Many schools offer scholarships for high ACT and GPA students. Are this too “nerdy” or worth getting into besides the scholarship money and perks on classes etc. My son is an all around guy; athlete ( football, track, baseball), wind ensemble ( trumpet),high GPA/ACT, car enthusiasts, and wants to study mechanical engineering.
I met Honors College and honors dorms.
Well, I know of at least one boy who was football captain in Texas and is very happy at his Honors College. He was very reassured to find that Honors Colleges aren’t for nerds, but rather for driven kids, overachievers, and exceptional/lopsided performers with all kinds of interests. (I’m assuming here that your son doesn’t object to the fact there are nerds, or students who aren’t like him necessarily?)
It’s absolutely worth getting into if the Honors College is good. They don’t all offer the same perks and advantages.
Can you list the colleges that your son is considering?
Honors colleges are really just ways for state schools to try and lure in high achieving students who would normally attend a different school. I wouldn’t call them any more nerdy than a similar caliber high achieving school.
Thanks.
U of Arkansas, Ole Miss, Wichita State, Miss State, and U of Alabama
If you haven’t seen this, here’s a link to an article that might lead you to some additional questions about honors programs/colleges: http://publicuniversityhonors.com/2014/03/25/choosing-an-honors-program-twenty-questions-to-ask/
Probably not going to be a good fit. Aside from his/your apparent discomfort being around students that prioritize academics over sports and being an “all around guy”, a real plus of honors programs is taking small classes with top profs. This works for liberal arts majors, where a handful of honors classes (which is all they have the manpower to staff) will apply to a bunch of majors. For MechE he will need specific classes like Calculus, Physics, etc. that are not often offered in honors programs. The advisors are going to be great for kids that want to get a PhD or get into med school, but will likely have little/no experience with future engineers. He’ll be in dorms with kids he doesn’t see in class since he won’t be in the typical honors classes, unless the honors college requires those classes in which case he’ll spend extra time in college since he’ll eventually have to take the classes required for his degree.
For my honors college (PSU), neither of these sentences are true. Your mileage may vary.
^^Honors colleges and programs vary greatly. Penn State Schreyer, Clemson, and Texas A&M are examples of discipline-based honors programs that include honors engineering classes that count toward honors completion. Purdue and NC State honors programs operate with the specific intent of providing engineering students with a means of adding communication and “critical thinking” skills via small honors seminars in the liberal arts. UT Austin Plan II is renowned for doing the same thing in a more structured way with its Plan II/engineering option. Another thing for serious engineering students to consider is that their math courses and, sometimes, science courses may be honors taught in smaller class settings.
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For MechE he will need specific classes like Calculus, Physics, etc. that are not often offered in honors programs.
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?? for which school? Certainly not for all. UA has Honors classes of Calc and Physics. I think UA also has honors versions of eng’g classes.
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He'll be in dorms with kids he doesn't see in class since he won't be in the typical honors classes,
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Again, not true at Alabama.
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Are this too "nerdy" or worth getting into besides the scholarship money and perks on classes etc. <<<
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Absolutely not. Don’t know why you’d think so.
If your son can do it (enter and maintain sufficient GPA to stay in the program), please do so. It will help him to land the first couple of jobs. Don’t expect too much financial gain from it.
Honors programs really vary depending on the school. The size and quality of the programs can differ completely. I wouldn’t call the honors students nerdy. The honors students that I met at college so far seem intelligent, yes, but they’re normal, well-rounded people just like your son. If he can maintain the GPA, have him give it a shot.
At many schools the honors dorms are desired for location and room layout. But generally there will be less of a party-all-the-time vibe. So that is going to be a call for your student.
Sorry, didn’t mean anything about the honors college being too nerdy ( just a figure of speech and probably not too appropriate). My son’s priorities are his academics and the positive would be smaller classes with the profs. I appreciate all the feedback.