<p>Saw this thread and realized I already gave my UW info months ago-post #56. Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota all have high caliber flagships and from Uniwatcher’s post must have similarities. Programs with integration with the rest of the students instead of colleges within a school. This is something to consider. </p>
<p>Parents of students, and the students, still choosing a college. Consider multiple factors. Look at the requirements for getting into, staying in, graduating with honors. Look at the courses offered and required. Look into the content in courses- survey, indepth, theoretical. Compare to regular curriculum offered. Check on upper class work available. Look at extra costs, if any. Look at housing arrangements, if any. Consider the overall university- courses desired outside of the honors ones and dropping out of honors. The state flagships will include many students equal to the students at the elite private schools for several reasons including geography and costs.</p>
<p>I have a freshman at Barrett Honors College. She is enjoying her honors classes and is happy with her non-honors classes as well. She is a business student and would definitely not have been happy at a small school, the size of ASU has allowed her to find people who share her interests in different areas and she has multiple opportunities to expand her horizons in her chosen major. My impression is that there is so much to choose from there just aren’t enough hours in the day to take advantage of everything.</p>
<p>She came home for a weekend after almost three months and spent the first day catching up on sleep. She had some recent all night study sessions and her description of them was positive, she said her group got a lot of work done up front, relaxed with food and conversation then a review before a major test that morning. It painted a picture that felt academically focused but not oblivious to the positive social development that college life brings (and there are at least 4 coffee shops within walking distance from her dorm). She knows kids who party and kids who don’t and has a group of friends that, like her, avoid the party climate that ASU is known for (what school in a large city with year round sunshine and decent weather wouldn’t have a big party scene?).</p>
<p>This happened to be a very affordable choice for us - for which I am most grateful - but economic issues aside, Barrett has given my business kid the humanities courses and creative/intellectual environment that she enjoys. She tells me that she sometimes plays the grand piano located in the dining hall and that’s icing on the cake for me, I miss the hours of practice I’ve listened to for the previous 12 years but I’m glad she’s able to still enjoy playing from time to time. </p>
<p>I don’t think the honors college in a big state U. is at all the same experience as a small liberal arts school but it’s not because of the caliber of kids - it’s the size of the school. If you want to know everybody on campus ASU is not the place to be. On the other hand, if you can take on the challenge of a school that’s bigger than many American towns and enjoy the comaraderie of your honors cohort as your corner of that city sized school, then an experience like Barrett is a perfect fit.</p>
<p>Thanks, I appreciate the info. I’m considering applying as a transfer from NY. I must wait till fall 2012 due to possible merit $$.
I’m at a flagship SUNY but, my parents insist on an Honors college and merit $$ if I want to transfer.
I don’t clearly understand if I have a chance of being accepted. All they’ve asked so far, is the app fee and my HS transcript.</p>
<p>I have a child in the Echols Scholar program at UVA. It was a deciding factor in choosing a college, turned down Ivy admissions for it, mostly because it just felt “right”. Even though UVA is a medium-sized school, the Echols dorms facilitate easy mixing with other students who may share similar intellectual curiosity. We are very happy with the program.</p>
<p>My daughter is in the honors program at Fordham U, Lincoln Center campus. There are only 15 kids in the honors program at her campus. There are three classes she is taking this semester that is only for the 15 of them, english, writing seminar and theology. She is also taking multi variable calc, spanish and a class in her major that are not honors classes. </p>
<p>She likes being in the honors program. Fordham has a very large core curriculum, but honors kids have fewer core classes that they have to take, making it easier to double major or have a major and minor. She will have the same 15 kids in her honors classes all four years, so they are getting pretty friendly, well, most of them. </p>
<p>She does find the work tough and challenging. No special housing for the H kids, there is only one high rise building on campus. They do get to schedule their classes first, and there was a honors dinner so they could meet the upperclassmen, and a few other events just for them.</p>