The Honors College's 4 different programs & app process. :)

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
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<p>It’s understandable that there’s been some confusion about applying to The Honors College since some colleges don’t require a sep app.</p>

<p>Dr. Shane Sharpe (super nice) is the interim dean of the Honors College. He’s also the director of CBHP. Dr. Sharpe has his PhD in MIS, but he’s also a pharmacist.</p>

<p>[Honors</a> College - University Honors](<a href=“http://honors.cbhp.ua.edu/index.php?page=uhp]Honors”>http://honors.cbhp.ua.edu/index.php?page=uhp) website</p>

<p>[Honors</a> College - Apply](<a href=“http://honors.cbhp.ua.edu/index.php?page=apply]Honors”>http://honors.cbhp.ua.edu/index.php?page=apply) application instructions</p>

<p>The Honors College - Consists of 4 different programs - 2 programs admit by stats, the other 2 programs are very competitive. </p>

<p>University Honors Program (UHP) and International Honors Program (IHP) - applying students are admitted if they have the stats - Incoming students with a 28 ACT or 1250 SAT will be automatically accepted to the Honors College upon submission of their applications. Students will be notified of their acceptance via mail.</p>

<p>A qualified student can belong to more than one program, but to become a member of Computer-Based Honors Program (CBHP) or Fellows, a student must be selected through an essay and interview process (held in Feb - UA usually pays all expenses - transportation, hotel, food. I hope UA still does this…anyone know?).</p>

<p>University Honors Program (UHP) - minimum ACT 28 (SAT 1250 M + CR) - UHP classes are limited to 15 students. UHP students have their own computer labs. EZ app - one paragraph essay about yourself. NO BIG DEAL at all! :slight_smile: If you have the stats, you’re admitted after app received.</p>

<p>International Honors Program (IHP) - minimum ACT 28 - IHP classes are limited to 15 students. IHP students must also focus on a foreign language and do a study-abroad. If you have the stats, you’re admitted after app received.</p>

<p>Computer-Based Honors Program (CBHP) - only 40 students admitted to CBHP - average ACT 33 (typically includes a couple of “hook” students with ACT 28 - 30, but the others range ACT 31-36). The students’ majors range from Engineering to Liberal Arts to Pre-Med to Dance/Theatre to Library Science (and everything in between). Project-oriented research with a prof - fabulous presentations (I’ve been able to sit-in several students’ presentations of their individual research projects.) CBHP is a minor. CBHP students have their own lab facilities.</p>

<p>University Fellows Experience - (UFE or “Fellows”) only 40 students admitted to program - average ACT 33 (I think that’s the average that we were told., but includes kids within the ACT 28 - 36 range.) Project-oriented program. Must be invited to apply. Apps are sent to students with ACT 32+. If your ACT is between 28-31, you can have a GC request an invite.</p>

<p>Students interested in CBHP and/or Fellows, must also apply to UHP first.</p>

<p>The students in the Honors College are kids who score above the 90 percentile. Most of the kids in the CBHP and Fellows Program score in the 99 percentile.</p>

<p>Plus, various department majors have some honors classes. To take such classes, a student must be a member of UHP, too. </p>

<p>Last year, Dr. Halli (the recently retired dean of the honors college) told us that over 20% of the incoming freshmen are now qualified for The Honors College. Therefore, he was concerned that Dr. Witt (the president) would insist that the minimum ACT be raised, since honors classes cost a lot more money (smaller classes). But, Dr. Witt said that UA would keep the 28 ACT minimum because the students were doing so well in those classes.</p>

<p>For more info…</p>

<p>Honors Recruitment Coordinator:
Ms. Jami Gates
270 Nott Hall
205-348-5599
<a href=“mailto:jami.n.gates@ua.edu”>jami.n.gates@ua.edu</a> </p>

<p>Belonging to the Honors College has its perks…small college feel, smaller class sizes, priority registration, honors housing, honors computer lab.</p>

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<p>To get an idea of some UHP course offerings…here is the list for Spring 2010. The super popular classes (such as Arts of Tuscaloosa, and Arts and Parody) are offered every semester. Some UHP classes are only offered once a year. </p>

<p>Many of the UHP classes satisfy Core Curriculum req’ts. <a href=“http://honors.cbhp.ua.edu/uploads/forms/Current%20Students/HONORS%20COURSES%20AND%20CORE%20DESIGNATIONS.pdf[/url]”>http://honors.cbhp.ua.edu/uploads/forms/Current%20Students/HONORS%20COURSES%20AND%20CORE%20DESIGNATIONS.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>University Honors Program (UHP) Requirements</p>

<p>During their UA careers, UHP students must earn at least 18 hours of non-pass/fail honors credit, including at least 6 hours in non-pass/fail University Honors (UH) offerings at the 100, 200, or 300 level (PHL 202 Honors Introductory Ethics counts as a UH course). </p>

