<p>My son was accepted to the honors program at American University. He really likes American, and the honors program offers various perks. Special courses, the ability to negotiate non-honors courses into honors courses, designated floors in the housing, special dinners and outings with professors, special non-academic outings etc. As the list went on we both began to feel that it might be uncomfortable to be a first class citizen in a university where everyone else was treated as a second class citizen. </p>
<p>Does this bother other people? Has anyone been an honors student who can speak to the pluses and minuses?</p>
<p>I have no first-hand experience, but your post rang a bell. At a dinner last night, I sat next to a woman whose son is a freshman in the Honors College at Arizona State U. She said the Honors kids have their own housing, okay, but with a special chef and an upscale menu. She didn’t say her son felt uncomfortable, but I found that kind of off-putting. I certainly get the academic perks and benefits for Honors College students, but should a university (and I think ASU is strapped financially) devote scarce resources to providing gourmet food to a select group of students?</p>
<p>^ ASU is the exception and not the rule in that case. Don’t quote me on this, but I believe the honor’s college there is mostly funded by specifically targeted donations from a former Intel exec.</p>
<p>My daughter’s honors college perks were the honors dorm (which she did not do because she had had enough of “dorm” life and communal bathrooms after 2 years at our State math/science high school, I wish she had), some smaller classes, priority enrollment. She really enjoyed having some smaller classes (20 or less) mixed in with the huge classes (100-250). It made for a nice balance. The priority enrollment was wonderful, especially in the 1st couple of years when she would have been among the last to enroll otherwise. I get the impression the kids who did the dorm formed more close knit bonds than those in the dorm style she chose and had more organized activities. I really wish she had chosen that option.</p>
<p>I don’t think there was a big have/have not situation between honors and non honors at her school. In her regular classes she was the same as everyone. They didn’t have special meals or anything.</p>
<p>Arizona tries hard to keep it’s brightest from going out of state. They used to flock to California but not anymore. It’s very competitive and I don’t begrudge any student that works that hard some special perks. Many of them could have gone anywhere, but instead chose a crowded institution with severe parking problems and no beach.</p>
<p>Are the other students at American really treated liked second class citizens or are they simply not afforded occasional really cool opportunities that the honors kids get as a reward for their academic excellence? </p>
<p>The US is still supposed to be a meritocracy and I don’t have a problem with honors kids being rewarded with some perks any more than I mind the NMF student getting a better merit package. Also I seriously doubt that the experience of the non-honors student is measurably impacted by the existence of special dinners with the professors and the ability to parlay non-honors courses into honors </p>
<p>Of course if the culture on campus is one which plays up the differences between the haves and have-nots that’s a different story but I am guessing that the non-honors kids are largely unaware that the honors kids are able to do some of the things they do.</p>
<p>I would encourage my kid to celebrate the reward and enjoy and take advantage of what he/she earned.</p>
<p>My D is a junior in the honors program at Ohio State and I would highly recommend it. She gets to schedule ahead of other students at the same level (freshman, sophomore, etc). The honors dorm had students who were (usually) committed to getting good grades. Her general education requirements had to mainly be done in honors sections which had a max of 25 students per class. They had honors lectures and field trips but she never did any of those.</p>
<p>One of the things she really enjoyed: she joined a book club and met kids who had read every book she had every read AND many more she’d never heard of. For the girl who was Most Intellectual at her high school, it was exciting!</p>
<p>Our state flagship does the same thing for the same reasons. They have to have some way of keeping those kids who could have gone to the Ivies or the Top 20 or Top 30 in state. Along with all the perks, 100% of the kids get scholarship $$ on top of the in-state lottery funded scholarship money that all good students in the state receive. </p>
<p>My son was accepted to several much higher ranked schools than our state flagship but our honors program is top notch and he will probably go there. The perks are just icing on the cake but they do help attract top notch students.</p>
<p>My D is seriously considering the honors program at Delaware. Her perception is that it might make an otherwise “too big” school manageable for her.</p>
<p>My D is in the honors college at our state flagship. The honors kids have their own dorm, but the building itself is not any different than the other dorm buildings, it’s just an option for the honors college kids to help them form a community among themselves. My daughter has lived there this year, but will move off-campus next year (most upperclassmen do). It has, though, been very useful for her in building relationships with other HC students. They have small HC classes with a dedicated faculty (but not priority in registering generally at the univ.), the top two floors of one of the classroom/office buildings on campus which also has a honors lounge and kitchen area, plus a small computer lab, free printing, and a small HC library that will get any books you request from the main university library (easy enough to go get them yourself from the main library, though). There are also various outings, readings, guest lectures, etc. for the HC students.</p>
<p>I was actually talking to my D just yesterday about this question – she’s been home for spring break – and she says it’s really not an issue. The HC kids don’t go around like a superior tribe or anything, kids outside the honors college wouldn’t necessarily know who’s in or who’s not unless they’re specifically trying to find it out. (Not sure why anyone would do that.) The HC students know who they are and know each other, but outside their dorms or the HC building, there is nothing to distinguish them as different from anyone else.</p>
<p>They live in the same kind of dorms, they eat at the same dining venues, in their major departments they have the same requirements as everyone else. I don’t think things like honors outings or dinners w/ faculty are the kinds of things people outside the honor program would even be aware of. At the very least I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t care even if they did know.</p>
