<p>I’m interested in hearing about anyone’s experience with the UCSC First Year Honors program.</p>
<p>My daughter has applied to UCB, UCD, UCSB and UCSC. She received an invitation to apply to the FYHP and Chancellor’s Scholarship (up to $5K per year) and filled out the application. With her GPA, scores, ECs and essays UCB is probably a reach. For the other schools she solidly falls in the admitted students range. She is an undeclared major but will probably major in a science such as chemistry.</p>
<p>UCB is her first choice. If she doesn’t get into UCB she’ll probably have to choose among UCD, UCSB and UCSC. She likes all of the campuses and knows she can get a decent education at any of them. I agree with her. They are all large, high quality, public research universities.</p>
<p>Without the FYHP offer she would probably pick UCD over UCSC because it is slightly more prestigious (most people consider UCSC to be in a “lower tier” than UCD/UCSD/UCSB), slightly more academic student body (as judged by admitted student SATs), less of a “stoner” image.</p>
<p>The FYHP sounds nice - special honors classes, contact with professors, a chance to do research as a freshman, faculty seminars, priority registration. We’ll be full pay, in-state. The $5K/year is nice but not enough to sway us.</p>
<p>My concern is that the benefits of the FYHP aren’t really there or they won’t matter over the course of a four year program. </p>
<p>I have a feeling there are others in my daughter’s situation. I know that the FYHP is a relative new program. If anyone has any direct experience with it and has an opinion on it I’d really like to hear it. Thanks.</p>
<p>Also curious for similar reasons</p>
<p>Since nobody is responding, here’s some information I gathered from various documents that I Googled up from the ucsc.edu website.</p>
<p>It is a very new program. FYHP started as a pilot program in the Fall of 2011 with 47 students. They had extended an invitation to 1385. Subsequent years they expanded to 80-100. For Fall 2014 they hope to have 100-120 at Crown and Cowell. </p>
<p>Here’s a newsletter article about the FYHP. If you zoom in on the picture there are 22 women and 2 men. That seems pretty lopsided. I don’t know if that’s representative of the demographics of the program.
<a href=“http://admissions.ucsc.edu/apply/counselors/eslug/winter12/honors-program.html”>http://admissions.ucsc.edu/apply/counselors/eslug/winter12/honors-program.html</a></p>
<p>I also ran across some interesting stats on the Regents Scholarships for Fall 2012
- UCSC received 38,000 applications for Fall 2012
- 1,077 were invited to apply for Regents (3% of 38,000)
- 328 invitees applied (30% of 1,077)
- 189 scholarships were awarded (58% of 328)
- 29 scholarship winners attend (15% of 189)</p>
<p>Thanks for the info – it looks like a great program, and I love the community concept. The photo was from one of the various seminars that was offered, so I don’t know that it represented an accurate ratio of gender. From what I understand, there are a variety of seminars offered and students register for the one they are interested in. I believe I read on the UCSC site (several weeks back) that they have these seminars scheduled throughout second semester. </p>
<p>Honestly, I think it looks like a promising opportunity. My daughter did not love the UCSC campus when we visited (over Thanksgiving, so the campus was empty and not really a good time to go), mostly because she isn’t an outdoorsy person, and wasn’t too keen on the woods and distance between colleges. It’s unfortunate, because I think every other aspect of UCSC would suit her very well. If she gets FYHP and or Regents, we will be making another trip while classes are in session so she can get a better sense of campus life.</p>
<p>My oldest daughter attends UCSC - it was her “safety” and she was concerned about the reputation, etc. She’s been pleasantly surprised by the people she’s met and loves her classes. A word of caution - have your student choose their college affiliation carefully. My daughter was originally placed in the “party” college (which we didn’t realize, obviously) and was very unhappy there. After a quarter she moved to a different college and all has been well. </p>
<p>She didn’t participate in the FYHP - I think it was only in its second year when she started. Now my second daughter is going through the application process and received the email to apply, so she did. Their gpas were similar, and both are full IB diploma, but D2 had a higher sat - maybe that’s what made the difference? Also they seem to be expanding the program. There is something to be said for being a big fish in a small pond…</p>
<p>I agree completely about the pond! My daughter’s first choice is UCB. She loved the campus, but a big motivator for her is that her boyfriend attends UCB – a bad reason to want to go to a school. It’s been a difficult time for me as a parent, because I can’t fault UCB as a prospective school, have a very high regard for the boyfriend, and think she would do very well there – BUT, I worry that she will not fully evaluate all of her options. At UCB she will be a small fish. At UCSC, especially as a Regent/FYHP scholar, she would have more access to opportunities. Same for CSUCI – not as much prestige, but the rep there has been very dedicated to trying to recruit her, and quite proactive in getting D14 to apply for their Presidents Scholar program. </p>
<p>I have less concern about the party reputation – I grew up in Los Gatos, lived in Santa Cruz for a few years, and have friends who graduated from UCSC. I think the reputation is over stated, and I get the Santa Cruz culture in general. </p>
