Share your kid’s experience in a public university’s Honors College

Parent Cafe
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<p>I’ve been poring over the University of Maryland website’s sections on their various Honors opportunities and I think I’ve made some sense of the many offerings and options available. I’m afraid I had a grander sense (hope?) of what an Honors College at a very large state university would be. If I am understanding the website correctly (I focused mostly on the University Honors program for my liberal arts-inclined S), the Honors students have to take 16 credits in seminars open only to them, and are then able to take Honors versions of other college courses, though I’m assuming that not all courses will have Honors versions. The H students also live together in one dorm, at least for the first two years. There seem to be other perks as well in terms of registration, advisement, etc.</p>

<p>What was your student’s experience at Maryland or elsewhere? Did he/she find that their Honors College experience met their hopes and expectations? Did they find a smaller, more intellectually curious community within a much larger school or did the overriding culture of the school dilute it? Did the coursework offer the “small liberal arts college” experience” touted by the universities offering these programs and did it continue for all four years? For that matter, was your student able to graduate in four years?</p>

<p>Thanks for reading this far and for sharing your experiences and insights.</p>

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<p>Excellent topic. I have not read very many in depth answers to this type of question.</p>

<p>Can anyone give us their 2 cents?</p>

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<p>Intersting question, and one I have been researching too. The only thing I have been able to determine is that honors colleges are extremly different from school to school. Some have very engaged and honors college specific communities, while others only offer “perks” for being in honors college. Those perks are usually early registration and dorms. Hopefully, you will be able to find specific info for Maryland. I do understand from other parents that the honors college at UMCP will give tours and will answer questions.</p>

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<p>General comment about the University of Maryland is that the students in the “Gemstone” program are clearly a cut above the rest and are treated accordingly. Those in the, for lack of a better word, “regular” honors program are enticed by the name but the benefits are much less than those enjoyed by the Gemstone kids. I’m sure that those with closer ties to the school can confirm or negate that comment.</p>

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<p>We attended an open house at one public U. We knew that my son would qualify for their honor’s college so we asked lots of questions. We loved the honor’s college, BUT we did not love the rest of the university. After the first year of classes, many classes would no longer be “honor classes” and would just be regular classes. Housing at the school for honor college students was seperate and it looked like one was living in a brand new 3+ star hotel! Honor college students did get some perks like the amazing housing perk. Still, this was not a draw for us at all and my son never applied to this school.</p>

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<p>I also forget to add that I think “free tuition” might have been the reason to look in the first place, although I have forgotten the exact details. I know that when I added up fees, overpriced housing/meals, and that a car with insurance payments would be needed there, it was not a bargain in my mind. My son does not currently own a car.</p>

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<p>A note to consider with Honors at any school…
Our son had an offer of Honors at our state flagship as well as another university and was very torn. The Honors came with a stipulation of keeping a 3.5. My advise was choose the state flagship w/ Honors only if you love it without the Honors college. He’s enjoyed great academic success, however keeping a 3.5 GPA for an engineering major may or may not be doable for him. We didn’t want him choosing the Honors program, missing the 3.5, and then being unhappy or regretting his decision. FWIW, he chose the other university.</p>

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<p>My D is starting in the honors college at a private U this month. The HC is about 300 students out of 5,000 undergraduates. </p>

<p>I am curious how people have experienced these programs. They are all very different. We are pleased about several attributes at her school:</p>

<p>1) HC classes are self-contained - very specific seminars at an advanced intellectual level
2) HC classes take the place of Gen Eds and other requirements
3) HC isn’t a degree or a minor, but there is a certificate of completion of sorts at the end
4) BUT it is very flexible, something you can choose to do semester-by-semester, with no hard feelings or pressure from the HC - they see themselves as a resource, not a responsibility. If you get the certificate, fine, but if you don’t do it all, it’s still a valuable experience
5) D got virtually full-tuition scholarship from the U, but it is not tied to the HC. She has to keep a reasonable GPA in her major (which is a whole different story, a huge reason why she is going to this school in the first place), but she’ll get the scholarship whether or not she is enrolled in the HC.
6) Lots of other perks, like outings and really cheap tickets to museums, plays, etc; an actual HC location with seminar rooms, lounges, a music practice room, etc.; dinners and book talks with the HC Dean at his house; a literary magazine for HC essays and creative writing; and lots more.</p>

