O-Hill. </p>

<p>I do think upperclassmen will be given the option of living there but could choose to live elsewhere. I do think it’s important not to segregate the honors college, but assimiliate them in the entire school.</p>

<p>what i’ve been hearing in reslife is that honors freshman will be required to live their if they are on campus. upperclassmen honors students of course will have the choice to and have priority for that area. The universities goal is for that area to be a honors student only living area</p>

<p>I can be wrong. but thats what i’ve been hearing</p>

<p>Do you think there will be any resentment from the rest of the campus toward the kids living in the new honors facilities?</p>

<p>I can surely tell you that there already is some brewing resentment because of the location the dorm is on campus. At the same time though students are excited that dorms in orchard hill that were once for honors students may be freed up for more students to find housing on campus. So its a win win.</p>

<p>Certainly location is fantastic although going to get food in the dead of the winter means walking a bit. Are the fields directly across available to the students to use for pickup soccer games, frisbee, etc? Are those the intramural fields also?</p>