<p>From what I’ve read so far about the program, they house students in either Crown or Cowell – I’m taking a guess that neither are the party college? I would love to know which college your daughter didn’t like, as I would steer my D14 away from it as well. I think she would hate a party environment. I was considered very conservative in my day, but by comparison she makes me look like a wild child. That’s another reason why I think this program has so much potential for her – I see her being at home with other like-minded students who are truly involved in their education.</p>
<p>I know that at Cowell the honors kids all live together on the same floor of a dorm - I assume it’d be the same in other colleges.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses. I also have a favorable impression of UCSC. It’s too bad it’s overshadowed by the other UCs. I thought the Regents Scholarship yield numbers were telling. They identify 1000 students they hope to attract and end up with 29 enrolling. FWIW, USNWR ranks UCSC below UCB/UCLA/UCD etc but it’s tied with the Univ of Colorado and Univ of Alabama, those states’ flagship Us.</p>
<p>From reading the USCS docs one gets the impression they are serious about beefing up their Honors program. They see it as a way to improve their academic reputation. You also get the impression that they are still tuning the program. They reduced the number of college housing the FYHP to two in order to concentrate them and make the group more cohesive. Apparently Crown is more science-y (with more gamers) and Cowell is more humanities oriented.</p>
<p>If you’re going to revisit, UCSC Spring Spotlight for admitted students is from Apr 11-19.</p>
<p>MrLinearDad, you are really good at ferreting info!! I will put the Spring Spotlight dates on my calendar. I think they have a special event for FYHP students, which presumably would be during the same week? Bummer that it is the week right after spring break. Sigh</p>
<p>My daughter was also invited to apply for FYHP and Regents. She excitedly completed both application responses perhaps a little too hastily as I don’t think we really digested the full impact of the possibilities. Now I wish she had taken a little more time with her responses as opposed to banging something out in 30 seconds. But she was really excited as UCSC is her top choice so we’ll see what happens. She’s applied as a Lit major with a possible philosophy or German minor. Don’t know if that will last since experience can change a person at UCSC which is something that I find appealing for her. </p>
<p>Since it has been suggested that this invitation implies acceptance, she initially was all over going to Porter however I now see that Crown and Cowell may be her choices. So my question will remain, what would be better for a very non-conforming, artsy, poetry writing, spoken word performing, lover in indie rap, solid student-the FYHP or Porter?</p>
<p>This is an interesting thing that I found in my search for more info on the FYHP. </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.ue.ucsc.edu/sites/default/files/Honors_Proposal_0.pdf”>http://www.ue.ucsc.edu/sites/default/files/Honors_Proposal_0.pdf</a></p>
<p>Very interesting link, thanks for sharing! I would ask one question about your daughter – is she more focused on educational goals, or the social/party scene at school? If the first option is more her style, then she might be happier in the Crown or Cowell colleges. </p>
<p>And therein lies the problem…she needs, needs, needs her arts, but gets a little irritated with being around “unmotivated” people for too long. Not to say that artists are unmotivated, but the party scene…</p>
<p>Does anyone know this-if she were to live at Crown for year one, might she be allowed to transfer to Porter for year two? I’m confused as to the classification between dorm and college at UCSC.</p>
<p>My sense is that students tend to live on campus a bit longer at UCSC than say UCSB where my other daughter attends. Those kids are straight to Isla Vista for year two for the most part.</p>
<p>One more comment about Honors in general. My older daughter went into UCSB as a first year honors student and promptly lost it after year one due to changing majors from Sociology to BioPsych. She’s doing well now but UCSB requires a very high GPA to hold onto honors. A letter grade of B here and there drops you out of the program. UCSC’s GPA requirement is somewhat lower. </p>
<p>The very big advantage to honors at UCSB is priority registration. Daughter is currently crashing multiple classes to try and get her major classes. She had planned on graduating a year early, however getting those classes is hard to do. Honors would sure come in handy right now. </p>
<p>From the letter that I attached above, it looks as though UCSC may use priority registration as a “carrot” also. It’s a really good carrot that you don’t know you want until you don’t have it. :)</p>
<p>The other difference that I see between UCSB and UCSC honors is that UCSC seems to be promoting the program as enrichment to a quality education. UCSB seems to approach it from an achievement angle. They basically make you jump through some rather uninteresting educational hoops to hang onto the honor whereas UCSC seems to make faculty available and advertises it as an academic opportunity with educational benefits for interested and interesting students as opposed to just being a resume builder.</p>
<p>Mimi2012, yes students can transfer between colleges or live in a college that isn’t their official affiliation. </p>
<p>Thank you @hororiaglossop! Good to know and helps with the decision as to FYHP if she’s accepted. :-S </p>