<p>I just got a letter inviting me to join the UVM Honors College next year. UVM was originally my safety school considering the caliber of some of the other schools I've applied to, but I never actually looked hard at the Honors College because I didn't know about it at the time. Is it for real? I mean, is there a significant difference in ones experience at the Honors College versus the university at large?</p>
<p>I'm in the exact same situation. I'd like to know about these things in addition to how it would look on a transcript versus a more competitive small liberal arts school (none of which I have heard from yet).</p>
<p>D was accepted to UVM in January. was told she got a merit based scholarship of 4500.00 per year not based on financial need. Was just accepted into the Honors College, but the financial aid hasn't changed. They havent met any of the financial aid need, Wants parents to take a 28,000/yr Federal Perkins loan and the rest is work study and student loans. I'm very disappointed in this. Especially since it is diversity they want and she is very diverse in more ways than one. This is going to be their loss. I thought they could do better than this.</p>
<p>The Honors College at the University of Vermont may be just a few years old, although I am not certain. Typically, $500 scholarships were offered to Honors College students, and, typically, financial aid at UVM. is unimpressive. Think of the UVM. Honors College as an added benefit to attending Vermont, but do not let it be the sole deciding factor as it is not as well developed as many other honors programs/colleges based on my info. which is about three years old. Note that the University of Vermont usually ranks as the most expensive state supported university in the country. But what a spectacular location!</p>
<p>The honors college at UVM consists of additional honors seminars; you take the majority of your classes with "non-honors" students.</p>
<p>The biggest benefit to the honors college are (1) living in a brand-new dorm in the middle of campus. The dorm was significantly nicer than the non-honors dorms; (2) priority registration even for freshmen.</p>
<p>It has little to do with merit aid.</p>
<p>while it may have little to do with merit aid, it will not attract people to attend if their is no incentive other than priority registration and nicer dorms.</p>
<p>the honors program is wicked new. as in has only been around for about three years. I have tons of friends who are in the program (i got accepted into it too) and the housing is SO much better than the regular housing, and picking classes first helps get you what you want. but i agree it can't be the sole factor in deciding. It just makes you have honors when you graduate. instate tuition isn't bad, and i haven't heard from financial aid yet, but for out of state its expensive. awesome school though, and the location is superb. plus housing is in the middle of campus... i can't think of anything else that honors college does.</p>
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no incentive other than priority registration and nicer dorms
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<p>The primary incentive for the honors program is the curriculum. All first-years take a special interdisciplinary, year-long course, with an associated lecture series. The topic this fall is "Contextualizing the Self". Sophomores take various honors seminars based on their fields of interest - you can see the fall</a> 2008 offerings, for example. Juniors and seniors have special research opportunities within their home colleges, culminating in a thesis. It is a pretty new program (the first class is graduating this year), so the offerings aren't as extensive as the honors colleges at some other schools. But there are far more benefits than just housing and registration.</p>
<p>Sorry to post this on someone else’s thread, but I have a question regarding UVM.</p>
<p>I had UVM as my safety, and swore to myself I wouldn’t actually consider going there unless I got into the Honors College. I got my acceptance letter 2 days ago, so I’d been waiting for a letter telling me I got into the Honors program. I have a 4.08 GPA, 2200 SATs, 33 ACT, and have taken 3 AP exams (French - 3, US History - 3, Macroeconomics - 4) and will take 5 more this year, so I figured I was a shoe-in. But I got a letter today telling me that I got the Presidential Scholarship, which is $3,000 a year, and it said nothing about the Honors College on my letter. Honestly, I’m a little shocked. I thought I was of pretty high caliber for UVM’s standards, and the only grades I can think of that may have marred by transcript were a B- in Honors Precalculus last year, and two past B’s in Honors Chemistry and Honors Physics. Could I possibly get another letter telling me I’ve gotten into the Honors College? I’m really disappointed–I heard from my friends who visited that it seemed perfect for me. The only thing I wouldn’t like is the academic level, which is why I was pulling for the HC. What happened?? Does anyone know why I didn’t get in??</p>
<p>Yes, you might get another letter. Two years ago, my d was accepted to UVM in October. She received notification of the Presidential Scholarship in December, and admission to the Honors College in January. Each notification came separately.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Thank you so much! I’ll stop freaking out now :)</p>
<p>^ omg. EXACT same situation. 3,000 a year, and I too was expecting honors…does this mean that all we will likely get is 3000?</p>
<p>Hey all,
The Honors College does do admission in waves. I believe that there are still one or two more to go so you may be receiving a separate letter in the near future. As a senior in the UVM Honors College I thought that I could contribute some useful info. For starters, the biggest thing about the Hcol is the curriculum, as someone said above. They rotate the freshman year seminar but regardless of the material any given year, it is a unique and rare opportunity to take a seminar course in your first year. Also, it is often one of the smallest classes, in terms of enrollment numbers, which you’ll get to take in your first year. It provides a rare opportunity to have a lot of face time with the professor and to really get to participate as a freshman when many of your other classes are large introductory lectures. What is also nice is that you take the class with people who live in your building. The Honors College, being a residential program, really helps to give you a grounding sense of community as a freshman. All of the people on your floor share a class with you, and even if you have different professors the material is all the same. So, you end up editing your Hcol papers with your roommate and studying for the final with your whole floor. The Hcol makes adjusting to college easier by giving you something in common with the people that you live with. The housing is also very nice, and living with Hcol students tends to be a less rowdy experience than living in some of the other first year dorms on campus. You do get to pick your Hcol class your sophomore year, and there is usually a good mix. The best class that I’ve ever taken was one of my sophomore year Hcol classes. I changed my major because of it and my professor for that class is now my advisor. So, the classes are really engaging and everything from the material to the students that you take it with is just a different experience from a lot of the non-Hcol classes. At least, that’s the way that it has been for me. Maybe it’s because you know more people in your Hcol classes or because you are all really dedicated students, but whatever it is, I feel that my Hcol classes have been a unique and really rewarding learning experience for me. I’m currently writing my thesis, and while it is really challenging, I’m finding it to be a rewarding way to end my undergrad career. So, while priority registration and living in U-Heights are nice perks, they pale in comparison to the way that the curriculum drives you. Also, this is the Hcol’s fifth year, not third, and they graduated their first class last year.</p>
<p>clgaynor… my daughter is in the same situation. Excellent stats and UVM acceptance but no UVM Honor’s College and $3,000 scholarship. She has already been accepted into UNH’s Honor’s program, with a great scholarship and was hoping to be in a situation to compare UVM with UNH. The acceptance into UNH’s Honor’s college was in the same letter as the application accepatance letter. The waiting on UVM Honor’s College is leaving a very poor impression. Hope someone from admissions sees this.</p>
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