S just got an invite to the Honors program (as an accepted Fall 2015 Freshman). Anyone know anything about it and whether it significantly enhances the experience at SU? And yes, I know where to find the program website, I’m hoping for current students to chime in. Thanks!
I just got in today and I had pretty much ruled Syracuse out but now I’m interested!
I also got an invite today and seeking the same answers as you, plus if someone can post his/her experinses with joining honors program with an intensive major like architecture? Is it too time consuming etc?
Well, with the passage of time, we actually attended the 4/13 accepted student event, as well as the honors presentation that day. It’s all out there on the website but to distill it down, they need to take 4 honors classes as part of the program, and do a capstone project. The honors classes are a combo of honors-only topics and smaller versions of other classes. Students generally fulfill their general ed requirements via honors classes since they are typically the “better” professors and class size is limited to 20 in all honors classes except chemistry, where it’s 30.
As for the capstone, it is technically “extra work” but it also looks good for grad school or employers. For example, an architecture student (or in my case, a music student) will be doing project type work their entire time in school, so why not complete one project for credit? There are also extra advising resources (including a person whose sole job is to assist students with getting fellowships, grants and scholarships post-college), honors kids get class registration priority, and an honors lounge which provides a nice space to hang out or de-stress, with free food and drinks all day. It seemed to us like a “why not?” proposition after going there and talking to people.
We also talked to two girls in my son’s program who were honors, and they said it was another way to meet a different cross-section of people at a large university and make other connections you might not normally make. Plus, unless you choose another LLC freshman year, you are automatically placed in the honors LLC, living with other honors students. Kids at the presentation in the program described it as another “opportunity” while in college. Furthermore, while I am a parent, I will say that in looking around the room at the presentation this week, it is definitely not a bunch of “nerdy” kids, rather it’s a refreshing cross-sampling of all sorts of majors and kids. So to be blunt, you will definitely not be thrown into the dork tank in this program!!
And I don’t need to really say this probably, but if you were invited, it’s probably because you were among the top applicants in the class, so this throws you into situations to meet like-minded students which could be a plus given Syracuse’s known party school atmosphere. While I’m not naive enough to think that smart kids don’t party, generally I have found it relevant to be among intellectual peers in all of my walks of life. Hope that helps!