<p>Do most of those who qualify for Pitt Honors College get in. I have above a 1400 on Math/Reading Sat, have above the listed GPA, etc. I live out of state, if that makes a difference.</p>
<p>At Pitt, you are told that you are eligible for the Honors College, but you really don’t “get in.” Pitt is different than many of the other universities in that courses are offered that are honors courses. Professors submit courses for honors courses and they are added to the schedule. Students who want to enroll in the honors sections do so during registration. If a student who wasn’t originally selected for the Honors College wants to take an honors class, he/she may ask to take it, and students who have a 3.25 (I think) GPA after the first semester are also honors eligible.</p>
<p>Some majors within the university offer honors degrees and they all have different requirements. Even if you are not honors eligible your first semester, it does not mean that you cannot take honors courses. The Honors College at Pitt has always been designed to be inclusive rather than exclusive.</p>
<p>My son was accepted into Pitt’s Honors College with a 1450/2190 and we’re OOS. I would think a 1400 is pretty darn good and should qualify. It’s not easy averaging 700 on these tests. He has applied to BU honors but they’re the opposite of Pitt in that BU seems to accept only 70 freshman. I think Pitt is too lenient and BU too stringent.</p>
<p>So the process will be similar to NHS. Once you submit your credintials, they will notify you.</p>
<p>Have you been accepted yet? For my son, acceptance and honors college were both in the acceptance letter. That was in October.</p>
<p>My son got into the Honor College, what does it mean? Is it a seperate college from the the main campus, or it’s just a kind of hornor?</p>
<p>The Honors College is more of an optional program. Pitt’s program is not set up the same as many other universities, iammichelle. If your son was accepted, so to speak, he will be eligible to take honors sections of courses. Some majors also offer honors degrees that have specific requirements that vary from major to major.</p>
<p>Some, but not all honors courses require that a student get permission from the professor. Again, they vary. If you get a chance to visit Pitt, be sure to sit in on the presentation at the Honors College in the Cathedral of Learning.</p>
<p>MD Mom, thanks for the info! Are the honor courses harder than regular courses? Why do they require permission from the professor?</p>
<p>My son took 2 Honors classes his first semester at Pitt, and is taking another 2 this semester.</p>
<p>From what I am told the topics are different than regular classes, more specialized and the classes are very small. His Great Book class only has 12 I believe.</p>
<p>Also, they are in the Catherdral of Learning - a fabulous building. </p>
<p>You have to go to the top floor of the Cathedral when you visit, the view is fabulous.</p>
<p>And yes, they are also more challenging.</p>
<p>My daughter took honors physics last year that was taught by Doc Stewart, the late-great honors college director. To take the second semester of honors physics, you had to have his permission. My impression was that the honors physics class discussed more applications. DD also took the honors chemistry section her first semester and she thought it was set up for students who had taken AP chem, which she had not.</p>
<p>I do not think that my daughter has taken any other honors classes, but may in the future. For non-humanities classes, the impression DD got was that the classes are designed for majors (i.e. take honors calc if you are majoring in math).</p>
<p>To be fair, many classes are held in the CL. 4 of mine are in it this year.</p>
<p>You are correct: the classes are pretty specialized (which makes them interesting). Last semester, I took both Intensive Reporting (ENGWRT) and the Construction of Evil (RLGST) – classes were small, writing requirements were more intensive, and the honor’s designation looks good on my transcript.</p>
<p>My daughter took only one honors class in her four years at Pitt, and really enjoyed it. It had 15 kids in it as opposed to 100 in the regular section, and the professor was astoundingly good. She worked her tail off because instead of a straight lecture, as the regular section of the course was, it was writing intensive and discussion based. So I agree: Take honors courses only if you are extremely interested in the topic and have the time and inclination to work hard. You will not be able to hide if you haven’t done the homework! You will get the elite liberal-arts college experience.</p>
<p>I disagree. Taking UHC classes that I wasn’t interested in turned out be beneficial to me. If I “absolutely have to take” a type of class to fulfill a gen-ed, I’d rather take a class that is going to make me a “mini-expert” on a random subject, rather than wasting my time waking up at 9AM 3 days a week for a 200 person lecture on something I don’t care anything about. At least in the small class I’m engaging and digging deep.</p>
<p>The Honor College sounds interesting. Since my son like the small size class and liberal art environment, but could he take as many honor courses as he want? Are all subject in UPitts has honor course offered, so my son could finish his Undergrad by taking honor course only?</p>
<p>What are everyone’s opinions on taking honors classes as a pre-med student? I am a potential pitt panther in the honors college, but I’m afraid that taking honors classes would lower my GPA, and therefore hinder my chances of admission to medical school. Would the ‘honors college’ designation on my transcript make up for it?</p>
<p>iammichelle,
Not all subjects are represented by UHC courses, so no, your son couldn’t complete undergrad only taking honors classes.</p>
<p>Go here:
[Course</a> Descriptions | University of Pittsburgh](<a href=“http://www.courses.as.pitt.edu/]Course”>http://www.courses.as.pitt.edu/)
On the fourth drop-down, select UHC, then click 2114 to see the honors classes that were offered this term.</p>
<p>Can’t answer the GPA/honors question, but keep in mind, iammichelle, that often as students move through their majors, the class size gets smaller. Most of the huge classes are in the classes that a large number of students need for prerequisite classes.</p>
<p>I don’t think that the honors sections of chemistry or physics were small classes. I had the impression that both were held in lecture halls with many students. Perhaps one of the students on here can answer that question.</p>
<p>I got into Pitt honors in november, but I still haven’t heard back about scholarships. Does that mean I did not receive any?</p>
<p>Jackiepepe–no news is no news. It seems to be taking longer than in years past.</p>
<p>I was told that scholarship information comes in with your admission letter. If you did not receive any that means you did not receive any merit scholarship. Need based is based on FAFSA.</p>