Computer Based Honors Program

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
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<p>I would appreciate any information any of you can provide about the Computer Based Honors Program. Perhaps I am just missing it, but I have searched on CC and on the UA website and I just havn’t found much detail. UA’s website states:</p>

<p>“The Computer-Based Honors Program (CBHP) is one of the most exciting programs at The University of Alabama, offering undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in real research projects with faculty members. Whether you want to be a doctor, lawyer, chemical engineer, marketing executive, or English professor, applying research skills and computing technology to your career field is essential for success.”</p>

<p>So what does this mean from a practical day to day on campus experience standpoint? Is it an additonal core group within the overall Honors program or a separate and distinct program? How does it differ from “just” being in the Honors Program. Any detail from those of you in the program or those of you who have a son or daughter in the program will be welcome. Thanks so much in advance.</p>

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<p>Many of UA’s CC posters are either in CBHP or are parents of a CBHP student. I’m not in CBHP, but I am very familiar with the program.</p>

<p>CBHP is part of the honors college, but it is a separate program under the Honors College umbrella, as is the University Fellows Experience (UFE), International Honors Program (IHP), and University Honors Program (UHP). Out of all the programs, UHP is the largest and most similar to the honors programs at other universities (you can be in multiple honors programs). CBHP is one of the smaller programs, admitting around 40 students per year via a competitive application and interview process. CBHP does require a specific sequence of classes that will lead to a minor in CBHP. There are also semester projects and projects in collaboration with faculty members. Overall, CBHP students are a close-knit group of very talented students who are participating in one of UA’s most prestigious programs.</p>

<p>When you visit campus, be sure to schedule a meeting with Dr. Sharpe, who is both the director of CBHP and dean of the Honors College. </p>

<p>I’d also like to add that in the event you are not selected for CBHP, there are many other excellent programs at UA that may be of interest to you. Some of these programs may turn out to be a better fit for you than CBHP would. All this said, I highly encourage you to apply for CBHP.</p>

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<p>I have a son in CBHP.</p>

<p>Each student does research within his/her major with a prof. It is a very close-knit group that has its own computer lab where many of the kids hang out to do their homework. </p>

<p>CBHP is a very prestigious program. Only 40 students are selected each year. The avg ACT is a 33.</p>

<p>You should come to the campus and meet with Dr. Sharpe to learn more how CBH might work for you and your interests.</p>

<p>Would you be able to visit the campus?</p>

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<p>Thank you both for the information.</p>

<p>I had to smile when I saw who responded as I seriously considered sending each of you a private message (I figured you both probably received many such messages, so I posted online). Mom2collegekids, I had previously read that you have a son in the CBHP and I have been quite impressed with your posts. You are always quite informative, enthusiastic and positive. SEA_tide, as a fellow resident of your state who also traveled south to college (although many years ago), I also appreciate your perspective and experience. I am glad you are having such a good college experience.</p>

<p>My son is a rising junior and wishes to attend college out of state. At this stage, he/we have not narrowed the list of potential schools or potential geography much. We did a swing through the SE (UVA, Univ. of Richmond, UNC, Duke, Emory and UGA) in July. As the college search process continues, I expect many more school visits over the next year and I plan to add Alabama to the list. I have been very impressed with what I have read about the school and the automatic scholarship criteria is intriguing, to say the least. </p>

<p>I fear, however, that my son may well fall into the same category of many students as described by their parents, who described a negative knee-jerk reaction to Alabama by their son or daughter. I am heartened by reading what typically has followed, that upon visiting and learning more about the school, the student’s perspective dramatically changed. </p>

<p>I am looking at Honors programs at several schools and the UA CBHP was very interesting to me in that it cut across disciplines. </p>

<p>Thanks again for your help. I look forward to talking to you both in the future. I am sure I will have other questions as this process continues.</p>

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<p>You should try to visit the campus. :)</p>

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<p>^^mom2collegekids gave me and my son the same recommendation, via PM, not too long ago. “Try to visit the campus.”</p>

<p>Well, we just got back from a visit, and it was amazing! We were so impressed with this school! </p>

