<p>Since my previous thread on this subject "disappeared" on Sat night. I am restarting it. If the thread reappears, please return to it.</p>
<p>Honors programs: How do you find out which are best?
Which are more likely to receive attention for grad school?
(such as Rhodes Scholars, etc. )</p>
<p>What are your opinions of Rhodes Scholars?</p>
<p>Rhodes & Marshall scholars are pretty highly thought of
It is a very rigorous competitive process
Same with Gates Cambridge or Mitchell scholarship</p>
<p>Emerald: I know. Just wanted some input as to which colleges that have "honors programs" are likely to produce these winners. For instance: WashU St. Louis had 2 Rhodes scholars last year.</p>
<p>University of Delaware has a great Hnrs College that has produced several Rhodes Scholars. Ohio University has the Honors Tutorial College which is VERY reputable (only take 60 students). Maryland also has some top programs along with UVA (Echols).</p>
<p>Wealth: You're named appropriately. :) Anything else stored in that brain that we "dearthofinformation" types need? :)</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I know that a Reed College alum had some good info on the process and now is apparently on the selection commitee ( just click on the link)</p>
<p>I think anyone who is thinking of applying could find the info helpful.</p>
<p>The UVA Echol's Scholars program (honors program for A & S students) has an excellent record of members qualifying for Rhodes and other prestigious scholarships. I think something like 45 UVA students and faculty have been named Rhodes Scholars over the years. Last year there were 2 (one was a recent UVA grad, one a fourth-year student). We had a chance to meet to meet the student, and she was pretty frickin amazing!</p>
<p>The 2nd youngest( ever) Rhodes scholar is an 18 yr old from the UW
<a href="http://www.americanrhodes.org/%5B/url%5D">http://www.americanrhodes.org/</a></p>
<p>( Reed has also produced the 2nd largest number of Rhodes scholars from any LAC as well as 50 Fulbright Scholars, over 60 Watson Fellows, and 2 MacArthur ("Genius") Award winners. - this info may be a tad out dated)</p>
<p>Wow.... 18 year old Rhodes Scholar.</p>
<p>Jlaurer95,</p>
<p>Here is the CC thread on Rhodes. Hope that it helps</p>
<p>my daughters best friend was also in that program- the students skip high school and enter the university. PRetty amazing kids</p>
<p>The Rhodes has one of the most unfair selection processes of any major award. You can apply either from your home state or the state in which you attend college. Each college can only nominate one undergraduate from each state. If you are from Massachusetts and attend Harvard, you can only apply from Massachusetts and Harvard can only nominate one person from Massachusetts (and there may be some kids from even more competitive states competing to rep Massachusetts.) The competition to be Harvard's nominee will be intense. If you are from Wyoming and attend Harvard, you can apply from Wyoming and will only be competing against students from Wyoming to get Harvard's nomination. </p>
<p>Lesson learned: if you come from a less competitive state, go to the best college you can, no matter where it is. If you are from NY, California, Mass., etc., go to school in a less competitive state. </p>
<p>There are also colleges that have courses to groom you for these competitions--the academies do this, for example. I believe it is the U of Oklahoma that picks out a group of incoming freshman to give special attention to boost their chances. If you are chosen when you enter, you may well win. If you aren't, you haven't the proverbial snowball's chance.</p>
<p>Each state finalist competes in a district. A few years back, the districts were adjusted a bit so that the toughest states weren't in the same district. Still, there are plenty of Rhodes Scholars who wouldn't have even been nominated if they had attended a different college or lived in a different state.</p>
<p>In other words, the Rhodes is even more unfair than the National Merit competition in which the cut-off scores vary from state to state.</p>
<p>What does everyone know about various schools' Honor Programs. I don't mean the honors programs that associated within a given department (such as the History Dept's Honor Program). I mean the "more general" type that allows you to major in a subject, such as Eng, and be a part of the Honors Program.</p>
<p>jlauer: Have you seen the thread "How Good are State School Honors Programs"? If I knew how to include the link, I would.</p>
<p>here are a few threads:</p>
<p>The value of honors colleges at avg. state U's</p>
<p>BIg U vs. small Lac</p>
<p>Are the Ivys & top LACs worth the $$$?
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=41343&highlight=Good+State+School+Honors+Programs%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=41343&highlight=Good+State+School+Honors+Programs</a></p>
<p>Did anyone's child choose a free ride over a "more prestigious" school?
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=21907&highlight=Good+State+School+Honors+Programs%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=21907&highlight=Good+State+School+Honors+Programs</a></p>
<p>State Honors Colleges
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=48925&highlight=Good+State+School+Honors+Programs%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=48925&highlight=Good+State+School+Honors+Programs</a></p>
<p>sybbie: You are a WEALTH of INFO :) :)</p>
<p>Sybbie: I enjoyed reading the links that you supplied. I am totally new to idea of "honors programs". I wasn't aware of them when I went to college (if my college offered it back then in the stone ages). </p>
<p>I need to know if an honors program is "just hype" from the school or is meaningful, worthwhile program which will have long term benefits for my son -- grad school, career, etc. I don't want to encourage something that would be a waste of time. I want to be able to show him that there is some type of benefit/reward for the extra time and effort that an honors program entails. He's an excellent student so no problem there.</p>
<p>Does anyone know if any of the "college advice" books mentions the pros and cons of honors programs. I have a premium membership for usnews but they haven't written much on the subject (which surprises me).</p>
<p>Does anyone know of any special bennies (besides early reg & dorms) that a particular college gives its honors program students???</p>
<p>Echols Scholars at UVA: freedom from course distribution requirements - this is a big one! Students can pursue their own interests earlier and with more depth.</p>
<p>William and Mary's Monroe Scholars: $3 or 4K grant (can't remember which) for summer study/internship doing anything the student wants, as long as the proposal passes an advisor's review. The one everybody talks about is the kid who went to Italy to do a comparative study of gelati. But I know kids who did some very serious study or service abroad with that money. W & M also has an honors dorm, but it's been known to fill up so that alternative housing is necessary for some.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt - there's a special study lounge for College Scholars; they can also register for one seminar each semester with top faculty.</p>