<p>I feel kind of bad stating the question like this but I don't think there is any other way to get my point across. Does anybody else's school not put Honors in front of the classes where students feel like trying? I see in so many chance threads that students have all honors/AP's. I have taken every honors possible at my school which have only included Honors English all of HS and Honors Physics freshmen year. I have many friends who go to public schools and they say that honors classes are just for the students who actually plan to try in school. I don't know, maybe I'm just ranting but it just frustrates me when so many people can take all honors classes yet I can't. I mean it even makes my weighted GPA not look as good. </p>
<p>I guess I'm just wondering if anybody else has any thoughts on this? Just for reference I go to a college prep private school if anybody was wondering. Also I apologize if this comes up as offensive for some people. I don't mean it to be.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about it- as long as you are taking the toughest course load YOUR SCHOOL has to offer, you’re set. Did you really think, even for a second, that colleges will penalize students who aren’t able to take non-existent classes at their school? Some schools just happen to be more rigourous than others, thus “honors” classes will be quite a pointless addition. In more low-performing schools, there will be much more honors classes to provide a seemingly more enriching academic experience for serious students. But really, it’s all just a stupid system that exists for the purpose of making poor-teaching seem more superficially appealing for the uninformed parent. Oh look, my sons an honors student! Oh, well, so are the other 80% of kids in the district! It’s overrated. </p>
<p>It’s not overrated. It preps students for college. One honors style program is the IB program. The tests and classes are rigorous and prepare students for college success.</p>
<p>Yes, you should take the most rigorous courseload in your school, but you should take online AP/honors classes to enrich your schedule. It shows that you went beyond your school’s curriculum.</p>
<p>Honors is very subjective. At my school, if you are reading between one grade level below and several grade levels above, you are an honors student. Basically, if you care, you’re an honors student. But my school (well, my former school) is an academic joke. At some schools, however - take the nearby xxxx Academy - administrators don’t even bother calling courses “honors” even though they are several levels above where my AP classes are taught (my school has dismal AP scores).</p>
<p>The funny thing, is that our dean of teachers who is also head of the class curriculum committee is trying to get rid of honors classes because he feels like labeling classes honors is the same as labeling classes for dumb students and classes for smart students. He thinks that students should not constantly be with the same students year after year in honors classes (school is small enough that it always happens) and that they should benefit from being with different classmates every year. </p>
<p>Also I would say that my school is relatively well known. Always have around 25-40% of students get into great state university. Also have students win great scholarships, etc. I’m also not about to take online classes or switch schools. I am happy with my school and my counselor already said that she would put most rigorous on her supplement of the college applications. I just feel a little down sometimes when I see people with UW GPA’s that are close to mine then see that they have a weighted GPA that is 1.0 higher and then all honors classes.</p>
<p>edit: Thats exactly what I’m talking about applicannot.</p>
<p>I would have left my school in a heartbeat if they integrated honors and normal classes. Some kids are not as smart as other kids, especially in certain fields. I know that NCLB and other “social stigma” makes that sound like a horrid statement, but let’s face it: it’s true. It’s exactly why I am taking Physics and not Honors or AP Physics, and it’s exactly why I refuse to sit in an English 9 class when I should be in an Honors English 9 class. Integrating classes is one practice I absolutely abhor. If anything, I think that (in a big enough high school), there should be MORE levels, and they should be less shameful.</p>
<p>I don’t think you get it nhs harvard. It would be one thing if I went to a public school where they had no honors courses and the the classes were at a basic level. Its another in my situation at a “COLLEGE PREP” school where the standard classes are just as hard if not more harder then the honors classes at most public schools. This is based off what I and friends that I know in public school have said. The same applies for a local charter school in my area. The school has only Honors/gifted courses. At that point what makes them honors. If they have no standard courses then the standard is honors. The only thing that I would be accomplishing by taking online courses would be getting the honors put in front of the class on my transcript. </p>
<p>Also the thing about honors classes preparing you for college. That is complete crap. Public school honors classes are just so students don’t have to be put in an environment with other students who don’t plan to try in school. Also I don’t consider the IB Program as a type of honors program. I put those and AP’s on a different level.</p>
<p>And Virginia, I’m in pretty much the exact same situation as you. I, too, dont get why college prep schools even use the honors label, when regular courses there are basically honors courses at a public school, and honors courses at college prep schools are about the same as the rest of the college bound curriculum.</p>
<p>The school profile talks about your school. It states what classes are offered. Size of school. College acceptance percentage. Stuff like that. Ours is a front and back sheet that is put with every application. It helps to tell the college learn about your school and know, its rigor, difficulty and helps the college know the environment that student was in.</p>
<p>yes, although it is expected at college prep schools. My school make sure that everybody that graduates goes to college because they want to keep the 100% rate.</p>
<p>I go to a well regarded public school, and we have honors options in most subjects. However, they’re not just for kids who want to try in school. They are much more difficult than the standard college prep classes and you have to have a teacher recommendation to take them (including from your 8th grade teacher to take them as a freshman). We get a 0.5 point GPA boost for both honors and AP courses (their difficulty level is considered to be the same). I’m a good student, but I wouldn’t take more than 3 honors or AP courses in a year because the work loads in those courses are quite large.</p>