<p>As someone currently in the Michigan Undergraduate Honors Program, I feel the need to mention that the greatest benefit of being in the Honors Program here is something that Goldenboy usually chides us, and at times rightly so, for not having: eliteness of your peer group and the gains in academic and intellectual life that affords. The Honors Program has a higher average GPA, SAT, and ACT range than any Ivy League, and by gaining admittance to the program and taking classes through it, you can engage in discussion and debate alongside the truly best and brightest in the country while still reaping all the commonly-known benefits that Michigan has to offer: some of the best academic programs in the country, arguably the best college town in the country, and arguably the best overall attitude and outlook of any student body in the country. And if you accept housing at South Quad, one of the best dorm experiences at Michigan, then your core group of friends usually becomes this same elite-yet-friendly, brilliant-yet-hilarious, challenging-yet-helpful band of Honors brothers. </p>
<p>In addition, the Honors Program label affords you easier access to, at least in my experience and those of my peers, research positions, summer programs, and any crazy or interesting things you’d like to do with your degree or scheduling in general. </p>
<p>As for the Honors Program not being the deciding factor in your decision about where to attend, I urge you to investigate the individual program rankings of your prospective majors. After three years, one of my small conclusions is that most of your educational experience will be determined by the quality of your faculty, and Michigan’s general faculty is second to only Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton’s. But in certain areas, such as Philosophy and Political Science for me, Michigan’s faculty is on par with the aforementioned faculties and significantly above those of its peer institutions, namely Duke, Penn, Columbia, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Berkeley, Notre Dame, UCLA, and Cornell, among others. If Michigan has a significantly better program (not just undergraduate; remember, the faculty determine your educational experience, and graduate rankings grade faculty), go with Michigan. If Duke, Duke. </p>
<p>I have a few close friends in the MSU Honors Program, and in all relevant respects, the two programs, whether they are dubbed ‘college’ or ‘program’ are identical: both immerse you among other Honors students in prime housing locations for a better intellectual and academic life, both afford you classes with these students, and neither specifically afford you the chance to do a thesis, but both make the leap into undergraduate thesis programs easier. </p>
<p>Congratulations and good luck!</p>