<p>Can anyone here tell me more about the Honors program? I have read the stuff they sent, but am wondering if there is a real advantage to it. Does it give you a different feel for the school or different experience than you would get otherwise? Are there opportunities for Honors students that aren't available for others?</p>
<p>On my visit I gathered that if you have the option for honors go for it... i will be. Not only do you have access to smaller honors segment classes with more intelligent(or academically oriented) classmates, but also you get to register first.. which is a HUGE plus.</p>
<p>We're going to Syracuse this weekend and will go to the meeting on Monday regarding the Honors Program. My daughter, Threekids'kid, will post when we return. It sounds great!</p>
<p>Thanks. I will be there next weekend but appreciate any thoughts you have on it.</p>
<p>We did go to visit Syracuse on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. We stayed within walking distance of the campus. The weather was sunny but cool, not quite cold (this is from a Florida perspective). Students were taken to their respective colleges in the morning and we went to Newhouse. We broke up into majors, my daughter's is magazine journalism. There were about 10 students in the room with their parents. The head of the program (and this changes, they rotate the position) and a student presented information in an interview style, and answered questions. Very informative and relaxed. Next was a tour, followed by separate question and answer sessions, one for students, one for parents. We went to the Carrier Dome for lunch (unfortunately... it was Passover, they served pasta). The Honors meeting was later in that day. The impression I got was that yes, if you are invited you should accept. After first semester freshman year, registration is before the rest of the students, but at the same time as athletes. That's a huge advantage. There are many mentors, students seem to have a host of opportunities, and some funding, for research in their areas. There is an honors lounge and students meet to discuss whatever interests them. I would accept the invitation, and then at a later date, if your schedule is too hectic, you could drop it. But I bet you won't. I can't remember everything, but it sounds exciting, and another way to meet and interact with interesting people on campus who may not share your major. We didn't have a proper tour, although my daughter called a student from Tampa who is a freshman, so she did see a dorm, and also got some interesting tips. 1) the people you meet the first three weeks will probably not be your close friends later on. 2) you will wonder what you are doing there the first three weeks, and 3) yes, it is cold, but you will learn to love it at SU. We also learned that you will make your closest friends on your hall. And, you don't have to be good friends with your roommate. My daughter will post her thoughts soon. Hope this is helpful.</p>
<p>The honors program looked like a good situation. Lots of academic freedom; good opportunities; time committments. If you happen to talk to an upperclassman about it, he/she will probably have different views; it seems they revamped the program recently, so take former honor students' advice with a grain of salt. Nothing made me gasp, or do backflips, or produce any other sort of over-excited show, but I liked everything I heard. The head of the program made a nice impression. He's like a smaller model of my current headmaster, and I liked his enthusiasm. It seems like if you want to explore education on your own they'll let you go as far as you please. It's decided, I'm going. There you have it, the reader's digest account of our Syracuse trip.</p>