<p>So I recieved an invitation today to apply for the L&S Honors Program at UW. I will be a Freshman in the fall and I was wondering whether or not you would recommend applying. The classes will probably be harder, but also smaller, right? What are the pros/cons of the honors program? How hard is it to get in?</p>
<p>Apply. If they invited you you have a good chance of getting in.</p>
<p>Go for it! Nothing to lose, much to gain. You will get an Honors Program advisor to help you at SOAR next summer when you register for fall. You will choose which honors classes to take based on your interests and abilities- it is not necessary to take every course for honors.</p>
<p>You will be able to get honors courses/sections and much more. Joining as a new freshman gives you chances to do activities not available to the rest of the students. See the UW L&S Honors Program site for details. You will not be committing to any courses by joining, but will be eligible for them. You can join or drop out of the Honors program later, but then you miss first semester opportunities. Each major will have specific requirements for an honors degree in the major, there is also a more general designation on the diploma for those who meet some honors breadth requirements, or both. Your transcript will indicate every course you receive Honors credit in, even if you do not graduate with an honors degree.</p>
<p>Some schools are very rigid in their honors. UW is not, called a program, not a college. Being in the Honors Program will not exclude you from any courses but will let into some not open to the general student body. You can also take honors sections of some courses or get honors credit by doing more in some courses. Honors courses/sections will give you a more elite/selective peer group than the standard ones in a field.</p>
<p>No special dorm for Honors students. Courses available to you in many fields at all levels.</p>
<p>I received an invitation to apply as well. Do only certain admitted students receive invitations to apply to the honors program, or is it open to anybody that has been admitted to the university?</p>
<p>Does anybody know the percentage rate of those who get accepted (out of those who applied) for the honors program?</p>
<p>Only upper tier accepted students are asked to apply. Don’t know the acceptance rate but about 500 join per year.</p>
<p>Does anyone know anything about the ‘Engineering Honors in Liberal Arts’ program?</p>
<p>Read about it here.</p>
<p>[The</a> Engineering Honors in Liberal Arts Distinction](<a href=“http://studentservices.engr.wisc.edu/classes/ehla.html]The”>http://studentservices.engr.wisc.edu/classes/ehla.html)</p>
<p>Thanks barrons. Has anyone been selected for it yet?</p>
<p>I like the Engineering school’s attitude–“we don’t offer honors in engineering because all our classes are honors level and require honors level work.”</p>
<p>My D who cannot answer as she is right now in LA at the Party at the Pier is in the prorgam as a freshman and LOVED Chem 109 honors. The liberal arts in engineering program is a nice option for a person with broad interests that include engineering. Also, if you transfer APs and get ahead in the math series it opens up the time to explore outside engineering and get rewarded for it (aside from the great educational reward). She liked her classmates in honors a lot and is taking more H courses in the spring.</p>
<p>@JerseyProf, did she apply for the program or was she simply notified of her candidacy? I looked at the link provided above but it doesn’t really mention how one gets into the program. Thanks!</p>
<p>So, she is at the Rose Bowl 
but here is what I remember and I’ll ask her if she calls. There were SEVERAL programs she was invited to, a math honors series, a chemistry honors for freshmen that included a freshman research experience and the engineering honors in liberal arts. Not knowing what would happen she followed up on all 3 and figured she’d decide in the end. A good strategy since you cannot be guaranteed to get into everything, and good to have options. She really liked the multiple options at UW and in making her final decision about where to go it was a big factor. She got into the math one but was told at SOAR only to do it if she was into math (she is good at math and well prepared but it was not her major motivation) and that it is really tough but really good for math majors. She did not do it. She did not get into the Chemistry one, maybe since she was engineering, no idea but it was a very small prorgam but sounded very good. She sent in a short response (letter/essay about half a page) to the nomination about why she wanted to do the engineering in liberal arts and got in. So, as I recall not painful at all to do, but they do want people who are interested. And, unlike another big ten school she applied to no charge to apply for honors. As I recall all the programs were good about sending her the info by email, so keep checking emails and watch the deadlines. And, in the end the one she is doing was her first choice anyways.</p>
<p>There are several other Honors sequences. The honors math 4 semester sequence is very theoretical (the first 3 also will get you linear algebra), probably not ideal for learning calculus for engineering. Chemistry 115-116 is the totally honors chemistry sequence. There is a 3 semester honors Physics. All by invitation only. There are many other others courses available to freshmen. Plus the ability to take honors sections of a course (such as Chem 109), or to do extra work to get honors credit.</p>
<p>In past years they have sent a book to read to honors program students over the summer with an optional lecture by the author (I think) in the fall. There are other optional activities plus a monthly emailing of events/information about courses et al- anyone can sign up for the emails.</p>
<p>Subtle differences between Honors Colleges and Honors Programs. More flexibility probably in the Program way of doing things. Also- you are not limited to one dorm. No core honors seminars required, only taking so many honors courses over the undergrad years. Plus honors credits available in a wide range of courses (potential there for probably any L&S course- if student and professor agree on what should be done to earn the H).</p>
<p>Thanks for the insight into the L&S Honors Program. D2 got the invitation but after a winter break full of essay writing, I’ve been reluctant to push her for 3 (albeit short) more and thought maybe she could try joining next year. However, after reading this, it sounds like it might be very helpful for her fr experience.</p>
<p>Because of a timing issue, my son was not allowed to apply for the L&S Honors program last spring. (He just began his second semester as a freshman a few weeks ago.) He had the option of applying for it this semester but had no interest in doing so, as he was unaware of any particular benefit it alone would provide for him. Meanwhile, during the fall semester he was independently awarded a scholarship he did not apply for and was encouraged by his professors to enroll in several advanced and honors level classes in his various disciplines this semester, which he has done. From this experience our conclusion is that the departments (and others) are aware of and solicitous towards talented students irrespective of their participation in the L&S honors program. My point is simply that it is clearly not a necessary pathway to success at UW, so take advantage of it if it offers something you think will help you, but don’t worry about it. As noted, it is not an honors college – it’s simply a program.</p>
<p>Good info. It’s a little hard to explain to people but at UW the departments ARE the university. The admin can just try to point them in certain directions but they pretty much retain full authority including having money to give out to kids they find talented while actually at UW. UW has less scholarship money for freshmen and more for upperclassmen than most similar schools. If you show talent and serious interest you will have every opportunity you could want. Most profs do have time for serious undergrads.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input, glad to hear there are great opportunities for top students whether they’re in the HP or not.</p>
<p>It may be worth being in the Honors Program formally if enough honors courses are taken to qualify for one of the various designations on the diploma. Something a student can ask his/her advisor.</p>
<p>I would omit the word “simply” from the Honors Program description. From my perusal of several schools’ Honors Colleges I think the Program concept has many advantages over them, including flexibility.</p>
<p>The advantage in formally being in the Honors Program as a starting freshmen is the activities one may take partake in and the news items sent via email. Also, those students get an Honors advisor for SOAR. These advisors are tuned into top students and may have more “outside the box” suggestions than regular students are given.</p>