<p>After reading this thread:</p>
<p>we're convinced that we ought to start considering more honors programs for my son who is a junior. In that thread the programs mentioned are Georgia, Penn State and Michigan. From other sources I've heard that Pittsburgh, Maryland and Arizona State also have great honors programs.</p>
<p>Any info on the above and any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Penn State- Schreyers is predominantly instate students....others are great......</p>
<p>My freshman D chose the University at Buffalo Honors College (SUNY, in-state, with full tuition scholarship) over acceptances at Brown, UPenn and UMich. Given her choices, I was surprised by her decision at the time (H and I were fortunate that we were prepared financially to cover her other options), but so far it has been a great decision for her. </p>
<p>She has had priority registration for classes, lots of access to her honors advisor, honors seminars and other honors experiences. She could have had honors housing, but wanted a single so made a different choice. There's a big, varied, flexible and customizable menu of honors experiences available to Honors College students over the course of their 4-year undergrad (total of 8 honors experiences required before graduation). </p>
<p>Don't know if you are NY resident, but if not the SUNY system is looking to expand their out of state student population. Another CC poster, NeonZeus, has a student at UB, also OOS I think. Here's info on UB Honors college: UB</a> Honors College</p>
<p>(Back in the stone age, I was an out-of-state student in the Honors College at Michigan State University. It was great then, and I continue to hear good things about it, so check that out as well.)</p>
<p>Take a look at UT Austin's Plan II.</p>
<p>Or UT Austin's Dean's Scholars if he is interested in natural sciences; or BHP is business.</p>
<p>U of South Carolina
Pitt</p>
<p>Most flagship state unis have great honors programs.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses so far. Does anyone have any first hand or second hand experiences to share? Or a website or a book or anything...</p>
<p>Fortunately, this topic has been discussed often on CC. Here's one fruitful link:</p>
<p>My daughter is in Pitt's Honors College. She's a sophomore, and this semester she took her first honors class. It was limited to 20 kids, as opposed to the regular section, which has 100 kids. And the work is a lot harder, she said. Pitt's Honors College doesn't have a lot of rules, and it doesn't have a lot of defined benefits. For instance, early registration is not a perk. And lots of kids get shut out of honors housing due to lack of space. But Pitt's HC does offer a roster of interesting classes taught by top professors, a body of serious students, and lots of activities. For a kid who wants an urban experience on a campus that still feels like a campus and has green space, Pitt would be a strong alternative. We are OOS, and my daughter has really loved the school.</p>
<p>University</a> Honors College</p>
<p>And here's a list of the courses the Honors College will be offering this fall:</p>
<p>My daughter is waiting to hear on her application to Clark Honors College at University of Oregon. We went and visited and she's very excited to go there... pending an acceptance letter.</p>
<p>I know several kids in the U of Washington Honors program. They have nothing but great things to say about it. It is selective: "The program is academically competitive - Last year's entering class had an average high school (UW) GPA of 3.94 and an average SAT score of 1416."</p>
<p>Indiana University of Pennsylvania honors college, Robert E. Cook -<a href="http://www.iup.edu/honors/prostumain.shtml%5B/url%5D">www.iup.edu/honors/prostumain.shtml</a></p>
<p>"If cost is an issue for you when choosing a college, consider the Robert E. Cook Honors College and IUP. Our affordable in-state and out-of-state tuition rates are among the most competitive in the nation. Even without a scholarship, you are paying a fraction of the price for a top-notch education on par with nationally recognized, big name schools.</p>
<p>For the Academic Year -- Two Semesters (based on estimated 2008-09 rates)</p>
<p>Total Cost (includes Tuition, Room (double occupancy), Average Meal Plan and Fees)</p>
<p>In-State Residents: $11,885</p>
<p>Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia Residents and any out of state student with a high school cumulative gpa above 3.0: $14,473</p>
<p>Out-of-State Residents below a 3.0 gpa: $19,651</p>
<p>Here are just a few of the honorable mentions IUP has received in recent years:</p>
<pre><code>* Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine has listed IUP in its "Top 100 Values in State Universities" report for the past three years.
* The Princeton Review's The Best 331 Colleges, 2001 edition, has included IUP in its rankings, calling IUP an "inexpensive, career-oriented, rural school with small classes and a thought-provoking Honors College…[you get] a bang for your buck here."
* Money Magazine's "Money Guide" ranked IUP as the #1 best buy of any Pennsylvania public university education and 22nd among the nation's public universities.
* U.S. News & World Report selected IUP as one of the top 172 national universities, and has also identified IUP as one of America's best college values.