<p>As for so many others, “Alabama” somehow, unfortunately, just didn’t sound like the kind of school (or state), that my son would want to attend for higher education. It’s too bad. We shouldn’t have such a knee-jerk reaction to it – but we did.</p>

<p>Anyway, our visit was lovely. It will likely be toward the top, or at the top, of my son’s list, he thinks. My son, by the way, has stats that could earn him a spot at an ivy league – very, very close to perfect SAT, ACT, PSAT, etc. Top of ~800 member class, etc. But it may well be Bama in the end!</p>

<p>One correction to mom2collegekids description of CBHP (likely just a mis-statement on her part – she’s definitely a resident expert! :wink: … students can do research outside of their major OR within their major with a prof – according to Dr. Sharpe just the other day.</p>

<p>Loved the school, mom2college! You were right once again!</p>

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<p>^^^^</p>

<p>Absolutely right. CBH students can do research outside their major. Son did research with an OB/Gyn…and son is a math major.</p>

<p>Glad you had a great visit!!!</p>

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<p>SimpleLife,</p>

<p>Glad to hear you had a good visit. </p>

<p>I look forward to visiting the campus, but given the distance for us, it will likely be next spring or summer for us before we can do so.</p>

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<p>What year is your child?</p>

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<p>^raschu’s child is a rising junior.</p>

<p>My son, btw, will take a certain Bama prof’s recommendations and fly out there alone in the fall. They’ll make all the arrangements as to picking him up and dropping him off at the Birmingham airport, putting him up with another student, arranging a class schedule for a day, tickets to certain events, etc. It’s gonna be a great way to really experience the school --with students in it. (We visited during the summer.)</p>

<p>As mom2collegekids told me, the honors college was great about coordinating our entire summer visit. They took care of all departments, lunch with a student, residence hall tour, campus tour, admissions, etc. We just supplied the arriving and departing times.</p>

<p>There was so much to like about this school! I’m really excited about it, as the parent, considering the scholarship opportunities AND the fact that it seems like it has everything my son is looking for in a school.</p>

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<p>SimpleL
How did you arrange the fall visit, through the Prof or honors college? We visited in the summer while school was not in session and S would like to visit when school is in session plus he was unable to speak with anyone in his major.</p>

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<p>^Well, we didn’t arrange the fall visit yet. One of the profs (and one of the department heads) we visited with this summer just suggested it, and we’re going to take him up on it. He said just to email him or call him with our dates, and he’d put it all together for us.</p>

<p>I can’t really say it’s going to work out that way … but he said that it would. We’ll see!</p>

<p>Maybe you or your son could ask somebody from his areas of interest if they could coordinate the same? We didn’t ask. It was just offered to us and highly suggested. This fellow has a few college kids of his own and highly recommended it.</p>

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<p>raschu - my son is in CBHP too. He is about to begin his third year at UA. Just like many of the regular posters on CC, UA was not even on the radar during the college selection process. Thanks to the aggressive marketing and scholarship opportunities from the Honors College, UA moved from the “NO WAY!” list to…“OK, I’ll take a look at it…IF I HAVE TO.” (with a bit of attitude) list. </p>

<ul>
<li>here is a CC post I wrote a while back…</li>
</ul>

<p>" I’m looking at the University of Alabama as a safety to apply to this fall."</p>

<p>"cobalt, I hope to encourage you to reconsider how you classify or rank colleges on your list of “possible” schools. Having watched two sons approach the college selection process from completely different angles, my recent HS grad only considered the most highly reguarded schools in his field of study and schools with the toughest admission standards. His stats are similar to yours: white male, out of state, 4.0 unweighted GPA, 35 ACT, plus 8 AP grades (all 5’s). Not only is he a NMF and at the top of his class (2/408), he is also a recruited athlete. </p>

<p>My son was offered more than $800,000 in merit scholarships from the 10 schools he appied to. This amount doesn’t even include the number of offers from schools he had turned his nose at. I however took interest in the Alabama’s Honors College. The financial benefits offered to NMF’s could not be ignored. I asked my son to apply to Alabama. Why not, he had nothing to loose. </p>

