<p>I've decided to enter here as a freshman this fall, but to be honest, I don't know that much about the program. I figured that it is much better than the regular University, but in the larger scope of things, how does it compare to other schools/universities/special programs across the country?</p>
<p>The classes my son took in the honors college last year as a freshman were good, and the professors seemed eager to be there. In his case, the honors version of the classes had a slightly different curriculum and assignments from the regular version of the class. Some students took every class as "honors", but you can choose to take only as many as you wish. There are separate advisors available.</p>
<p>The honors housing was nice, but of course it is mostly social. There was the requisite amount of partying and rowdiness. It was a little quieter than normal, and the kids I met were really all pretty smart. If you don't get into honors housing, you can still participate in all of the honors activities, as much or as little as you choose.</p>
<p>I'm not really familiar with any other programs except Penn State. Penn State seems to be a little more elite and cohesive than Pitt. They get priority registration at PSU but Pitt doesn't give this option (although it hasn't been a problem). All in all, I think if you are going to attend a state college, participating in the honors program is a good thing.</p>