<p>I am going to be applying to GW this fall, and I was wondering what is the Honors program at GW. More importantly, is the honors program worth it?</p>
<p>Worth it? </p>
<p>No. Not really.</p>
<p>I don’t see much point of an “honors” program in college. There’s the Honors Thesis you’re supposed to do, and extra (or, specific) classes. </p>
<p>Get a 4.0 GPA. Graduate with ‘honors’ with no extra classes required.</p>
<p>The good? </p>
<p>They used to give early enrollment for honors. It’s really not that hard to spend a few hours each semester late at night trying to get into a class when someone drops though. </p>
<p>There’s “honors” housing now. Minor plus.</p>
<p>They also have some special events, like hikes. </p>
<p>I suppose if you want to take the honors classes/pro-seminars, do an honors thesis, and participate in the other junk, it’s not a <em>bad</em> idea. It just seems like it’s more effort than it’s worth, “honors” class registration or not. I would skip honors, and get a 4.0.</p>
<p>I respectfully and completely disagree with gwgrad. I’m a freshman in the honors program right now and I absolutely adore it! The people–students, professors, advisors, and just everyone involved altogether–are brilliant and so hardworking and inspiring. In my first few weeks as a freshman, I have become a bit jaded in my non-honors courses–it can be a bit frustrating and angering to hear people ask who John Huntsman is or what gentrification is. The Honors Program gives me an outlet for my intellectual pursuits as the professors and students are fantastic and brilliant individuals who push my to be the best student I can be. Some perks include priority registration, mind-opening classes closed only to honors students, AMAZING advising (while non-honors kids constantly complain about the lack of quality advising they receive, the honors advisors are absolutely amazing and hilarious), free coffee and hot chocolate at the honors suite (a minute perk, but still a considerable one for starving college kids), and (for me, probably the most significant perk besides the classes) research and internship opportunities provided only to honors students. It’s also a great community within a community–it feels like going to a smaller, tight-knit liberal arts college with the resources of a large university. I should admit, I too was weary about choosing GW Honors–I wondered if it would really make a difference in my education or my place at GW, and it has in so many ways! I feared that I would still be just another number at a large university, which so many non-honors students feel, and I certainly do not. I remember on accepted students day, I was ready to pay the deposit at another institution for the first few hours until the honors luncheon and very extensive honors information session/tour–that’s when I saw how fantastic the honors program truly is and all the opportunities it provides. It truly makes the GW experience 100X better and more academically fulfilling. It’s such a great program and I implore you to apply! Please let me know if you have any questions about applying or anything else regarding the Honors Program and good luck with the admissions process!</p>
<p>Oh I guess I didn’t fully answer your question as to what the honors program is. I would say the best definition would be a small community of the most intellectually advanced and curious students within the university that provides the best resources and opportunities one could ask for. To talk in specific terms, in your freshman year, you will take at least two honors classes–Origins & Evolution of Modern Thought and Scientific Reasoning & Discovery. The former is basically a philosophy and writing course and the latter differs by which course you choose (you can read all about the course offerings for this year on the Honors Program website). You can also take additional honors classes like honors economics, etc. as opposed to more impersonal and less rigorous and motivating non-honors courses. Over the next two years, you will take Self & Society and Arts & Humanities honors courses as well and any other additional honors classes. Finally, in your senior year, you will do a senior capstone project & a senior thesis. Throughout all of this, you will have a myriad of research and internship opportunities provided only for honors students. Also, all honors classes are kept small–both of my freshman honors classes are capped at 15 students, which is extremely rare for freshman classes. Furthermore, the small class sizes and just general spirit of the honors program make the recommendation process for internships and other opportunities much easier and just better because the professors really get to know you. It’s just such an amazing opportunity overall, so again, I encourage you to read more about it and to apply! Please let me know if you have any additional questions about the honors program or GW in general (I can’t guarantee that I’ll get back to you right away as I’m a busy busy college student–I’m currently procrastinating on two papers right now–but I’ll do my best!) and you can also get in touch with the honors advisors–Liz and Catherine–who are amazing! Again, good luck with applying!!</p>
<p>I got a lot out of it.</p>
<p>Do most freshman in honors live on Mount Vernon campus?</p>
<p>Kidsfour, it’s a mix. It seems like maybe a third of Honors students live on the Vern.
Gwgrad, the Honors Program is about so much more than what ends up on your transcript. The classes are extremely intellectual, it’s very easy to form close relationships with professors and other students, and there is a sense of comfort that can be gained from being around people who are just as interested in nerdy topics as you are. It might be a little more work, but I’m glad to do it.</p>
<p>Intellectual? Mmm. Freshmen level classes, honors or not, are hardly intellectual.</p>
<p>It is best to seek out smaller class sizes, and trying to have the same professors a few times. Take advanced level courses and you’ll often have the smaller class sizes, and experienced students who are academically focused.</p>
<p>MY D has enjoyed the friends she met in the honors program in the first couple of years they get preferential registration.</p>
<p>The Honors program is absolutely worth it. I’ll echo all the positive points made above and add that a lot of the Honors classes cover GCRs you might not otherwise want to take. I’m a senior in the program now, and I can say without hesitation that deciding to apply to the Honors program is one of the best decisions I ever made.</p>