<p>So I think I have a pretty good chance of getting into honors programs at less selective universities. I'd like to apply to some (along with all the super selective LACs I'm applying to, sigh) because cost will be a major factor in my final decision making & it'd be great if I could get a merit scholarship at one of these large universities. The problem is, I really want a liberal arts education with small classes and a core curriculum and whatnot. Does anyone know of any honors programs that offer that liberal arts kind of atmosphere? So far all I've found is the honors program at SUNY Stony Brook.</p>
<p>Check out the honors program at SUNY New Paltz...I was in it before I transferred to Cornell. Respectable program with great faculty.</p>
<p>If your looking to the North-East, take a look at UConn. I have heard some great things as well as great people come out of that program.</p>
<p>I am actually interested in all parts of the country - especially East & West Coast - definitely more urban environments.</p>
<p>ut plan 2 is spectacular and im proabably gonna apply there dont take my spot</p>
<p>american too</p>
<p>Honors colleges are often oversold, the glossy brochures giving the impression a small LAC has been set up inside a larger university. Honors colleges do offer some very valuable perks and let you meet some of the top students at your college. But when you're thinking of honors colleges the pitch is often that you're getting an elite private education at the public school price. Sadly, this isn't true.</p>
<p>Depending on the U's program, things may range from taking separate honors classes to taking just one honors seminar per semester. Honors college programs offer the small classes and top profs predominantly for the 1st two years of college, when for liberal arts majors its easier to craft a standard set of offerings that will meet the distribution requirements for almost any major.</p>
<p>It is rare to find more than a token amount of offerings upper-division since the honors program simply doesn't have enough staff to duplicate an entire major or set of majors. So the last two years most/all classes are taken with the rest of the students in the regular U's classes. The teaching of the profs will be geared towards that level, the discussions and student involvement in class will be dominated by the regular students, and so on. And class sizes may balloon, too, if your in a larger public U and a popular major.</p>
<p>Honors colleges do offer some valuable perks in addition to the classes. Typical ones include registering for classes before everyone else so you get the classes you want (a perk worth its weight in gold!), special counselors, guaranteed housing, special library privileges. They will stamp your diploma with some indication of honors college or make a note on your transcript. But I would be skeptical of attending a college for its honors program in place of a more highly regarded U.</p>
<p>Let me rephrase: I'm interested in all parts of the country except Texas (and let's be fair, probably Alaska). So don't worry, I'm not going to "take your spot" although the Plan II program does look really good.</p>
<p>What you're saying about honors colleges being oversold is disheartening to hear but very helpful. I kind of thought that might be the case but I was hoping otherwise.</p>
<p>I'm not sure how I feel about "honors housing" either - doesn't that limit the diversity and breadth of your social circle? Advising and early registration does sound excellent, although "special library privileges" - I can't imagine what those might be.</p>
<p>Basically I'm looking for Honors Programs that are well-respected. As in, a stamp on my diploma or note on my transcript that would serve as a definite boost in the post-college world.</p>
<p>I would say University of Arizona, or Arizona St. Check on living accomodations... I believe Az. St. Honors dorms together, and Arizona does not. Arizona's has students with much higher stats though... I believe entry level is 1300/1600 SAT.</p>
<p>Forgot to add, what about SUNY Geneseo Honors? I think it would be much more Liberal Arts forcused than Stony Brook.</p>
<p>what mikemac said is true. from people I have spoken to who went to Honors Progams at so-so universities and impressions I got from visiting a couple honors programs, I would not recommend honors programs at so-so universities very strongly. I think that a good college could probably give you financial aid if you pestered it enough about it and demonstrated a true need</p>
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I'm not sure how I feel about "honors housing" either - doesn't that limit the diversity and breadth of your social circle?
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It does. And that points out once again why honors isn't the same as attending a selective LAC or smaller U. At those you have the full range of choices for housing, get to take advantage of the full diversity of the school. If you choose special honors housing then it may be limited to a dorm or a floor. On the other hand, if you want those kids as your friends why don't you want them in your class? Odds are good their collective behavior is going to influence yours; if the common denominator is to start partying every nite at 8pm and dash off homework the morning its due, you may not have a big circle of friends if you're spending nites in the library studying and doing homework.</p>
<p>It's a misconception that all the education at college goes on in the walls of the classroom and that you can wall off that life from the rest of your world. A lot that you learn at college is thru informal discussions with friends where you learn not everyone sees the world the same way you do, thru exposure to people doing interesting things you might not have thought of but would also like to do (semester abroad, internships, volunteer work, research, etc), and so on. While the average student at so-so U may be a great buddy to hang out with, you'll miss out on a lot of what the kids at the top schools are getting in addition to buddies.</p>
<p>I should also point out that the housing guarantee is not the same as special honors housing; it just ensures that at schools that don't have enough dorm space for everyone, you're sure to get in.</p>
<p>Check out this thread : <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/48925-state-honors-colleges.html%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/48925-state-honors-colleges.html</a></p>
<p>You'll learn everything about honors colleges.</p>
<p>I actually had the same mindset as you when applying to colleges. I knew money was going to be a huge factor, so I applied to four selective, expensive schools and then a bunch of lesser schools with decent honors programs thinking that merit money would make them more affordable. The two more selective schools to which I was accepted ended up being less expensive because of the need-based aid they were able to give me, even though I got merit scholarships from every college I thought would give me one. I also got the same impressions from the honors programs that a lot of people who've already posted have; despite the resources the honors program affords you, it simply can't recreate the experience at a true, small liberal arts college.</p>
<p>I have to second the statements of previous posters- honors programs are a real thing in high schools but they are meaningless in college. I was in the honors program at UW Madison and this effectively meant that I had to register for a different section (the honors section) for a lot of my courses. This didn't positively impact my college experience except that in my art history section, the professor (often professors have to teach one section out of ten or more, and they teach the honors section instead of having a TA do it) decided it would be easier to give our section A's than to deal with grading. I wouldn't bother with honors programs if I had it to do over again.</p>
<p>I've heard good things about Michigan State and Penn State's honors colleges, and MSU i think gives you in-state tuition if you're accepted into it</p>
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On the other hand, if you want those kids as your friends why don't you want them in your class?
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Edit: this was a little unclear -- by "those kids" I was referring to the general student population of the U that has an honors college.</p>