<p>I have qualified for the James Scholar Honors Program in College of Engineering. </p>
<p>What is this program all about? If any current student, pls. tell abt your personal experience?</p>
<p>How is honors course different from regular?</p>
<p>I have been admitted to Computer Science at College of Engineering. Do I have to earn a GPA of 3.3 or 3.5? How difficult is to maintain that GPA?</p>
<p>you have to maintain a gpa of at least 3.3 to stay in.</p>
<p>But doesnt computer science comes under the ECE dept. for which one has to maintain a GPA of 3.5?</p>
<p>oh, than i'm not sure about that.</p>
<p>You have to maintain a 3.3 for you freshman and sophomore year in order to continue your participation in the honors program. But then junior and senior year, you need to maintain a 3.5 to stay in the program. </p>
<p>Each year you also need to take at least one honors section of a class or do an honors credit learning agreement for one of your classes that doesn't have an honors section. These agreements usually involve some sort of extra project that's not normally assigned to the other students in the class. </p>
<p>Plus, for engineering students, you need to do what's called an honors contract where you take extra courses at the upper classmen level. But that's something you plan out more for junior and senior year. </p>
<p>I'm only a freshman, plus I'm in the College of Business, so I can't tell you what it's like or how hard it is. When you come to U of I for orientation, you'll be given a much better idea of what you'll need to do for the program. Plus, you'll have the opportunity to ask current engineering students what it's like.</p>
<p>"What is this program all about? If any current student, pls. tell abt your personal experience?" I graduated as a James Scholar in ECE, and my honors contract consisted of a double major with math. I don't think it makes a huge difference for getting a job or grad school, as long as your GPA is high. The most notable perk is priority registration, which means you get your first pick of classes.</p>
<p>"How is honors course different from regular?" For my honors "class," I just kept taking ECE 200 Honors Seminar, which is a weekly one-hour seminar with free pizza at the end. Quick, easy, and painless.</p>
<p>"I have been admitted to Computer Science at College of Engineering. Do I have to earn a GPA of 3.3 or 3.5? How difficult is to maintain that GPA?" You have to maintain a 3.3 GPA. ECE majors need a 3.5 GPA, but CS does not fall under that. Since this is an honors program, that GPA is pretty difficult to achieve - it's somewhere around top 25%.</p>
<p>thanx im_blue..... :)</p>
<p>Heh thanks im_blue. I have been accepted into ECE for UIUC and also into the James Scholar Honors Program. ECE 200 Honors Seminar sounds sweet lol, I might end up taking that for my honors "class" too. =P For the GPA, did you find it terribly difficult to maintain a 3.5? </p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>I am in Chem E for James Scholar and I am also a Chancellor's Scholar and I think being in an equally as difficult program as ECE I can say it is hard to keep that GPA. Of course I suffered with ADHD through my freshman year. Congrats on getting James Scholar. If you want to know about honors classes or something b/c just wanting to know about James Scholar is pretty general.</p>
<p>"For the GPA, did you find it terribly difficult to maintain a 3.5?" Well, since James Scholars come in with a top 25% GPA or SAT score, they should theoretically perform around that percentile. But keep in mind that a <em>lot</em> of freshmen drop out of the major after taking one or two ECE courses, so the curve gets harder and harder. For example, the class ECE 440 (taken by juniors) had an average grade of around 2.8.</p>
<p>Yeah it is hard but I am still in my freshman year and I haven't looked that far ahead. I only have to meet a 3.3 to stay in CHP my freshman year and then 3.5 starting sophomore. If I can manage mostly A's I believe I can do it. As far as ECE James scholars needing a 3.5 from their freshman year on I don't know but as far as everything goes I wouldn't worry that far ahead. Just worry about your freshman year as a James Scholar and if things arent working out or you don't find it useful then drop it. I am doing all I can to stay in CHP b/c I love the classes and I love the advantages. (i.e. EARLY REGISTRATION)</p>