<p>The negatives I’ll be curious to look for are:</p>

<p>1) HC does have some separate housing, which she got into. But it’s not everyone in the HC and it doesn’t really seem much better than regular housing. It doesn’t really cost any different, so we’ll see whether she thinks it was necessary or worth it
2) Most important, I’m wondering how the HC kids are seen by the rest of the U, what the social dynamic is. For example, I did see something on the U’s website about some HC perks - on a blog about their special activities, particularly the really cheap tickets, a “regular” student remarked that it didn’t seem fair that other interested kids aren’t able to get those discounts. On the other hand, the HC kids have some pretty high expectations for their classes, and it could be argued that they “deserve” the reward (and I’ve also seen other great ticket discounts around campus in general, so it isn’t like nobody else gets perks).</p>

<p>I’ll try to post about her experiences as she gets going with school. I must say that I am glad she has the flexibility to drop the HC if she wants - her major itself is very demanding - with no repercussions. It has felt very much like a win-win situation for us so far.</p>

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<p>Thanks to those that have replied.</p>

<p>No offense, but PublicU and PrivateU don’t help us as much as actual names and details of real programs would…</p>

<p>Would still be very interested to hear any details about any top programs anywhere, but particularly Schreyers, Pitt, Delaware, and Maryland…and any others out there that people have direct knowledge of…</p>

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<p>D is going to Adelphi University on Long Island. She’s doing a BFA in Theatre, with the HC for liberal arts foundations.</p>

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<p>Re Maryland:</p>

<p>Gemstone people are indeed a cut above the regular Honors crowd, but not everyone who might qualify for Gemstone wants to be in it because it involves a long-term group project that is not to everyone’s taste. Nevertheless, if what you’re looking for is a dorm that has the highest concentration of the best and the brightest freshmen at Maryland, the Gemstone dorm is where you want to go.</p>

<p>Another possibly relevant thing about Maryland is that the Honors program that people are admitted to in the beginning is relevant primarily to the first two years only. Doing honors research in one’s major is an entirely different thing. My son, who was not in the Honors program as an underclassman, did an honors research project in his major later on and found it to be a valuable experience.</p>

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<p>The feed-back I have gotten from parents in our community who have sent students to Schreyer, Pitt Honors, and some of the other honors colleges:</p>

<p>The honors intro classes (gen chem, physics, bio, organic, calc, econ, psych) are generally smaller and more intimate than comparable classes at elite schools, and taught very well. Non-honors sections are generally far easier than honors sections or comparable courses at elite schools. Students in majors that attract large numbers of top students also find a suitable cohort in upper-level courses, and many will take graduate courses. There is some concern that state cut-backs will affect the diversity of course offerings.</p>

<p>Dedicated advising does a good job of connecting students to research opportunities and mentoring by professors as early as freshman year. Later on, advising will help students apply for national fellowships and to graduate and professional schools. Lots of encouragement for pursuing multiple interests and majors, or planning a substantial senior thesis.</p>

<p>Depending on a student’s major and courseload, meeting the GPA requirements can prove a challenge. </p>

<p>Students hoping to find corporate internships or post-grad employment rather than proceed immediately to graduate or professional school can end up disappointed - unlike top grad schools or professional schools, corporate recruiters for some of the most desired placements seem to be very big on undergrad brand name. A bigger issue for some in this economy. OTOH, there is far less pressure to get a job to discharge debt. (Our community is affluent and most families will be full-pay if they do not get merit aid.)</p>

<p>Students (especially students in majors less popular among honors college students) can feel socially isolated in the midst of the larger student body, and may find many EC’s and student groups (Greek organizations, clubs) less than welcoming. Some are treated very, very badly by peers in non-honors dorms. (This also applies to other students who are academically focused but not in honors.)</p>

