<p>I don't know what to compare this school to, I am going to major in biology with a pre-med track. How does this school stack up to Boston University, University of miami, Tufts University, UPitt, UConn. I will be majoring in Biomedical engineering at the other schools. I have been given a full scholarship, which is why I am considering this school. I am from Connecticut, both of my parents were alumni from FAU which is why I applied.</p>
<p>I actually am a former student of the Honors College at FAU, so hopefully I can offer a different view. </p>
<p>The school, as most can agree, is not for everyone. That being said, it has incredible faculty that will bend over backwards, spend hours talking to students in their offices, and genuinely care to see students learn. The campus is small, so this provides a really family-like community; everyone knows each other within a few weeks and supports each other through the four years and beyond. The quality of education is stellar. However, the prestige of the Honors College is virtually unknown, and definitely falls flat next to BU, Tufts, etc. </p>
<p>Now, that being said…the Honors College can be a completely wrong fit (many students find this out by their first semester, and transfer soon after) if a student is looking for a bustling array of experiences that larger universities offer. Compare 300 students to 30,000–there is a difference. There are activities going on constantly, but not at the same scale as large universities. The work is hard, and I know many of us sometimes question whether the work is worth it when really, the HC is still attached to FAU, a not-so-great university. There is a huge difference to the HC students versus the main campus students–many HC students could have gone to Ivy League schools, and many do end up going post-grad. Now, unfortunately the main campus has got itself into a bit of an administrative wreck recently, and budget cuts from across the state have severely affected the HC–the course selections are minimal, and dwindling. For neuroscience, however, there is a greater amount of courses available, and many of the students intern at the Scripps Research Center/ Max Planck just across the street. </p>
<p>What I can’t stress enough is knowing what you’re getting in to. The HC will change you as a person in the best of ways if you let it, and are not looking for the “Traditional” college experience. Otherwise, you will be miserable and most likely transfer. The dorms are extremely nice, and the campus is small, but homily. The community is wonderful, but also know that you can walk out of your dorm on the weekend and not see a single soul at times. </p>
<p>Being attached to FAU is a common worry, but if all else fails, one can always just put “Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College” on a resume and just accidentally leave out the FAU part 
</p>
<p>If you haven’t visited the HC, that is the best way to get a feel for the school ([FAU</a> Wilkes Honors College - Visit Us](<a href=“http://www.fau.edu/divdept/honcol/admissions_visit_us.htm]FAU”>http://www.fau.edu/divdept/honcol/admissions_visit_us.htm))
They have tours as well as schedule preview days, where prospective students can sit in on classes and talk to students and professors. </p>
<p>Overall, the merits will be solely based on how you perceive them; on paper, FAU may not look so great, but once you leave the HC, you will be very prepared for graduate/medical school due to the research and level of learning that occurs. The merits may really only be internal growth, but then again, there are plenty of HC students who have made it to top-name grad/med schools (Columbia, UNC Chapel Hill, and Harvard Medical to name a few of the graduates of the class of 2014). </p>
<p>Please don’t hesitate to ask me anything else you’d like to know :)</p>
<p>FWIW I got into medical school from FAU (main campus) so the “reputation” doesn’t hinder you at all. There’s actually a wall photos up near the Pre-Med Advising Office showing where the people from FAU have gotten into medical schools and it’s all over the country.</p>
I wouldn’t even bother THINKING about going there.
My son attends now. The school itself is OK though there is nearly nothing to do on weekends. The problem is there are NO course offerings. Look for yourself. The school SAYS they offer about 40 majors/concentrations. The reality is there aren’t anywhere near enough in many majors to finish a degree. My son is or wants to be a math major. There is one course for him next semester. One. Not there’s one he wants to take, there is one he CAN take, Calc 2. The other 2 math courses are below the level of the Calc 1 course he just took.
The school offers 95 classes per semester. You can see for yourself on their website. And this isn’t sour grapes, his grades there are very good and he likes the kids in his classes. But it’s impossible to complete a degree in most of the ‘offered’ majors in 4 years. He will be transferring for 2017 and if I wasn’t concerned about throwing good money after bad I would sue them for misrepresentation.