Honors Program- Mass Confused

<p>Just got accepted into honors program…Not sure why everyone else got called about it though (i just got a letter in the mail).
Couple questions…
the letter made a big deal about honors program housing, is it really that great?
it also said most honors program undergraduates get some form of merit aid, anyone know how much I should expect?
Also, to anyone at osu in this program, is it worth it to go into it, or is it a massive workload and no fun?
If I go into the honors program and don’t keep above a 3.4, do I get kicked out of the university or jsut the honors program? And if just honors program would I still get to keep the merit aid?
But ya, also, anyone have any clue why I didnt get called for my initial acceptance or for the honors acceptance? Probably not a big deal, but I think a phone call would be more exciting then a letter…</p>

<p>Ok and more importantly....
I went to logon to my account, and it didnt work....Anyone else having the same problem?
I called the university and left a message...Kind of annoying that the site they gave me in the letter didn't work, and that now they can't even answer the phone to explain it....but whatever i'm just happy, and flattered, to be accepted into their honors program.</p>

<p>Anyone have any input at all?</p>

<p>The account doesn't work until 24 hours later. I'm hoping to hear the answers to your other questions though.</p>

<p>Thanks alot!... where did you find that out? (just curious) and yes i'm hoping someone can answer the others too</p>

<p>ok someone answer..... i no someone can help me! right?</p>

<p>Well, I'm a parent, but my son is in the honors program this year so I will give you the "parent's eye view":</p>

<p>*honors program housing, is it really that great? - I think it is a better environment (I'm a parent, remember) - maybe a bit more prone to academics and less prone to partying. Also Lincoln Tower (one of the honors dorms) has the most square footage of any dorm we saw - all superdouble suites (suites of 8 with each pair in a two room pod built for 4) and the university cleans the bathroom - very important in a suite full of guys (not a pretty image). It is also air conditioned and coed by suite.</p>

<p>*honors classes tend to be smaller, richer in content and taught by the best faculty. I don't think the workload is any worse for honors, with the possible exception of honors engineering. I hear that is pretty rugged.</p>

<ul>
<li>I think honors kids have just as much fun as anyone else. In fact, my son is in london as we speak with the london honors group. That sounds like fun to me.</li>
</ul>

<p>*Honors opens up the Maximus opportunity, which offers higher levels of merit aid on a competitive basis. Hard to predict what your particular award level might be though.</p>

<ul>
<li>The honors gpa requirement of 3.4 is just for honors. It is also higher than the general scholarship gpa (which is generally 3.2) so even if you fall our of honors, you don't necessarily lose your scholarship. I'm not sure about scholarships earned through Maximus though. You might need to check on that. But should you fall below 3.4 they essentially put you on notice that you have fallen below, but you have the next quarter to get things back in line.</li>
</ul>

<p>In my opinion. there is no reason not to accept the honors invitation, even if you aren't sure you will matriculate to OSU. It doesn't cost anything and it opens up opportunities that might prove valuable should you attend OSU.</p>

<p>And by the way, congratulations!</p>

<p>i dont think i'm eligible for maximus, am i? 3.8 and 1350/1990? I was kinda surprised i got honors. And yes, unfortunately i plan on doing chemical engineering, which is what i am listed under right now, so according to you that would be rough :( but watever....
<opinion. there="" is="" no="" reason="" not="" to="" accept="" the="" honors="" invitation,="" even="" if="" you="" aren't="" sure="" will="" matriculate="" osu.="">
i'm pretty sure if you accept it you are saying you are going there....maybe not....
OSU is not my top school (i do love it though), although depending on how much aid they give me they could become my top school i suppose.
thx for the congrats and the helpful advice :D!</opinion.></p>

<p>I believe that everyone accepted to the Honors program gets the basic Maximus award of $2,700.</p>

<p>I second Penniless Parent's comments.</p>

<p>I am in the Honors Program at OSU...and it is nice, really not much of a workload</p>

<p>They do try to push you into a lot of upper level classes but if you do your own research you really don't have to take as many as they say. Do the Honors housing...i was very worried about it because I mean...honors kids don't party right? Wrong. Aside from that, you meet a lot of great people...and if you still are worried about partying most of the partying (good, huge ones atleast) is past high on Indianola and stuff at the frat houses and off-campus houses.</p>