<p>My son wanted to revisit Emory during Spring Break. We added Alabama to the trip (three hours west of Atlanta). Every contact from Alabama’s staff was welcoming and the campus was beautiful! The facilities are well maintained (both new and older buildings). Most freshman are housed in newer dorms set up like apartments. Many get their own 10’ x 10’ bedroom with shared baths, kitchen and common room. My son spent the night in the dorm with an athlete in his sport. We met the coach, a professor and the Dean of the Honors College. Our 45 minute scheduled appointment with Dean Haley turned into a 1 1/2 hour visit. My son knows he is in control of his education plan at Alabama. If the existing class offerings don’t offer a specific subject, the Dean will see to it that adjustments are made. Just after we left the Dean, my son’s comment said it all. “I wish Dean Haley could be MY Grandpa!” He knew he would be happy at Alabama. </p>

<p>My point is, don’t judge a school by it’s name, rankings or the perceived reputation. You must visit and come to YOUR OWN conclusions. The name of the institution on your undergrad diploma does not carry as much weight as the Ivies use in their sales pitch." </p>

<hr>

<p>Last edited by momof3boyz; 07-01-2008 at 10:55 AM. "</p>

<p>I hope this helps. Feel free to review my posting history. My youngest son will be a HS Senior. He too will attend UA in the Fall of 2011. Thanks to generous merit scholarships and our first hand experience at UA thus far, we could not be happier, greatful and humble. UA all the way! Rolltide.</p>

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<p>^I loved your last post, momof3boyz. I’m so glad to hear that your entire family is enjoying, and proud of, the Alabama experience.</p>

<p>It’s particularly validating that your rising Bama junior originally turned his nose up at the school and then chose it and is very happy there. (It shouldn’t be particularly validating – it shouldn’t matter! But, somehow, it is just a little scary when you’re considering a school that is not well known or recognized for its academic excellence – yet. It’s validating that so many on this forum started from the same exact position. Somehow, when kids like your son pick the school, and then continue to love it, it’s reassuring.)</p>

<p>I thank mom2collegekids for suggesting it to my family a while back – prior to that, it simply was not on our radar. And yet, it seems to be a super good fit for this son.</p>

<p>When my son answered the engineering prof’s question the other week, "And why Alabama?” with “Well, it wasn’t on my radar at first. But then I heard about your really great scholarships, so I wanted to visit and check it out,” … well, I felt embarrassed and a little like I was gonna choke (!) … it was so darned honest and, I don’t know, a little too “mercenary,” perhaps. I chuckled out loud a little. But, then the prof said, “That’s actually a perfect answer. That’s exactly why we HAVE those scholarships. To attract students like you. And it’s been working.”</p>

<p>So, I was proud of my son for his honesty, though initially a little stunned, and I was really happy with the prof’s response! Equally honest, and REAL, and refreshing.</p>

<p>Alabama wants to attract top talent and improve their academic excellence. They’re doing it with hefty scholarships. And it seems to be working. Eventually, it will probably be a school that’s thought of that way – as attracting top talent.</p>

<p>Well, I’m repeating myself. I’m just kind of excited that my son found a school he’s really excited about!</p>

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<p>Simple life - “As for so many others, “Alabama” somehow, unfortunately, just didn’t sound like the kind of school (or state), that my son would want to attend for higher education.”</p>

<p>Kind of our sentiments too. But after reading everything here, I really thought we should take a look. S was unconvinced until we ran into a younger family friend from AL who told S he really should look. So we are on the plane in June and S says “thanks for planning all this but you know there is no way I’m going to school here” Great, an open mind, lol.
I think it was an hour into the visit when he totally changed his mind. 'bama is his #1 choice currently. There are so many things that make it a great “match” - honors college, merit scholarships, great dorms, warmer weather, etc, etc</p>

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<p>I know, Idinct. It’s crazy. And unexpected.</p>

<p>I hope you’re able to work out another visit for your son.</p>

<p>My son hopes to head back out there in the fall.</p>