<p>Participants must maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.3 for their work at The University of Alabama and must complete the UHP’s 18-hour requirement at the same rate they complete the UA hours required for graduation.
For example, a UHP student who has completed half the UA hours required for graduation must have completed a minimum of 9 honors hours. </p>

<p>Honors course sections are offered in many disciplines, and honors programs for juniors and seniors exist in many areas. Hours in all of these count toward the 18. CBH 101-102 and IHP 105/155 will count toward the 18, but further work in these honors programs will not. </p>

<hr>

<p>So, to fulfill the 18 hour requirement, only 6 hours need the UHP designation (or PHL 202). The remaining required 12 hours can be from UHP or from various departments’ honors courses. </p>

<p>My DS1 who is in UHP and CBHP, also signed up for IHP but chose not to continue IHP. However, since he was in IHP, he was able to take IHP 105 which was a very interesting class for those who like to learn about other cultures and to read about other cultures. That IHP class counts towards his 18 credit UHP requirement.</p>

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<p>Just a note…</p>

<p>The Honors College recently updated its website. However, if you search for Honors College on the school’s website the first “response” is to the old website which isn’t working well (links wrong, pictures removed). UA is aware of the problem and will fix that.</p>

<p>So, the correct link (for now) is…
[Honors</a> College - University Honors](<a href=“http://honors.cbhp.ua.edu/index.php?page=uhp]Honors”>http://honors.cbhp.ua.edu/index.php?page=uhp)</p>

<p>However, I think the address with soon change or be corrected not to have CBHP in the addy (since it shouldn’t be there).</p>

5

<p>Thought I’d add this from another thread since the info applies here. :)</p>

<p>** If your child doesn’t qualify for the Honors College as an incoming student, he can apply while a student at UA **</p>

<p>If your child gets a 3.3 GPA the first semester at UA, he can apply to UHP (at that point, ACT/SAT scores don’t count ). </p>

<p>If that is of interest to a student, I would suggest taking an easier course load of Core Curriculum classes that first semester (which I recommend anyway for first-time frosh), to guarantee the GPA. </p>

<p>Plus, I think it’s nice for kids to start out college on a good note by having a good GPA their first semester. I think it just “sets the tone.” A good GPA the first semester convinces a kid that “I can do this; I can handle college.” (Believe me, even so-called smart students are sometimes scared that college may be too hard for them or that “everyone will be smarter than me.” My son’s GF, who goes to another college, told me, “I thought everyone was going to be smarter than me; but they’re not.” She is a straight A student who actually feared that she’d be the “dumb one” in her pre-Pharm major. Kids!!! )</p>

<p>If your student qualifies and decides to apply to honors after his first semester, he should continue to mix easier and hard classes each semester to maintain his GPA (which, again, is a good idea for any student). </p>

<p>On a related note…many students have higher GPAs in college than they did in high school because of their interest in their major, and because there are so many classes (of varing difficulties) that can be taken to fulfill Core classes. If your major doesn’t require it, and you’re not strong in science, you don’t have to take chemistry to fulfill the Natural Science requirement, you can take astronomy or something else that interests you that has that N designation. Heck, it you’re a music major, why should you need to sweat it out with Organic Chem? LOL</p>

<p>If a 3.3 is a bit too hard for any kid, that student can apply to IHP which requires a 3.0 (if interested in a foreign language and doing a study abroad). The student will still get all the honors benefits. [Honors</a> College - International Honors](<a href=“http://honors.cbhp.ua.edu/index.php?page=ihp]Honors”>http://honors.cbhp.ua.edu/index.php?page=ihp)</p>

<p>Here are the IHP requirements: [Honors</a> College - Home](<a href=“http://honors.cbhp.ua.edu/index.php?...p-requirements]Honors”>http://honors.cbhp.ua.edu/index.php?...p-requirements)</p>

<p>Frankly, for a lot of majors, IHP is a good thing. Becoming fluent in another language is a plus for many careers.</p>

<p>I think that with a <em>carefully-chosen schedule,</em> almost any dedicated student could probably do this if interested. The key is the carefully chosen schedule. I’m not suggesting basket-weaving classes, but simply choosing classes that do fill the Core req’ts that aren’t too hard and are also of interest to the student to help balance a harder schedule. (Again, a student needs to check his major’s req’ts to make sure a harder class isn’t required.) </p>

<p>My sons aren’t “artistic,” so they knew not to take any Fine Arts classes that would be too hard or boring for them. Instead, DS1 took Honors Arts and Parody because he knew that class would be fun and fascinating - and it was. FA requirement is now filled. </p>

<hr>

<p>From website…</p>

<p>Currently, the UHP serves 20% of each incoming class of students. The UHP offers them smaller, more exciting courses with fellow Honors students and an array of enriching opportunities to grow and develop as a person.</p>