<p>Plus, Honors people get some perks.
I never have looked into them
But they are there.</p>

<p>Oh, you get to schedule classes way earlier which sounds dumb now but...trust me...you want it so you can get what you need and maybe be with some people you know (be careful though, makes focusing in lectures hard as first quarter grades are showing haha)</p>

<p>And rleffler...it is everyone accepted to the Maximus Competition gets the Maximus Scholarship (at least)</p>

<p>I think all Honors Kids get a smaller one just for getting in...but Maximus is more rigorous to get into</p>

<p>I would definitely do honors. Now, it's changed a bit since my days of undergrad, but the benefits are nice...</p>

<p>Honors housing is fine...I think it's generally a more studious environment than other dorms. Honors students have fun in the dorms and on campus just as much as everyone else. If I wanted to go to a party, I went. I don't know of any dorms that would tolerate parties, but if you're in the honors program, you might as well just live in honors housing. A lot of kids in the dorm will be taking some of the same classes as you so it helps come finals time.</p>

<p>I never found the classes that much tougher. I thrived in both lecture classes and discussion courses because it's all just adjustment. I never found the honors classes tougher per se, but I did find myself studying harder, but consequently, I learned a lot.</p>

<p>If for no other reason, join honors for the scheduling benefits. Honors students schedule first and believe me, that's nice on a campus this big. Not that you'll necessarily not be able to take a class you want, but you basically get to choose the class to fit YOUR schedule, not the other way around.</p>

<p>Honors isn't really that hard to stay in. I will admit I left the honors program before I graduated, simply because I got tired of them dictating what classes they wanted me to take. They were insistent upon chemistry even though I took honors anthropology, biology, and two astronomy classes. They reasoned that astronomy wasn't "rigorous" enough, but I wanted to take classes that piqued MY interest, not the honors advisors'. But by the time I was "no longer honors," I was old enough that I wasn't getting shut out of classes.</p>

<p>In the end, I reasoned that I would rather take classes that I was interested in and graduate summa cum laude, rather than take the classes they dictated I should take and not.</p>

<p>so i didnt read what everyone else said.</p>

<p>but heres the positives: getting to chose classes early, getting slightly smaller classes</p>

<p>heres some things you might want to know: you only have to take one or two honors classes a quarter. i have a few friends there now and they say the honors stuff is fine. if you wanted to take all honors, i mean of course itd be a ton of work. </p>

<p>i just got into the honors program too, and i wouldnt not have even considered attending OSU without being in honors. (thats just me personally)</p>

<p>if you want to talk to more people in honors now, let me know and i can see if i can get you someones email.
or surely within the next month someone from the honors program will call you to ask you if you have any questions. (and they are always super nice)</p>

<p>ya definately man PM me</p>

<p>do honors for the scheduling. You schedule over a month and half before freshmen who aren't in honors.</p>

<p>I think to stay in honors you need to take five honors or upper level classes before the end of your second year. There are three quarters a year, and most people take between 3-5 classes each quarter. It's not hard to do.</p>

<p>But seriously: do it for the scheduling!</p>

<p>And the housing is nice too. Esp. if you're an engineering major, because you'll have to work with your lab group and such, if you're in freshmen honors engineering, you'll all be living in the same place.</p>

<p>Ambidextrous -</p>

<p>What defines an "upper level class"? The course number? Thanks so much.</p>

<p>Taking 5 classes that are either honors or upper level over the course of six quarters does not sound too difficult at all. I think that most of the kids in honors at OSU have been taking so many AP classes at once their senior years that freshman year of college should really not be too bad in comparison.</p>

<p>I always counted a course number 500 and above as an "upper-level" course.</p>

<p>It's mostly 500 and above, but in certain disciplines, a lower number might be "upper-level."</p>

<p>For example, my Latin 212 class (Roman Historians) counted as upper level (non-100 level languages are "upper level,") and I think that math classes in the 200s are also upper level.</p>

<p>Definitely, definitely do honors. Like others have said, you have the benefits of very early choice of classes (trust me, you want this) and smaller class sizes. I would absolutely choose an honors dorm, too.</p>