<p>So you can have an entire school of arrogant nerds?</p>
<p>barrons- I don't think honors housing students are arrogant coming in (and most of them stay that way- I know I made a vast generalization). I think the arrogance stems from being treated as intellectually superior to the non-honors students. I think going to a school where everybody around you is as smart or smarter than yourself is humbling. However, I do admit that the attitude of honors students probably varies from school to school.</p>
<p>I went with my daughter to the Honors Colloquium at University of Texas, and I was quite impressed. I may be biased because I am an alumna, but I believe the Honors College could give her an excellent education were she to be accepted. I will add that in Texas, the prestige of a UT degree means a lot when looking for work.</p>
<p>"In Texas" As the local flagship state u does in most states. I am nearly a life-long Texan, but our provinicialism is rarely matched, perhaps only in pockets of NY and Cal. If you can get in and afford to do so (and that part is easier than ever with the last few years of increased aid), go to an Ivy, top 20 u or top 10 lac or equivalent over any state u so-called honors college. It's worth it for many of the reasons set forth above. For one, it doesn't tie you in so closely to living and dying in the same state.</p>
<p>missypie - My son is a senior at Texas Tech's Honors College and has had excellent opportunities there. The academic experiences can be extraordinary. For instance, my son was deciding whether he was interested in law as a career and he was able to take a Constitutional Law class (only open to Honors students) last semester with first year law students in Tech's Law School. (This would not have been possible at A&M with no law school and I do not believe courses where Honors students can attend law classes is offered at either UT or University of Houston's Law School) His experience was so positive that he will now be applying to various law schools. Regarding your specific question of whether an Honors degree would be looked on more favorably by grad schools, please post your question by e-mail at honors.ttu.edu. The Honors staff is very responsive. Here's a little more. Tech strongly encourages undergraduates performing research with and for professors in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, business, etc. This undoubtedly helps a grad school resume. Tech's Honors College is one of only six universities in the nation who have faculty with a tenure track in the Honors College and one of a very few who offer majors (such as Natural History and Humanities) offered only to the Honors College students. The Dean of the Tech's Honors College is often consulted to critique and offer recommendations to other honors programs (such as at the University of North Texas). I have been so impressed with Tech's Honors College and what it has done for my son that I recruit for Tech at high school college fairs (and I am a graduate of the University of Chicago). Check out the Honors Colleges at various state universities in Texas. They are worth it.</p>
<p>Here's some anecdotal information regarding where Texas Tech Honors College graduates going beyond Texas' borders. A friend of my son will attend NYU Law School this fall. An Honors alumna who attends Duke's Law School gave a talk to Tech Honors Collage students last spring about Teach for America. Another Tech Honors graduate from last spring will be attending NYU's medical school.</p>
<p>Tech Honors students who qualify can be accepted to Tech's medical school in their junior year without taking the MEDCAT. In many universities like Texas Tech, honors students are afforded tangible substantial benefits and they can compete head-to-head with many private universities and liberal arts colleges to challenge academically inclined students.</p>
<p>a few comments mostly echoing comments of others.</p>
<p>Honors programs differ greatly from school to school ... find out the specifics about the schools in which the student is interesed.</p>
<p>At some big State Us there will be a higher percentage of kids not focused on exceling acadmically. Will this student hang with the other high achievers and do fine? Or will they be drawn to the more typical students at the school who might not be as acadmically focused?</p>
<p>Honors programs often come with bennies such as honors dorms and early registration. Does this student see these benefits as a reward for their performance or does the idea of separation of students within the college rub them the wrong way?</p>
<p>Researchermom - I posted here on CC a while back trying to find out more info regarding ASU's honor college, which looks good on paper, but got no response. If you get some feedback, please share!</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your honest-and varied!-opinions. My son has Asperger's Syndrome, so I think he's probably already considered a "nerd." I really think that if he could order pizza and discuss Dante in an Honors dorm, he'd prefer that to a beer out with the guys on a Saturday night. He needs to be in a small environment...I don't know if being in an honors program/dorm would be enough to "shrink" a large campus for him.</p>