<p>DS received an invitation to UNC's Honors Program today. We are OOS, so I knew little about the program. According to the website, only 200 invitations are issued to the incoming Freshman class. That's roughly 5% of the class. I am very proud, of course, but would like to hear more about the benefits of the UNC Honors Program. He has not made his final decision yet and money will play a part, but this is a another piece of the puzzle. What can people tell me?</p>
<p>^^^How were you notified…email? UNC Portal?</p>
<p>snail mail. Big White Envelope. Letter is dated March 23 but envelope is postmarked March 22. (And because I know someone will ask: we’re in Ohio)</p>
<p>Honors at UNC is a bit different than at other schools; there is no honors dorm for example. Those in honors are expected to take up to two honors seminars or classes per semester (when possible) and they have sections/classes reserved for them. They also have honors advisers (which is a plus) and have special lectures and outings offered to them. My son actually selected his two majors after taking two honors classes freshman year so I am not trying to diminish it in any way.</p>
<p>One thing that I think is a good benefit is that your S would be able to request a roommate who is also in honors and they will do their best to make that happen.</p>
<p>There’s a bit more but as I have told others who did NOT get offered honors it should not be a deal breaker because a student can apply for honors at a later date as well.</p>
<p>Being in honors does not mean you will graduate “with honors” unless you write a thesis which incidentally any other graduate can do to graduate “with honors.”</p>
<p>Could be deal breaker for D (in-state). She has already been accepted to honors at both UW-Madison and FSU (with merit $). While FSU may not have the ranking, the honors program has a concentration in medicine which is of great interest to her. Both schools also offer dance majors which UNC-CH does not. We, the parents, prefer UNC-CH and in-state tuition, but unfortunately it is currently not her 1st choice.</p>
<p>NCDance Mom</p>
<p>I went to school in Wisconsin so I have to ask if she has visited, particularly in the winter? UW and UNC are pretty different places to begin with, not the least of which is the big difference in size of the student bodies, but the seemingly endless grey and cold temps in winter (especially after living in NC) and the fact that it is not getting warm again until you are ready to head home for summer break will really take some getting used to. It was a serious adjustment for someone who grew up in NE Ohio, like me, so I can’t imagine what it would be like for your D.</p>
<p>i got my honors invitation in the mail as well (im OOS, virginia). i was very excited 
</p>
<p>do you get priority in selecting classes? i know that echols students at uva recieve that privilege.</p>
<p>spark1018 - Honors students receive priority in registering for Honors classes, but do not receive priority registration for other classes. </p>
<p>As a student in the Honors Program, I want to echo much of what eadad said. The Honors Program is helpful, particularly in registering for smaller versions of intro-level classes. But it has not been nearly as integral to my undergraduate experience as I expected it to be coming in, and not being offered a place in the Honors Program should not be a reason to decline an offer to attend UNC-Chapel Hill. The experiences and programs of the Honors Program – including classes – are available to non-Honors students, and this is intentional on UNC’s part.</p>
<p>Again, coming in to UNC I really thought the Honors Program was going to be what made my undergraduate experience a great one. I was wrong. While I’ve had a fantastic time at UNC and enjoyed the Honors Program, the Honors Program isn’t what made my experience great – UNC as a whole is what did that.</p>
<p>NCDance Mom</p>
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<p>I meant to post this with my other response. My UNC grad son is now a second year Med student at a top 15 Med school…not UNC. From experience I can tell you that an undergrad concentration in medicine will do nothing to improve your D’s chances for admission to med school and could actually hurt it. More and more med schools are looking for applicants with more diverse undergrad majors…mine majored in Linguistics and Religious Studies with a Chemistry minor. The Chem minor came about simply because it only took a few extra Chem classes after the pre-med requirements to achieve it. Additionally, once a student actually is in med school ALL they will be studying is some type of science class which then can create very one dimensional people. In every Med school interview he went on his majors were brought up and in every case his choices were validated by those doing the interviews…he stood out and was “interesting”…their words, not mine.</p>
<p>Of course a candidate still has to do the pre med requirements but those can be done while majoring in anything…as long as it is an “academic” major and not “vocational.”</p>
<p>I just wanted to point this out so that you were looking at the playing field objectively.</p>
<p>Good luck with the decision.</p>
<p>D was recently treated in ER for broken jaw. The doctor, African American female, suggested she consider majoring in dance (getting necessary pre-med requirements) as it would set her apart from the other chemistry majors applying to medical school. Her doctor even as a minority stated entry to medical was extremely competitive as there were so many chemistry majors. </p>
<p>That being said, both UW and FSU offer majors in dance. UNC does not. Both UW and FSU offered her honors and FSU offered her merit $ which will make the cost competitive to UNC. She just feels UW and FSU have a stronger interest in her as a student and contributor while UNC she is just a number.</p>
<p>She currently plans on double majoring in chemistry and dance should she attend UW or FSU. Unsure of plans at UNC should she attend. She also has NYU to consider. Still up in the air are Wake Forest and her 2 reaches Stanford and Harvard. </p>
<p>Not sure how it will all play out. My husband is routing for UNC mainly because of cost. I have no preferred choice. I just want her to find the place that she feels will be the best fit for her goals.</p>
<p>Very true statement; too many Chem and Bio majors making those pools extremely competitive and it goes back to my earlier comment about Med school Adcoms being tired of looking at them.</p>
<p>Dance would be okay as long as it is either part of a double major or as a minor but could potentially hurt her if it was her only major taken along with pre med requirements (as the Doctor suggested) since it is a non-traditional major. Sadly, med school admissions is still very much an old boy’s school type of process.</p>
<p>I suggest you go over to the Pre med topics section on CC and run that one up the flag for discussion. There are a lot of doctors, med students, and parents of med students there who can give very good info.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>here’s a link:</p>
<p>[Pre-Med</a> Topics - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/]Pre-Med”>Pre-Med Topics - College Confidential Forums)</p>
<p>If it is of any help my D1 is a first year med student at FSU having graduated from FSU with a degree in biochemistry. Feel free to PM if you have questions about the university.</p>
<p>I really do want to emphasize that not getting into the Honors Program at UNC should not be a deal breaker. There are a lot of things that are part of the decision making process, money is a big one, and it varies in every situation. Honors, although a perk, and somewhat of an ego boost, should not be that big a deal.</p>
<p>I wasn’t accepted into the honors program when I was accepted at UNC, and I was more than a little angry about it. I ended up coming here, and I have no regrets. I actually did join the Honor’s Program second semester of my first year, but took three classes in the program before being a part of it.</p>