<p>Considering you are capable of doing the honors program at your college, would you?</p>
<p>I (high school) am in the IB program and honestly, I wouldn't do it over if I could redo the past 4 years of my life. I am alienated from the rest of the school, and the rigor of the program is totally not worth the reward (an extra sheet of paper). I also wasn't given the opportunity to take many of the courses I wanted to take. If this is similar to an Honors program, I probably wouldn't do it.</p>
<p>it would also be helpful if you can answer any of these questions:</p>
<p>What are the typical rewards of a college Honors program,
approximately what percent of a college's students are in its Honors program,
can you have a life while being in an honors program</p>
<p>I'm a freshman in my school's Honors Program and I've enjoyed it so far. I took the honors section of 3 general ed classes and the enrollment in these is capped at 20 students (some classes are smaller) so that facilitates class discussion and getting to know the prof better than in a lecture with 300+ students. So that's a definite advantage for me.</p>
<p>Another big advantage (at my school) is Honors Program students are allowed to register early along with athletes so we get first dibs on course selection/instructors; no 8 AM classes unless you specifically want them (or its the only time the class is offered). </p>
<p>As for isolation, we're only required to take 2 Honors classes per year to remain in the program, so unless you only register for Honors classes and choose to live in the Honors dorm and choose to socialize exclusively with others Honors students, you're not segregated from the general campus. And yes, I definitely had a life this past semester as part of the HP!</p>
<p>Best bet, as others suggested, is check out a potential school's HP and try to get a feel for how it operates.</p>
<p>The I.B. program is good. Once you'll get in college, you'll realize how good it is. College will seem so easy after the I.B. program.</p>
<p>As far as honors program, I doubt it matters much. Some special classes you need to be in the honors college to get into. We only need 20 (out of a minimum 120 credits) to graduate with honors, but you have to take at least one honors class a semester. I'm dropping out of our school's honors college. It's not like anyone will care about graduating with an honors certificate. They will care about things like magna cum laude or summe cum laude much more. I'd rather be able to learn Spanish or something like that my last 2 years, which doesn't have honors offering, than take honors courses that I don't care about.</p>
<p>I'm in the honors program at my school and I really enjoy it. Like has been mentioned, being in the honors program does not in any way dictate your social life, unless you tried to take only honors seminars (which you can't), lived in honors housing, etc. </p>
<p>Basically, at my school we're required to take six or more seminars over the course of our college career, and it comes with various perks like priority registration, access to honors-only study and computer lounges which are stocked with free food, and ability to attend various honors functions like banquets and an annual trip to NYC to see the sights and a Broadway show or opera. The seminars seem to be on pretty random topics and very narrowly focused, but the professors are the cream of the crop at the institution and you get to have very interesting discussions because they're filled with people who are very bright.</p>
<p>My personal experience with the honors program at my school has been excellent, but this of course varies from college to college.</p>
<p>I probably should check individual colleges, but I wanted to see the common opinion of honors programs for now.</p>
<p>I'm not sure if I caught this- except for the special treatment, what are some of the rewards for completing an honors program? I don't care if the rewards vary, I want to get a general idea.</p>
<p>"If you're the cream of the crop, you'll rise to the top regardless of whether or not you're in an honors program."</p>
<p>I agree with that so much! I believe that if you're truly a skilled person, you'll be successful wherever you choose to go.</p>
<p>"I'd rather be able to learn Spanish or something like that my last 2 years, which doesn't have honors offering, than take honors courses that I don't care about."</p>
<p>Taking classes you want to take helps alot with motivation.. which is why I'm hesitant about taking part in honors programs.</p>
<p>Just look at what the school's honors program encompasses. At my school, the main entree so to speak of our honors program, is a 4 semester humanities program, which has a lot of reading, that would make my mind explode, thus why I'm not taking any of those. But there are some courses, such as the psychology of baseball, a course on the Mentally Ill, courses on the Iraq War, courses on Charlie Manson and O.J. Simpson, that you can't take without being in it.</p>
<p>I think the main reason for an honors program is to be able to get opportunities like that which aren't available to the general public. </p>
<p>But I don't think it has any tangible effect after you graduate. I don't think any employers or graduate colleges will be incredibly worried if you graduated from the Honors College or not, although obviously, it can only help, and not hurt you to graduate with the Honors certificate.</p>
<p>I'd recommend joining the honors program at your school. You can always drop out of it if it's not for you.</p>