* How to Get an Ivy League Education at a State University by Dr. Martin Nemko has recognized IUP as a "public ivy," a term for a select few public colleges and universities that offer academic environments comparable to those at Ivy League schools, but at affordable prices."
</code></pre>
<p>For those willing to take advantage of all it offers, the Hutton Honors program at Indiana University (Bloomington) is worth a look. The school just completed a stunning new building this year with room for lectures, meetings, advising, etc. Honors dorm floors are available as well in several areas. The program got a new dean a few years ago that really pushed to improve the overall program. </p>
<p>Admission to the program does not guarantee an Honor's Scholarship, but most that have the stats for admission to the program have the stats for one of the Automatic Merit scholarships.</p>
<p>I have one who graduated from Barrett Honors at Arizona state (now PhD student at wash U) and another who is a junior in the Honors College at U South carolina. I am a major supporter of Honors programs at flagship U's.Smaller program,special perks but all the resources,activities,facilities of a larger University. Both kids have had stellar experiences, including perks others have mentioned (early registration,extra counselors,special housing ,interesting,different courses or smaller sections,travel and research opportunities,etc). Honors programs vary so look carefully at the descriptions of the various programs.You want an Honors College with its own dean /administration/some designated faculty in my opinion. Outside endowments always help...for example, Barrett's is endowed by Craig Barrett of Intel.</p>
<p>One negative regarding U of Washington Honors is a concern to me. Priority registration is not a perk for students in the UW honors program. This might be even more negative for students entering in the next few years as the UW faces possible 20% budget cutbacks.</p>
<p>"* How to Get an Ivy League Education at a State University by Dr. Martin Nemko has recognized IUP as a "public ivy," a term for a select few public colleges and universities that offer academic environments comparable to those at Ivy League schools, but at affordable prices."</p>
<p>Wow, and there went Dr. Nemko's credibility out the window. IUP a public ivy? Sorry, but anyone familiar with IUP knows that it is not a very good school, and not even close to a 'public ivy'.</p>
<p>rodney- PSU Schreyer has about 25% of students out of state. The fact that most students are instate does not reflect on the quality of the program. If that was true, UNC and UVA would not be viewed as as quality schools...and they most certainly are. </p>
<p>A few notes on PSU Schreyer:
- It's hard to get in. This year, it's reported that they got 4,000 apps for 300 spots. Not clear how many they accept to get there but I know they accept well under 25%. The school says they don't look at SATs although SAT averages are high. GPA and ECs are important -as are the essays </p>
<ul>
<li><p>They give a $3500 per year scholarship. Not much, but it's a good deal if you're in state. </p></li>
<li><p>They have honors housing, priority registration and honors classes (lots of them).</p></li>
<li><p>The program has a Dean and a staff. All very helpful folks. </p></li>
<li><p>IMO, it is NOT for kids who want a small school environment. The honors college helps to make PSU feel smaller, but a student still needs to be comfortable advocating for themselves and operating in a large bustling environment. </p></li>
<li><p>The kids who do the best are the ones who take advantage of the resources and "engage" in the honors college. For those who don't, I'd says it's just a slightly better experience than PSU</p></li>
<li><p>In my mind, the BEST candidate for Schreyer is a student who would like PSU even without the honors college. It does not shelter you - it's just a nice add on - and a prestigious one to boot.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>IUP's Robert E. Cook Honors College has an interesting Great Questions core and a strong residential community. It is lauded in the book COOL COLLEGES as well, I believe.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Sorry, but anyone familiar with IUP knows that it is not a very good school, and not even close to a 'public ivy'.
[/quote]
jec7483 could you elaborate a bit? I'd be interested in hearing any of the real life stories of what actually goes on at a place like that. Thanks.</p>
<p>The kids I always spoke with that applied to IUP as one of their main choices were also looking at places like Kutztown, Shippensburg, and Slippery Rock. You can take that however you like. That sounds a little harsh, but it seemed to be only really a party school with below average academics. It was the lock safety for applicants in the running for places like Pitt and Penn State University Park. Just looking at US News, it is listed as "less selective" with its admission and is a Tier 4 school. There are over 120 schools in the tier 1, and 63 on the Tier 3 list. I know it's pretty cheap to go, but so is community college. I know it seems like I am throwing an IUP hate fest, but that's really not the case. I don't have any problem with the place. I am just giving you an honest answer of what I have observed, heard, and the numbers.</p>
<p>UW-Madison has a nice honors program- plus overall excellence so the rest of the student body isn't average. Many public U's will have an honors program- the rest of the university counts, too.</p>