<p>I know Honors Programs vary, but do they add a lot of value and/or prestige? Down to final decision and son offered Honors at TCU (Texas Christian), Hofstra (Long Island), and we're hoping for it at Loyola Marymount (but won't until after May 1, so it probably does not matter), Elon (NOT Honors or Fellows, but Elon Experience with extra stipend for approved project/research, so allegedly some prestige). Honors Housing guaranteed at Hofstra, likely at TCU, guaranteed at Loyola (if he gets in). Thanks.....</p>
<p>Honors colleges can be a great choice for those attending a larger school. Honors colleges offer valuable perks and let you meet some of the top students at your college. However they are often oversold with glossy pamphlets implying a small LAC has been set up inside the larger university giving ann elite private education at the public school price. On this forum you’ll read posters who also say/imply that.</p>
<p>Depending on the program offerings may range from separate honors classes to taking just one honors seminar per semester. And some of the “honors” offerings may just be a special discussion section of the regular class (at many U’s you meet 2-3x a week in a large class with the prof, then everyone meets weekly in a discussion section with a TA). You really need to dig in to find what a particular school offers.</p>
<p>Keep in mind honors programs typically offer the small classes and hand-picked profs only the 1st two years of college. They can do this because doesn’t take that many classes to come up with a set that will meet the lower-division requirements for most majors. It is rare to find more than a token amount of upper-division classes since the honors program simply doesn’t have enough faculty members to create entire major(s). So the last two years most/all classes are taken with the rest of the students in the regular U’s classes. The teaching of the profs will be geared towards the normal U level, the discussions and student involvement in class will be dominated by the regular students, and so on. Class sizes may balloon, too, if you’re in a popular major.</p>
<p>Peer effects are big, too; when almost everyone around you at school is a strong student you have lots of good student to emulate in class or outside it such as doing research or internships. If the top kids are a few hundred strong dispersed among tens of thousands at the U then strong examples may be harder to see. When it comes to finding a job, employers are less likely to send recruiters to a campus with a limited number of honors seniors when they can get a campus-full at more highly regarded schools.</p>
<p>Honors colleges DO offer some valuable perks, in addition to the classes. Typical ones include registering for classes before everyone else so you get the classes you want (a perk worth its weight in gold!), special counselors, guaranteed housing, special library privileges. They will mark your diploma with special recognition. But I would be dubious about attending a college for its honors program in place of a more highly regarded U if finances are not an issue. </p>
<p>Not sure they add a lot to the value of your degree, in the end no one checks that - they just look at the name of the school. What they are valuable for is what they bring to your immediate experience - better housing, better classes, better class selection, first in line, internships, research, etc. If you can get that at a non-honors school, then so much the better.</p>
<p>Think of honors as a marketing ploy to get better students to come to a lesser school - they give you a few perks in exchange for your stats. If you find that a worthwhile trade, then take it, but it will likely have near zero street value.</p>
<p>Just to clarify, all of his schools are private and relatively small (8,000 and under). Thank you for this great information. Anyone else… Surely appreciate the support and help of CC families.</p>
<p>My D is a rising junior at TCU. Not in honors program but it is a small school and the largest class has been one with 50 students. Otherwise around 25 so the small class benefit isn’t really impt. Honors kids do register early and every semester she has been stressed about not getting classes she wants but it has worked out each semester.</p>