<p>I had always thought that the Schreyer Honors College was both a program AND a location, a college-within-a-college on the University Park campus. While checking the website of the Penn State Erie - The Behrend College campus I discovered that the Schreyer program is offered on branch campuses as well as it is, in fact, a system-wide program. Can anyone comment on the actual implementation of the Schreyer program on a branch campus, Behrend in particular? We'll be visiting Behrend next month and will be sure to ask about this but I thought I'd do a little research in advance.</p>
<p>To give you a bit of context for our interest in Schreyer and Behrend, my youngest son is only a junior but he's already exhausted the science and math curriculum in our high school. His senior year would be comprised almost entirely of college credit classes and since he's shown that he's academically ready (4.2 weighted GPA, top of his class, excellent test scores, sports and EC's) and has proven to us that he's socially ready we think we should seriously consider sending him on to college a year early. We can't see any reason why he should stay on in high school to take college-level classes without the benefit of college instructors, facilities, and other opportunities. He's interested in mechanical engineering but was intrigued by the Interdisciplinary Business with Engineering Studies (IBE) major that is only offered at Behrend. We've spoken to Admissions (they were really wonderful, BTW) and have scheduled a visit and interviews next month. Again, I'd appreciate any information you might have regarding the Schreyer program on a branch campus, the IBE program, or Behrend in general.</p>
<p>Cannot help you with your specific questions, sorry.</p>
<p>The honors college offers specific honors classes. Find out exactly which classes they offer at the Behrend campus that your son can take in his first two years. </p>
<p>Students can take regular classes and have them count as honors classes by doing extra work or projects in that class. This will be a very different educational experience for him.</p>
<p>I know that if accepted (there is a very competitive application), you can start/complete the Schreyer Honors College program at any campus. You still have to fulfill the regular requirements of the honors college (3.4 GPA, a certain number of honors credits/year, and of course a thesis) regardless of the campus.</p>
<p>I am a Schreyer scholar at a Penn State branch campus and can offer some insight. First, I would expect many of the honors courses your son will take will require an honors option instead of registering for an actual honors designated course. My branch campus offers no engineering honors courses. They do offer a variety of honors English, math, writing courses, and several general honor courses. However, the general courses tend to be withdrawn from the schedule due to lack of honor students- again, my experience. Every honors class I have scheduled has been with an honors option. The honors option will require your son to create a plan to enhance the basic course- to successfully complete the course with honors recognition. The plan must be be approved by the course professor and the adviser- within the first two weeks of the semester. One downside to the honors option, the course professor must be a tenured professor OR be a tenure track professor. This could limit your sons experience in the program. I would advise you to specifically inquire as to the tenure status of the professors your son might encounter during his term at the campus. Specifically, the status of the engineering course professors who teach the engineering mechanics(mechanical engineering) at the campus. </p>
<p>One last point I would like to add, a negative to attending a branch campus. I often look at the course offerings at main campus with envy. I wish my campus could offer the variety and depth of courses available to those attending the main campus… However, attending a small campus affords you the ability to really know your professors, and allow them to know you! I have a great relationship with my professors and they certainly know me!</p>