Honors colleges- anyone can tell me what they are like?

Parents Forum
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<p>I am the GC for my dds since I homeschool them. This question is for my older d who is a junior. I am trying to find enough colleges for her to apply to. SHe wants schools in not cold areas (meaning areas where the snow doesn't last on the ground) and we need the school costs to be covered 100% or very close to that by the GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon program. While she prefers smaller colleges and has a few on her list already that satisfy the conditions, at least one of her potential majors is more likely to be at a larger school. That bring up the idea of honors colleges. </p>

<p>What honors colleges or programs are you familiar with and does it include separate living arrangements? IF you or your student has been in one of these programs- what is the social situation like? Any recommendations?</p>

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<p>Honors’ Colleges are a way to create a “LAC”-like feel at a much larger college.</p>

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<p>My kids are at Alabama, and both are in the Honors College and are in honors housing (private rooms in 4 bedroom Super Suites). Their school has plenty of honors housing (over 2500 beds). Some schools have limited honors housing, so a student may be in honors, but not be able to be in honors housing. </p>

<p>My kids’ university has 4 honors programs - 2 of the programs admit by stats and the other 2 have competitive admissions. The four programs are: Computer-Based Honors and University Fellows Experience (both are competitive for admissions - avg ACT 33); University Honors Program and International Honors Program (both admit by stats - ACT 28/1250 SAT (m+cr) or above)</p>

<p>Honors College classes are limited to 15 students each and are taught by the best profs. The courses are very LAC-style, discussion based, etc. The courses aren’t “harder” per se (they don’t require a bunch more homework), but they are more in-depth. </p>

<p>There are also Honors classes within departments (such as Honors Bio). Those classes are also smaller than the typical class. </p>

<p>Students in honors get priority registration, too.</p>

<p>Many Honors College courses are offered every semester, while some new ones are added. The course topics are intriguing and different from the usual course offerings. Most fulfill Core Curriculum/Gen Ed requirements, so a student isn’t having to take additional courses to fulfill the honors req’ts. </p>

<p>Here are some Honors course offerings to give you an idea…</p>

<p>HONORS CLASSICS AND WESTERN CULTURE I
(H, HU) (3 Credit Hours)
This course introduces students to the western literary canon from the ancient to the medieval period. Writers to be studied include Homer, Sophocles, Virgil, and Dante.</p>

<p>HONORS FINE ARTS (FA) (3 Credit Hours)
Fine Arts and Parody - will explore both parodies and the works parodied, using examples from literature, music, the visual arts, and architecture in an attempt to define parody as a genre.</p>

<p>HONORS FINE ARTS (FA) (3 Credit Hours)
Behind the British Mask
We will examine the role British theatre has played in British culture and in American society. Because London is the theatre capital of the world, we will explore the political and cultural elements in modern British drama, emphasizing its artistic and creative components. Students will discuss plays, view clips, write critical analyses (or an original work), and attend a University of Alabama play. Some of the plays we’ll read include Copenhagen, Billy Elliot, Take Me Out, Frozen, and two plays from the 2007 London theater season.</p>

<p>HONORS FINE ARTS (FA) (3 Credit Hours)
…Making a Movie about Alabama History
Students will learn to write a documentary script about Alabama history and turn that script into a movie through directing, shooting, editing and posting to the Alabama History Screening Room (on the internet). K-12 students are required to study 23 episodes of state history. Honors Student, working with a production team, will make a movie about one of these episodes, learning research techniques, history, writing, acting, directing, video, digital editing, scoring and posting a movie to the internet. Course will work in conjunction with theatre department, history, art and music.</p>

<p>HONORS SPECIAL TOPICS SEMINAR (W) (3 Credit Hours)
Honors Legal Writing
Discover the secrets shared by legal giants Denny Crane, Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts, and Justice Hugo Black. Enhanced by film clips and current events, this seminar writing class will focus on the reasoning and writing skills necessary to communicate in the legal arena. Not for the faint hearted.</p>

<p>HONORS SURVEY: SOCIAL CHANGE (H, HU) (3 credits)
This is a discussion-based course exploring the nature of social change and its influence on and by societal values. It features a significant service learning component that requires students to participate in at least 20 hours of service learning in the Tuscaloosa area (as logged in SL Pro), and to also reflect on the course material through the lens of the service learning in a weekly journal. </p>

