Your statement that honors college students are:
“still taking the same massive Freshman and Sophomore courses in intro bio or math. and/or taking the intro comp courses being taught by lecturers and adjuncts. The actual interactions that they have in their first years are still mostly with the TAs or with adjuncts.”
This type of statement makes me doubt that you have any exposure whatsoever to honors colleges at national universities.
P.S. There are 312 National Universities & 233 LACs (213 private & 20 public).