@2manycollegequestions4me
Beginning of August, the new scholarship info should be up at the UK web site for the incoming class 2018, and you’ll know more.
For our D’s class, yes, the Patterson was automatic. It’s an amazing deal. Our D is on a career path that will necessitate grad school, so getting a UG degree for free is a leg up. We are avoiding financial hardship.
No, despite being in Honors, her classes freshman year have not been small & intimate, and yes, she was disappointed that her classes first semester seemed “too easy”. On the other hand, she had time to get involved in different clubs and activities on campus, get a part-time job off-campus, come home at least once a month, and have some fun. She had complained bitterly in HS that all she had time to do was study, and do homework.
Also, she discovered a pre-health major that would not have been offered at other schools at the top of her list. It wasn’t on her radar when she was looking at colleges senior year of high school.
She had to apply to be accepted into the major. With her AP and CLEP credits, plus taking a couple online classes over winter break, she had sophomore standing her first year, and applied to the major. If all goes well, she can graduate in two more years, instead of three more. However, if she wanted to stretch it out, she could add a minor, and maybe do study abroad her fouth year, on the Patterson Scholarship still.
A professor noticed the quality of her research paper first semester and encouraged her to apply for the Chellgren UG Fellowship. Bright, motivated students WILL get noticed, even at a large university.
All of this to say, none of this was involved in the college selection process. It was all, “Kid, I’m sorry, but you need to go to the best, least expensive school on this list”. She has made the best of it, and is taking advantage of opportunities we didn’t even know existed when we were first looking at UK. And none of it is in the Honors Progam.
I’m not knocking the Honors Program, I just trying to inject some reality because it seems really, really important to some people. As you say, not getting in is a dealbreaker for your daughter. I think that would be throwing out the baby with the bath water, especially if she is looking at a full ride. But, my kid felt the same way. She wanted to be in Honors for the sake of being in Honors, because she thought it would be “better”, but it’s not better, it’s just different.
For example, her engineering friends are very happy in the Engineering LLP (and not being in Honors).
Adding…I went to a small well-regarded LAC. I wanted nothing to do with our state flagship. No big schools! I wanted small classes with personal attention. Life has a sense of humor! I quickly felt suffocated on the small campus and felt like I had zero privacy. Junior year, I went to our state flagship on a program as a visiting student, to escape. I LOVED it. I couldn’t believe I had dismissed it so quickly when I was in high school. I don’t mean to knock LACs either, just want to emphasize that it’s so hard to know what your future self is going to want or what kinds of doors will open up.
Our oldest daughter just graduated from our state flagship, and after her departmental convocation, four professors walked over to our family and began to gush about her. This is at a huge school. Going to school at a big U will get more intimate as you advance in your major and if you take advantage of what is offered --internships, research, office hours, doing good work, participating in class, etc.
Good luck!
