We are debating between UF honor and Penn State Honor. It seems that they both have similar benefits: honor housing, early course registrations, Honor advising, more leadership opportunities . My daughter is interested in engineering, and minor in economics, or finance, or business (possible pre med). We live in PA but she got a good scholarship from UF so we are kind of paying in state tuition for UF, similar to Penn state out of pocket expenses. Any one has any insights on these two honor programs, how much resources/opportunities they provide for the students? Would it be easy to do engineering adding an economics or business minor? What percentage of students do it ( a lot or not many)? Are there co op opportunities that the university provides? Would the student still need to pay tuition when she is doing co op?
You don’t typically pay tuition while doing a co-op. You work that semester instead and get paid.
We’re also in PA. Schreyer is one of the top honors programs. The kids from our HS that have been fortunate enough to get in have done very well. They take care of their students.
Youngest son is at FSU with Honors. He also got the tuition waiver which made it half of PSU. I can’t speak about UF but one consideration is travel. It’s not cheap nor convenient. Especially around holidays and breaks. They know when to jack up prices. I wouldn’t make it a deal breaker but it’s something to consider.
Thank you for your response. It’s a great point about travel inconveniences. Since we are in PA, we always think that Shreyer is top notch. Not sure if it’s regional though. UF honor might be the top honor program in the south? From the descriptions, they all provide similar benefits to help students. When companies hire, I would think that they just look at the university name, right? UF has higher ranking according to US News - not sure how important it is. Personally, I’d like her to be in an university within driving distance, but I also want her to make the best choice for her. Thanks
UF isn’t really known as top Honors and frankly it doesn’t matter. It’s not as well rated in Honors as U of SC (tops in the country), UGA Honors, Bama and maybe not even FSU but it doesn’t matter. The school is higher rated and in both engineering and business - it also doesn’t matter. The outcomes will be similar.
These are peer schools. Both large. Both solid.
Engineering is tough and you need to be all in to succeed. It’s why 40-60% don’t make it and business is often a fallback.
It’s likely you can do a minor but you should check with an advisor at each and study the course sequence. Also check the catalog to ensure they offer a minor that would interest you. You should also check - not just the benefits of honors but the curriculum. All are not the same and some top kids don’t want Honors. My son didn’t like the curriculum at another Big 10 school, for example.
At UF, I believe you can major in what you want. They admit the student and not the major. So if you want business you’ll go business.
No wrong answer here. Academically, etc they are peers. PSU Honors is higher rated but that means little if you prefer UF. I’ll tell you this and others disagree - Honors Is for the kids. The employers care little. There’s not even a place to put it on the job apps.
Schreyer is recognized as a top honors program outside the northeast. Not sure about UF.
Overall I would say UF and PSU are peer schools. Outcomes would be similar unless one school offers something unique. PSU has its own nuclear reactor. Do some research based on your daughter’s interests.
Not all Honors programs are equal. Some are very good. Some OK. Some not worth the effort. Son at FSU has had a much better experience than son at Georgia Tech. GT’s program is essentially worthless. Research the outcomes and perks.
Will having Schreyer on your resume or LinkedIn help? Maybe, if the rest of your resume is solid. I’m sure savvy recruiters notice little things like this. Where I think it could really help is with grad school or med school. Research plus recommendations from professors are very helpful. The few that I remember from our HS seem to have continued in Academia or research.
I would consider where does she want to possibly be after graduation.
I don’t see the schools as that much different.
Travel in/out of gville is not easy. Local airport is not always consistently running on time, etc. and it’s super small so airline options are limited.
We prefer to fly out of Jax bc of more options and more direct flights….but that may not be a convenient option for a UF student to get to Jax airport.
Thanks for shout out. Not sure what brilliant things I can add - but ask specifics about Schreyer and I’m happy to answer.
I know schreyer has employers who come to campus and start with schreyer students before the general population. But that may not matter if pre-med.
Penn state has a pre-med advising office that might be helpful- if she is thinking pre-med, the most important thing is her pre-reqs and gpa. Does either UF or PSU have stronger entrance to med school? (Almost worth it to call 10 med schools and ask).
(And frankly, engineering doesn’t line up well to get science pre-med courses in). And does she have any sense what type of engineering? Or is she more business? In which case, supply chain, for example, is a strong major at Penn State.
Thank you for all the responses. She is considering biomedical or bioengineering. Not sure how strong she will go premed - she took Allied Health and has mixed feelings. She took AP macroeconomics and microeconomics, she likes some sections but doesn’t like other sections. She really doesn’t find her passion yet which makes college selection difficult. So we are leaning towards big inexpensive school so she could explore. But it seems hard to explore or change Major in PSU? It might be easier to explore or change Major in UF? But in the other hand, she might stick to engineering. I think that her future friends might impact her decision also
At penn State, you can change - but it requires planning. The key thing is to not march too far down one path and close the door. Ideally, start in DUS (undecided), work with an advisor to focus the classes on things that will count in both, but move her toward a decision.
For example, calc is required in both engineering and business. Engineering takes math 140 and business takes math 110. Math 140 > math 110 and math 140 will count for both, but math 110 will not count for engineering. If engineering is an option, take 140 - it moves you towards both options as an ETM (entrance to major).
Freshman have to take a 1 credit “intro” class in their intended college. Schreyer kids do not have to take this - it is embedded in their freshman honors English class, but doesn’t have the “major” component since it is generic. I would encourage her to take that class for business AND engineering as “career exploratory”.