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<p>My daughter is going to be a sophomore in the University of Delaware’s honors program. She enjoys it a lot because she did IB in high school and finds some similarities. There is an honors house that is open to students at all times, with computer labs, conversation, academic support, or just a place to hang out. There are special honors events like trips, coffee hours with professors and such like. The perk she enjoys most is being among the first to register. In a big school that can be a nice plus. She has to take (I think) 12 honors credits a year and keep above a 3.0 to remain in good standing. The honors courses she has taken thus far have all either been totally stand alone honors courses or have been regular courses with a separate honors session with the professor each week. Lot of personal interaction and the classes are small. She was in honors housing her freshman year and has chosen to be in honors housing again this year. Her dorm is right in the part of campus where all her classes and her job are. Her major is housed there, as well, so she will count her commute in feet. All in all, she’s been happy so far, has enjoyed the intellectual interaction with like-minded kids, and the smallness of the program within a bigger school. They all interact with non-honors students and that works out well. She feels that she has major friends, honors friends, and friend friends.</p>

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<p>Thank you all for your responses; this is valuable information indeed. Blueigiana, your comment really jumped out at me: “My advise was choose the state flagship w/ Honors only if you love it without the Honors college.” That’s probably the bottom line. And frazzled2the core, this really saddened me, and even shocked me a bit: “Students…can feel socially isolated in the midst of the larger student body, and may find many EC’s and student groups (Greek organizations, clubs) less than welcoming. Some are treated very, very badly by peers in non-honors dorms.” I must be naive but I thought young adults would be beyond such juvenile behavior. What a shame…</p>

<p>Lots of food for thought…</p>

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<p>S1 was an honors freshman last year in a flagship state school in the College of Science and Engineering. His class schedule included a lot of math/science, and his biggest honors freshman class contained about 100+ students. He worked hard in all his classes, and ended up with a 3.5 his first semester (all A’s his second). He commented to me that there were “a lot of really smart kids” at school, and he was definitely challenged. Compare this with a friend whose daughter also goes to the same school but in the non-honors and in another program. Her daughter found that her classes were “really easy” and that she thought she worked harder in her regular (non-honors, non AP) classes in high school. Hearing that made me realize WHY my son was in honors. I want him to be challenged in college, even if it means he gets B’s (and maybe C’s) in his classes. Because he lived in the honors dorm and went to honors classes, most of his friends were from the honors program; this might isolate him from some other campus experiences but I think it is a cost that is worthwhile. S2 is looking at colleges right now and with his states (4.0 gpa, 36 ACT, good ECs) we will definitely be looking at honors options.</p>

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<p>A couple of years ago, after attending UGA for a couple of years, Vig180 wrote about choosing UGA honors over a private school. Although the thread is a little old, he/she extensively describes the UGA honors program and opportunities. The thread title is : The Results of Choosing a Full-Ride State School Scholarship. I’m not sure how to link to it…but it can be easily found based on the title.</p>

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<p>Here’s a link to the above referenced thread:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/660178-results-choosing-full-ride-state-school-scholarship.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/660178-results-choosing-full-ride-state-school-scholarship.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>OP, you are correct that the honors program at UMD is a relatively limited program. </p>

<p>In our experience, most of the Honors Program - Banneker/Key students we knew avoided Gemstone like the plague. They were sick and tired of group projects and had no interest in a four year group project. Neither of my kids would even apply for it (and at the time, there were essay Qs that were somewhat directive towards which kind of experience you wanted). </p>

<p>If your kid gets a B/K, he/she is guaranteed on-campus housing for all four years. This is non-trivial.</p>

<p>Folks who are in STEM fields tend to have a very different experience than those in liberal arts.</p>

<p>The kids we know who were in Honors tended to look at the honors courses as “regular core” and launched into upper division/graduate work early. In some cases, this was as early as freshman year.</p>

<p>Feel free to PM me. I have one who got into Honors and full Banneker Key, and the other into Scholars w/Presidential Scholarship. Both went elsewhere (and I’ve had some mixed feelings about this for one of them). My honorary 3rd S went to UMD (also Honors and B/K) and left for grad school last week.</p>

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<p>Son was a student at Schreyers at PSU. Although there were the associated perks of merit money, early class registration, guaranteed housing and small advising, he didn’t feel that there was any real advantage to being in it unless you ended up being one of the “chosen” few. The senior year thesis was very involved and time consuming. I guess it did prepare him for his masters’ thesis. They didn’t really provide as much in the way of job search or grad school search assistance as we anticipated. Overall, it was a positive experience but he could have had much the same experience as a student in the general population at PSU.</p>

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<p>Does anyone have comments on the Honors or WISE program at SUNY Stony Brook?</p>