<p>It sounds from your description most of the perks are optional anyway, so if your son didn’t want to live on the honors floor of a dorm, he wouldn’t have to. You are probably over-thinking this, and exaggerating a social difference it makes to be in the honors program. It’s not that big of a deal socially or in terms of some hierarchy of human worth. Most students that are not in the honors program probably never even think about the honors program at all. But, at the very least, I think your son should start in the honors program. These programs do have some very concrete benefits for students in large universities. If he doesn’t like it, he can leave it and just be non-honors American U student.</p>
<p>It just felt weird when we were at the presentation. Some things don’t bother me at all. Do extra work for a course and have it be an honors course. Great! But others like getting special trips to rock concerts - maybe not so much. I know they spend 3/4 of their course work in non-honors courses and they don’t have to live on the honors floors. It may all be moot as he’s been accepted other places as well, but I am interested in how it feels.</p>
<p>BTW, I don’t know that American is supposed to be a meritocracy. I don’t think it’s in the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence. :)</p>
<p>mathmom, the honors college is like the first class section of an airplane - everyone takes off and lands at the same time, but they get treated a little better during the journey, and for the same reasons - they’re the ones that bring money (prestige) to the airplane (college), and having them “fly” with a competitor can be a significant loss in revenue (stats).</p>
<p>I’m with mathmom here, and I don’t think its overthinking. My son now has the option of honors at a couple of our good state universities and it just rubs me the wrong way. I’m not saying its wrong, but I personally hate the idea of there being different classes of students at the same place. The honors kids get priority scheduling, and the ability to keep library books for the entire semester. Seems to me that would inconvenience the whole student body. As for honors housing, I have heard at these particular places, only the snottiest of kids choose it- and why would they? Just to be segregated from the rest of the student body? I could see it could make some sense for a very large and mediocre university where only the honors kids are serious students. But at decent places, where all the students have worked hard to get there, it strikes me as an insult to most of the student body.</p>
<p>I should add that I know I’m in the minority here and it doesn’t seem to faze most people. But my ds is likely choosing a LAC, where all students are assumed to be good students.</p>
<p>I’m in an honors program at an OOS public university and I don’t feel like the university treats non-honors students any different than honors students. Honors students do get priority registration, more access to deluxe housing options, a dedicated staff that plans events that might interest us, some small class sizes, and the ability to meet peers with similar interests. But then again, the school allows admission into honors after starting college if one gets a certain GPA and honors college speakers and events are officially open to all students. Additionally, scholarships are not usually contingent on being in honors.</p>
<p>My view with honors programs is that although they may provide nice benefits, they are not the be all end all of a college experience. You can have a college great experience regardless if you are in an honors program or not. If I wasn’t in honors, I’d be in a residence hall that is the carbon copy of my current one and less than 100 feet away. I’d still be taking a lot of the same classes and seeing the same people. Of course, honors at my school is known for not being the stereotypical “nerdy” honors program that one might often view honors programs as. In reality, it’s just a bunch of people who happen to enjoy learning along with the rest of college life. </p>
<p>I really like thrill’s airplane analogy. I’m sure at some schools the honors program is like flying first class. I view it more as being an elite passenger who gets to board early and might have an exit row seat. In between flights, they might go to the airline lounge for some food, relaxation, and help if their flight is delayed. It’s the same experience, just a tad bit more comfortable and you get to be around people with similar interests. Interestingly enough, honors students at my school do have a lounge.</p>
<p>My D was accepted at Northwestern, was invited to apply for honors program at the University of Michigan (still pending), and invited to a be a “Dean’s Scholar” at the University of Minnesota (seems to be like an honors program with lots of research and leadership development opportunities.) She was also accepted at Northwestern U. She is planning pre-med and we have no idea how to compare these various opportunities. Is it better to go to the highest ranked, more prestigious (and expensive) school, or pay less and get individual attention and opportunities. If she gets into Columbia on Thursday, that’s where she’ll go, but since that’s not very likely (already deferred), we are thinking it is going to boil down to these three choices.</p>
<p>Part of the appeal for my son. He loves the idea of being in a smaller liberal arts type college while at the same time being on a big campus with SEC football. In his mind, it’s the best of both worlds. He really didn’t want to go the exclusively small LAC route because he’s been in a small college prep school for 12 yrs but most of his academic interests are geared toward a LAC education.</p>
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<p>At some big universities, kids are housed by a lot of different groupings. Major, bridge programs, healthy living communities, green housing, non-alcohol dorms, athletic housing, Greek housing. I don’t really see why the honors kids can’t have their own housing community. It’s more about forming bonds with students with similar interests than anything else.</p>
<p>daughtershelper–If your D is sure she is going to med school, the wise choice is to go for the best financial deal and save the money for medical school!</p>
<p>My information is that med schools look more at your GPA and less (or not at all) at how prestigious an undergrad school you went to.</p>
<p>Experienced family here with a daughter at American. The honors program at American is exactly as Sea Tide mentioned in his post. There are some neat things available and it is your job to take advantage or not. My daughter does lives on an honors floor, but guess what, the rooms are just like everyone elses. The kids are just as nutty. She is a second year student at American and has had more opportunities there than I have time to discuss here. She just takes advantage of stuff and is a real go getter. I guess I would describe her as your typical student on CC as far as stats are concerned, but crank it down a few notches as far as life is concerned. She loves American and all that DC has to offer. Go for it!</p>
<p>I work at a hospital and have been told this repeatedly by different physicians. A young lady I know who just got into medical school (on her third try) was actually told by the admission director that you are better off getting the highest GPA possible from a lower ranked school than getting a lower GPA at a higher ranked school. There are plenty of 4.0 GPA students applying to med school, the competition is pretty stiff.</p>