Honors program?

Hello! American is my first choice school (planning on majoring in international studies) and I’ve already written two of the honors program essays, since I had been planning on applying for both the honors program and the Frederick Douglass one. However, I’ve been looking into the honors program more, and I’ve realized that it actually sounds a bit hellish to me. I feel like the required courses would take away my freedom to take classes I’m really interested in, and I think I would enjoy being in the university college program a lot more. However, honors students get a large merit scholarship, and all other students can only get $20,000 a year at the most (which is great!! But my parents want me to go to a school where I get more aid). So, if anyone has been in or knows someone who’s been in the honors program: is it worth it? Is it a lot of extra work? Ahhhhh! I don’t know what to do.

Also, to clarify: “a lot of extra work” isn’t my main issue. I’m willing to do extra work-- it’s just that I would like to dedicate my time to exploring my opportunities at American with the classes that I’m interested in taking.

I completely agree with you. They sent my D an invitation to apply to it and it sounds stifling - taking the same classes with a small group of students was not appealing to her. Also, there are really way too many essays required for admission which I think is representative of the intensity of the whole thing. She also needs the money, but won’t be applying to this program.

@WannaBeInMD I’m glad to hear someone else agrees with me!! Fingers crossed that both she and I get enough aid!

Last year, my son was offered an opportunity to apply for the AU Honors Program, but at that point, he didn’t care to write even more essays. (Probably a good decision for him; last year, the competition for the Honors Program was incredibly strong.)

Then he was offered admission and a 10K/year merit scholarship and invited to apply for the Community Based Research Scholars program, which he did apply to, and is now enrolled in. He loves being in a dorm with his fellow CBR scholars and also with the Honors Program students. He’s having a great experience in the CBRS program, though it’s a fair amount of “extra” work. He thinks it may be more additional work than the Honors people have, but he plans to continue in the program. He’s now involved in the residence hall council, and is loving that, too. He definitely seems to be in a community of like-minded people.

My recommendation- the extra work, whether when applying to or after admission to a special program, it’s worth it if you decide to attend AU. According to my son, being able to live in a “North Side” dorm has made a huge positive difference in the quality of life for him. As a parent, I see that he’s able to take advantage of a program where he’s immersed in DC and in research right from his first semester. Great experience.

I think the extra work is worth it if you want to be in that program, but the regular honors program didn’t sound appealing - and the work seemed kind of reflective of the program in some way. But yeah, I agree that if you want the program it’s a different story.