Anyone who just finished attending the reception, recap please?
The engineering specific panel for the Honors College went a bit differently. I guess you went to one which was predominantly for SAS majors. I’m not saying it’s a bad program or anything. I just think it’s not necessarily the best option for all incoming students.
What a fantastic opportunity for instate tuition, scholarships, new housing …
I was one of the first Presidential scholarship winners and an engineer, and the honors program consisted of a few seminars, the engineering honors program (research opp), and guaranteed housing (great, 5 to a 2 bedroom apartment with one bath, or I lose more money than housing cost).
I think the engineers should take advantage of this program and make it work with the offerings over at Busch campus and just deal with some bus rides. Freshman engineering programs should not be that difficult for someone who can get into this selective program (2250 SATs !!) and likely you already are the well-rounded person to take advantage of a good liberal arts elective program.
Rutgers will fine tune this program to make it work, you can help work out the gritty details.You should see if the engineering school or Barr will allow you to have a study space on Busch campus to make the bus commuting less onerous.
Rutgers is full university, not a tech school, with great offerings in all the liberal arts, if this is at all of interest go for scholars and take your classes on whatever campus you like. The buses are free … I took classes on College Ave for all my electives, went to Cook for some because they were better, and organic was on Livingston.
I lived in Allen and these weren’t that nice in the early 1980s … can’t imagine beautification can go that far !!
If you really want only engineering, and that is also great, push the engineering college to make your first year really special too.
Comes down to who you want to get to know well and spend time with, a diverse group of high achievers or the top of the engineering class. You’ll get to know your peers in all your later classes.
I’m going to the Honors College Showcase this upcoming Monday (23rd), but I didn’t get any info on where the showcase is being held or how long it’s going to take. Does anyone else know?
@Trackie97 Livingston Student Center, Multipurpose Room. Mind giving us a recap after the showcase?
I attended the March 23rd (this morning) showcase for the Honors College and just want to give my input on it. So as a whole, I believe the Honors college deans and the specific department deans did a rather good job at ‘selling’ the honors college. If I could sum up the main point of the honors college, it is basically to adapt students to a rapidly changing environment. As I myself have experienced through this whole college application process, colleges want to see a multi-dimensional student rather than a student who simply studies well. This not only goes for seniors applying to colleges, but undergraduates applying for graduate schools and prospective engineers, journalists, etc, looking for jobs. The purpose of the honors college is to expose students from interdisciplinary areas of study to one another in order to not only introduce a new social atmosphere, but a new intellectual atmosphere as well. The honors college is different from the honors program in that it seeks to create multi-dimensional scholars.
As for the orientation as a whole, I thought it was rather standard. There was a lot of talking, which was expected. The showcase began with a light breakfast and an introduction of the honors college as a whole from the honors college deans. Then the individual department deans came up and spoke. After that, the seniors were ousted into another room where questions were asked to a student panel. After the student panel, lunch was served and the students were able to talk to the deans of their intended majors. I had to leave around lunch time so I’m not too sure how much happened after. I thought the food was good haha and also welcome bags were handed out that contained various papers detailing different aspects of the honors college, a pen, and a portable charger (which was a nice surprise).
Overall, I was quite impressed with the presentation. I’ve been to an ‘official’ guided tour and seminar at Cornell and Rutgers did a far better job in terms of really connecting with their prospective students as well as eloquently answering any question thrown at them. I know the honors college is still in the makings, but I think of it more as an extension to the already successful honors program, with various added benefits and experiences. Also, being chosen from all the applicants to New Brunswick, not to mention the honors college class of 2019 being expected to be around 500 people, is quite exciting in my eyes. On top of that, being part of the inaugural class of a program that will definitely last decades/centuries to come sounds very cool to me!
So overall, I thought it was a worthwhile event. The other students I met were very high caliber (every one I spoke to mentioned at least one Ivy League school they applied/were admitted to). Ultimately, just from my personal perspective, if I do attend Rutgers, I’m positive I will not be disappointed by being a part of the honors college program.
@moonshakers thanks for the review it helps! I really could imagine myself being happy there too! It really sounds attractive that even if I get in my top choices now it would be hard to decide…
Just curious which schools that you guys are waiting for? What are your top choices?
@rotckid I’m torn right now between Rutgers honors college and UCLA… (
True, it is ver tough to pick the right one. My DS is also torn right now between Rutgers Honors college, Lehigh IBE program, and SUNY Stonybrook University Scholars program…
dadof2s - you need to visit accepted students for each particular honors program - not just regular students visit day. These will be your academic peers and study teammates
I have a few questions
Are all scholarships dependent on enrollment in the honors college or only presidential scholarships?
Are Honors college students required to take a foreign language in college?
After the first year, can honors college students commute, or do we need to dorm for all 4 years?
@cookiemonstr Yeah all the scholarships are dependent on enrollment into the Honors College. It should have said something about a scholarship in the invitation letter. I don’t think we’re required to take a foreign language since it’s not listed in the HC curriculum. The Honors College dorming is a first year experience only so after that you can choose to commute the rest of your college years or move into honors housing.