<p>It’s our philosophy to be selective but not exclusive in our admission to the UHP: all eligible students are admitted.</p>

<p>Current UA students with a 3.3 GPA or transfer students with a 3.3 GPA will be accepted into the UHP upon submission of their applications. Students will be notified of their acceptance via email.</p>

<p>Current UA students with a 3.0 GPA or transfer students with a 3.0 GPAwill be accepted into the IHP upon submission of their applications. Students will be notified of their acceptance via email.</p>

<hr>

<p>I know that there’s a GPA requirement to graduate in honors…see below. The honors college does not kick a kid out if he gets below the 3.3 GPA (or 3.0 for IHP) for one semester. The student is given a warning, and as long as he gets a 3.3 (or 3.0 for IHP) the next semester, he’s fine. (I called the Honors College office before typing this.)</p>

<hr>

<p>More from the website…</p>

<p>How do I complete the requirements of the Honors Programs and graduate from the Honors College? </p>

<h2>All UHP students must maintain a 3.3 GPA to graduate from the UHP. IHP students and CBHP students must maintain a 3.0 GPA to graduate from those programs. The remaining requirements for each program are different, so visit the programs’ webpages to learn more. Your diploma will indicate “With Honors” upon your successful completion of the Honors Programs’ requirements. </h2>

<p>I really like the fact that their diplomas will have “With Honors” written on them. </p>

<p>Now here’s a hint to anyone who wants their child to eventually be in honors college and in honors housing… </p>

<p>If your child does not start in honors, but might qualify for honors after the first semester AND you’d like your child to be in the honors dorms, THEN…</p>

<p>Sometimes, there are openings in honors dorms before classes start (this year there were many openings). When that happens, Housing will let some non-honors frosh grab those empty rooms. If you nab one of those openings, then your child can be in honors housing for as long as the student wishes. </p>

<p>See, the housing rule is, to be in honors housing, you have to start in honors housing. So, by doing the above, a child might be able to get into honors housing, then get admitted to honors college after the first semester, and then remain in honors housing in the future. :)</p>

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<p>bump…</p>

<p>:)</p>

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<p>bump…because people are pm-ing and asking :)</p>

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<p>Just submitted UHP application - now on UFE. Looking at the first prompt, it is pretty much the same as the prompt I answered for the UHP. Does anyone think I can use parts of my UHP essay for the UFE essay #1?</p>

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<p>If you wrote a high quality essay for your UHP essay, then you probably can just change it a bit for UFE. How long was your UHP essay? I can’t remember if the UFE essay has a word count requirement. </p>

<p>Keep in mind that UFE is a very competitive admission process, so you’ll want to put your best foot forward with those 2 essays :)</p>

<p>BTW…have you gotten your scholarship award? :)</p>

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<p>My UHP essay was like 1300 characters I think (limit is 2000, UFE is 4000), and yes I did receive my scholarship!</p>

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<p>Congrats about your scholarship!!! I’m sure I speak for many on this board when I say that we are happy that that all worked out! :)</p>

<p>So, it looks like you may need to expand upon your UFE essay a bit if you think that they are looking for a longer essay (I’m guessing in the 2000-4000 characters range - is that roughly 500-1000 words???)</p>

<p>What do you all think?</p>

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<p>Mom, per your recommendation, I did a short essay only 100 words, got accepted like the next day.</p>

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<p>Oops, my bad I thought it was the UHP essay not the UFE essay. My rough draft for UFE essay is 600+ words each.</p>

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<p>^^^</p>

<p>You’re right, though, the UHP essay can be quite short. Something like a little into about yourself and your academic goals while in the Honors College at UA. Seriously, no big deal! </p>

<p>Does IHP still require a short essay? Or no?</p>

<p>UFE and CBHP essays are a big deal! :)</p>

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<p>Bump… :)</p>

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<p>Don’t forget, you must be accepted to Alabama before you can apply for Honors. Contact the Honors College if application deadlines are approaching and you haven’t been accepted yet.</p>

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<p>The short paragraph for UHP is due February 1st, right?</p>

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<p>Yes, but I wouldn’t wait if I were you.</p>

<p>The honors app is easy, and the essay is really just a minor deal. You just write a few sentences about what your academic goals, your career goals, etc. The essay does not make or break anyone’s admittance. Students are admitted to UHP by stats.</p>

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<p>I’ll submit it as soon as I am admitted. Hopefully that is soon!</p>

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<p>Typically, within about 2 weeks after UA has received your transcript and scores, you’ll get admitted. So, get those sent ASAP :)</p>

<p>:)</p>

<p>You can sometimes find out earlier by going into MyBama, clicking on the acceptance tab, looking down the left column, and seeing if there is a link for you to pay deposits. Click on that, and see if you could pay a deposit if you wanted to (you don’t have to actually pay at that point)</p>

<p>BTW…one of the “acceptance” letters is small, so don’t let that fool you.</p>