What exactly does the Honors Program... do?

<p>I'm a little confused about the logistics of the Honors Program. </p>

<p>It's not like a "college" at other schools, so what's the point? I mean there's honors housing (Butler) but it's not just honors, and there's early registration...?I don't mean it in a bad way, but I don't see why they don't just have Butler be designated as a quiet dorm and not have the program all together. Am I missing something? And do you have to be in the Honors Program to have honors in your major? Scratch the "a little" confused. I'm REALLY confused now.</p>

<p>LOL, you are correct that it is not like an honors college, because unlike a state school where those are becoming more common, Tulane is already highly selective. The HP at Tulane instead serves a different purpose. But just to be clear on one thing I think you said, not all freshman HP students live in Butler. Many choose to live in the more “raucous” dorms, or in Wall, or in the all female dorm JL. So it is not “all together” as far as dorm arrangements.</p>

<p>The main purpose if the HP as I see it is to make sure that the most academically gifted and motivated students have a clear path to graduate with highest honors. By having “membership” in the HP based on maintaining at least a 3.6, which is the minimum for *magna cum laude<a href=“3.8+%20is%20required%20for%20the%20highest%20designation%20of%20%5BI%5Dsumma%20cum%20laude%5B/I%5D”>/I</a>, the HP provides a mechanism by which those students can be advised on a separate basis to insure they stay on track for meeting all the requirements. Because besides the GPA, you also have to take a minimum number of honors sections of courses (smaller class sizes, always taught be tenured faculty or people of similar stature that might be visiting instructors, and highly discussion oriented) and also write an honors thesis or do an honors project, depending on your major.</p>

<p>In addition to that, many people of that academic orientation are interested in pursuing post-graduate scholarships and fellowships such as Rhodes, Goldwater, Fulbright, etc. There is an associate director of the HP whose main function is to assist those students in achieving those types of goals.</p>

<p>So graduating with Latin honors is not the same as graduating with honors in your major. I believe you can still graduate with honors in your major without being in the HP or graduating magna or summa, but I would have to double check that. In any case, they are two different things.</p>

<p>I hope that clears it up a little. In short, the logistics are simply A) maintain a 3.6+ GPA; B) take a minimum number of honors section courses; and C) do an honors thesis.</p>

<p>Oh thanks! The website, which is one of the clearer college ones I’ve been on, is not the best with explaining things that aren’t admission.</p>

<p>Yeah, the HP website is OK, but it would probably be useful if they just did an FAQ style thing where someone asked “What’s the difference between Tulane’s Honors Program and an Honors College?”. Because this comes up at least a dozen times every year.</p>

<p>Does anyone know the comparable workload in an honors section of a course? Would it be too much, say, to take the freshman honors seminar and also take the honors version of calculus or physics? I’m not afraid of hard work, but I want to have some fun, get involved in extracurriculars, etc, without crashing and burning freshman year, lol.</p>

<p>The extra workload in an honors section of a science/math course would not be too great, I don’t think. The pace might be a bit faster, but I think the biggest difference would be that the curve will be higher for obvious reasons. However, this is balanced out by the small class size and the ability for you to get together with those classmates for study groups, making your study time more productive. So in the end I think you are not looking at a great deal of extra work.</p>

<p>Generally it is in the humanities courses where the honors sections involve more reading and more papers. But don’t over-psych yourself about it, I have heard of very few cases of students struggling with this that have your apparent level of academic ability. There is a lot more time to “fill” in college, the hardest thing for most students is disciplining themselves to not procrastinate or fritter away all the time. With even moderate scheduling on your part to get the classwork done in an orderly fashion, you will be amazed at how much time there is to have fun and do those other activities you are rightfully imagining, even with a couple of honors section courses. The people that crash and burn, which truthfully are not that many, are the ones that cannot rein in the partying.</p>

<p>I guess I would only add that you know yourself better than anyone. If you are not the type that likes a lot of reading and more than the minimum of expository writing, then don’t feel pushed to take courses like the Honors Colloquium. Sure, obviously I think it is a great course as did my D, but that hardly means it is right for everyone, or even most people. Few of the science/engineering majors in the HP took the seminar, I bet. Their schedules get pretty full with required courses anyway. But don’t shy away from it because you think it will be too much work. If you take 15-16 hours of classes, you will be fine, again as long as you just schedule yourself to routinely keep up with your work during the week. You will have big gaps in your day between classes where a lot can get done, most likely.</p>

<p>Thanks, FC. The description of the freshman colloquium appeals to me greatly, as I enjoy reading and in-depth discussion of ideas.</p>

<p>S2 decided against the honors program because he wanted more flexibility and saw no real advantages. He is a Dean’s list student so has been able to maintain high level work without it. I think some students really like the idea of a separate honors program and some don’t. Either way, as FC notes, top students can thrive at selective schools whether or not they formaly participate in an honors program.</p>

<p>idad, do you know whether your son took any of the honors level courses, even though he didn’t officially participate in the honors program? Maybe iin the area of his major?</p>

<p>I really don’t know. I do know he was invited to participate in a special topics course in his major offered only to select students. I cannot say whether or not the course had anything to do with the honors program.</p>

<p>It’s simply just a program that will give you the Latin Honor at graduation, providing you take 4 honors classes and write an honors thesis senior year. It doesn’t particularly have a good reputation among students because it’s hard to work with when the student has any abnormal academic plan (graduating in spring, study abroad during senior year etc.)</p>

<p>I am a little confused by your post, guhengshuo. What I mean is that right now my D is planning on graduating after Fall 2013, and she was able to arrange to have her Honors Thesis moved to a Spring/Fall time table. I admit she had to jump through a couple of small hoops, but it wasn’t that big a deal. Otherwise I don’t know what you mean about graduating in the off semester being harder because you are in the HP.</p>

<p>As far as the study abroad senior year, I assume you mean that because of the Thesis, this becomes a challenge. But most universities have a residency requirement in order to graduate, which is why most people study abroad junior year.</p>

<p>

So while it is possible to be abroad senior year on a Tulane program and meet the residency requirement, most don’t go this direction, especially if you are planning on doing a thesis. But a thesis isn’t the only thing that satisfies the HP requirement. The requirements are for an honors thesis or project, so presumably with some planning one could work with a professor to plan a project to be worked on while abroad that would satisfy the requirement.</p>

<p>I agree it has to be something you want, and some number of students decide early on that the thesis/project portion or just the whole idea of graduating with Latin honors isn’t something they want to focus on. And that’s fine. It isn’t like if you are going right into the work force after graduation, not having graduated magna or summa will be particularly noticed for its absence, although being able to put it down as an achievement might be a plus for some jobs. I think if someone is going to do it, it is mostly for self-satisfaction and/or because they are planning on following a post-graduate academic track, be it med school, law school, or grad school.</p>

<p>I completely agree, it has to be something you want to do for self satisfaction. My point was just that because of the strict requirements from the honors program for the honors thesis or project, there’s little room for negotiation.
I’m personally having trouble with the honors department because I want to study abroad first semester senior year. Although my thesis advisor, major advisor are both on board with me, the honors department is still uneasy about the situation.</p>

<p>Ah, I see. Well, just stay on them. Maybe it would help if you put in a requirement that you stay in touch with your thesis advisor at least once every two weeks with progress reports or something like that. I would think that would allay their concerns.</p>