<p>FRESHMAN SEMINAR: Issues in American Politics
Examines key issues in U.S. politics, including education, health care, immigration, and criminal justice. Students do research and present papers related to these topics. </p>

<p>FRESHMAN SEMINAR: Judicial Procedure (H, HU) (3 Credit Hours)
Course content includes legal reasoning, court structures, trial procedures, the jury and jury trials, legal education, the structure of the legal profession, criminal procedure and criminal punishment, including the capital punishment question. </p>

<p>FRESHMAN SEMINAR: International War Crimes (H, HU) (3 Credit Hours)
Course covers international war crime trials from WW-I through recent U.S Supreme Court decisions after 9/11 to include emphasis on the Nuremberg Trials and the Tokyo trials after WW-II, Vietnam, the Balkan Cases and the international terrorism issue as well as the formation of the International Criminal Court in l998.</p>

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<p>There are about a zillion threads about this already and some of them actually have some very good info. Use the search function. There’s plenty out there.</p>

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<p>I’m a military mom and I homeschooled my son during middle school! Nice to meet you!</p>

<p>My son decided to attend public high school and is graduating in a few weeks (it’s been a great experience.) He is going to be attending Northeastern University and is in the Honors College. At his school, the honors college has four floors in the newest dorm (he’s so excited about that!) and each floor has a learning theme plus the academic aspect of it, of course. </p>

<p>The biggest lesson I have learned about Honors Colleges is that they vary widely in terms of what exactly it means to be in it. It can mean housing and one honors course per semester. It can mean no honors housing but a very rich academic program. And everything inbetween. More than any other aspect of his college search, my son found speaking directly to students in the program to be his best source of information. </p>

<p>As for the GI Bill/Yellow Ribbon Program, I cannot emphasize enough that you need to call each college. Many of them have nothing about it on their website because they have a very limited number of slots. One college my son applied to has a limit of five undergrad Yellow Ribbon students at a time. So, yes, it’s a hassel but well worth it. We also encouraged our son to go for academic merit financial aid, of which there is far too little, but he was awarded enough that we don’t need to use it for him. He’s an only but since you have more than one child, if you can save it, why not?</p>

<p>I wish you and your D the best of luck!</p>

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<p>I have two who went the Honors College path through large flagship state Universities, both in warm weather places. D (now 26 and a PhD student) attended the Barrett Honors College at arizona State. Own housing, honors classes including a unique required two semester class,the name of which I forget but which teaches the kids to see the world with a great perspective. Wonderful,dedicated faculty and Dean.She wrote a Senior Thesis and needed to defend it, which gave her excellent prep for Grad School work and served as her writing sample for grad admissions (humanities program).She is from a coldish east coast location and loved being in the desert in Arizona.I thought the campus was absolutely beautiful.She was a merit award recipient and her costs were mostly covered…we paid some room and board costs.</p>

<p>S is currently about to graduate from the Honors College at University of South Carolina.This Honors College also has its own (brand new) housing and classes. The Honors classes are more diverse and far reaching across the curriculum than ASU’s were. He is writing a Senior Thesis as well which at USC is a requirement to graduate with Honors. They have strong advisement, and high standards…more req classes than the normal curriculum. He has enjoyed being “down South” and likes the urban campus location of USC in Columbia.The campus is a nice mix of historic/newish.He has enjoyed the big time football atmosphere.He is not in a frat.
He also is a merit scholarship recipient and because of USC’s generous policies has been able to “stack” multiple awards and has incurred no tuition,room or board costs out of pocket.
Both kids picked their schools not only b/c of the scholarships but because the schools fufilled their academic needs in other ways ( for their intended majors).</p>

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<p>My daughter is at the honors college of our state flagship. Honors dorm is an option for HC students if the choose it, but not required. The HC has a dedicated faculty and also its own building housing classrooms, faculty offices, computer lab, lounge w/ kitchen, and library. The classes are small, and seem quite excellent. In her case they are much harder than the regular university classes - require a great deal more work and are harder to get high grades in. She actually appreciates that and has found the honors college to be an excellent fit for her. Admission is competitive.</p>