On parents weekend, attend info sessions by colleges. My oldest was on the fence about 2 majors, went to that info session and 3 of the 4 alumni speakers in one of the majors were careers she didn’t want. Clear decision that is not the right major. After parents weekend freshman year, she knew her path.
On the whole engineering does not leave a lot of room for courses outside of the engineering curriculum. A minor in a related science (ie. a Chemistry minor for a Chemical Engineer) might be doable. It may not be impossible but having a minor that is outside of related course study may be a challenge. If she wants to be an engineer then a minor really isn’t necessary. A coop will give her good experience in industry. Engineering may be a more challenging path for someone considering medical school. Medical schools typically focus on grades and MCAT scores and it might be challenging to fit in some of the pre med required courses as an engineering student. It’s not only how full her schedule will be it is also getting the courses needed when she has availability outside of the appropriate college. Those in that major normally get first dibs as the courses are required.
It’s been my observation (my D was a Chemical Engineering student and now a Chemical Engineer) that good students often want to take a big bite out of college. They’ve excelled in HS and are used to the varied courses and a limited time commitment to those courses. It’s different than HS and that more true with an engineering curriculum. Most of the work is done outside of class. An engineering curriculum is more like a full time plus job. If she is interested in being an engineer it is usually easier to start as an engineering major and transfer than to attempt to transfer into the engineering college.
Engineering typically has a well defined curriculum. Not a lot of room for electives. I imagine UF and PSU are similar. Look at the catalog and map out 4 years.
I think @lucy_van_pelt is giving good advice. Take the first year to explore. It could add another semester or require summer classes but it beats picking the wrong major.
The great thing is you have Schreyer. You’ll get smaller classes, better professors and better advising. Please understand how important that is at a large school. The average student doesn’t have as much access to these types of resources. Take advantage of the benefits.
Econ isn’t business - that’s the first thing. Econ is a liberal art. Like a history, anthropology, etc.
Business is a pre-professional degree - like accounting, finance, market, etc.
@lvvcsf is right - my son minored in Geography - but he came in with 30+ credits. Even though he was a 2nd year technically, the course sequence of engineering took four years. He almost did a 2nd minor but fell two classes short and decided to take it easy his last semester.
You can change majors - especially in engineering which has a huge dropout rate - but depending on the school it could slow you down.
These are, in many cases, the things to talk to the school about. But an econ would normally be an easier change than business as it’s typically in the schools of Arts & Sciences - and that’s sort of the catch all.
But check each school individually.
I personally would make this decision on fit of campus and worry less about that at a big flagship. If the student does decide to pursue Honors, that would include looking at the curriculum and support of each. It’s not for everyone but for those who take advantage, it can alter their educational path. Penn State is likely a big win in this case - although again, see what it entails and requires to ensure it’s right for your student.
But I would say, if you’re not all in on engineering on day one, you’re likely not going to finish in engineering. It’s a brutally hard, time consuming field.
That the student doesn’t really know what they want is fine. They are 18. It happens for many.
Hopefully they take some classes that will point them in the right direction.
Maybe. But in my experience those who make it thru engineering are those with a strong drive to make it thru years of difficult classes. Many science & math & engineering classes are each going to take 10 hours or so outside of each week. It’s a lot of work and kids see their friends in other majors with a lot more free time and decide it just isn’t worth it.
Thank you for your response. Just called Penn State: it seems complicated to change school there. She needs to request to transfer out of engineering to DUS. Take courses under the guidance of an academic advisor. Then transfer to a school of choice at Jr year. Every time she transfer, they have to evaluate her and might accept or reject her depending on if she meets the requirements and if the prospect school is full or not. We were leaning towards Penn State because it’s close by and she will have some friends there. Now we are reconsidering
Hello, just got to learn that it is complicated to change school at Penn State. We were leaning towards Penn State because it’s closer to home and she will have HS friends already. But we are reconsidering
Any large public school will have hurdles for transferring majors. Including UF. There’s just too many kids for popular majors.
My son at GT transferred from business to engineering. GT allows one transfer with no questions asked. He still had to meet with advisers and get signatures.
The advantage you’ll have at PSU is Schreyer. They will work with you. They want to make their Honors students happy and see them succeed. There’s a reason why it’s considered one of the best honors program.
Now, if you’re reconsidering for her to go to a small LAC instead of a big school that’s a different discussion. If so, most small colleges don’t offer engineering.
We’re a gator familly so I’m biased.
UF has a ton of majors and the first thing on the pro list is the ability to change majors. This doesn’t mean they’ll be happy if you spend 8 years “finding your passion”. And as in any major it’s best to start off in the right direction to make sure you get the requisites to graduate in a timely manner. If you want engineering start there–it’ll be a ton easier to transfer out but not something you can easily transition into. UF has a great engineering program. It ain’t easy. But if you find engineering isn’t your forte it should not be difficult to change to another path.
I will echo that engineering is a full time committment. I may be wrong but minoring is going to be tough due to work load.
I’ve no idea what the Penn State honors program requires. The UF program is mostly perks and doesn’t require much outside of their students. Dorms, preferential registration (huge). It’s very nice. Guidance counselers for honors, updates for research opportunities. The honors dorm has a few extra “honor’s classes” and a lot of social activities which really can make a difference in meeting other students at the years beginning. How much you need these services can be dependent on your major.
Most students live 1-2 years on campus and then go off campus. But most housing (even off campus) is very close and walkable.
It’s a big football school with a lot of spirit but even if that’s not your thing I can’t imagine someone not finding their group.
The Ocala airport (45 min)is an option (over the smaller G’ville airport) --Delta and AA. Orlando
(about 90 min) has a huge airport.