Are "Honors" colleges/programs worth the hassle?

[Anonymous]

Usually it's not "extra" work, it's "different" work. No more hassle either. Do I think it's worth? Not really (in most cases).

[Anonymous]

Some schools Honors costs more. At Umass Amherst honors housing is more expensive

[Anonymous]

It is at my kids' school because it gets them out of certain requirements and allows for more minors or a second major. And he didn't have to live in any honors dorm.

But he didn't apply to one at another school because that honors program had a bunch of required classes that would actually limit his ability to take classes in other areas of interest. So I think it's really school dependent.

[Anonymous]

Preferential scheduling can mean getting a top professor versus an adjunct for the same course at many schools. (Plus not getting 8 AM calculus or whatever, which often matters more to the student).

[Anonymous]

UMD has ice cream socials so definitely worth it. Other less important things like guaranteed housing for 4 years and access to otherwise restricted classes. They do not allow early enrollment but I believe that is a perk at other schools.

[Anonymous]

The one I was in was worth it while I was there. I was able to schedule classes before everyone else, and I liked that the honors classes were smaller. I didn’t live in the honors dorm or really participate in any honors activities other than classes. So I can’t say it saved my college experience (I loved college!), but it wasn’t an extra hassle. Being in the honors college has made zero impact on my life post-college, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Safety school are your most important choice in the college process, because by definition your student might have no other choices but to go there (or take a gap year and go around again). So think carefully before you blow off any aspect of that application and if the student is so unenthusiastic about the safety they don’t want to work on the application, think about that too. A safety should be a place that your student is happy to go.

This is a key point. Our child applied for the honors program at all of his safeties. The programs varied tremendously, though, and some would not have been worthwhile for him because they added extra required classes. Because he already had planned on a double major, this would have been a hindrance. He also would not have chosen to live in honors housing, and I believe a few places required that. The things he might have wanted out of an honors program were first shot at class registration, smaller intro classes with full professors, an honors thesis/project, and merit aid.

Like a PP, I was in Penn State's honors program a long time ago. I'm sure it's changed a lot, but at the time, it was fantastic. No added requirements. Optional honors dorm. With the professor's permission and supervision, you could make any class into an honors class by proposing and carrying out an additional large project. Also, honors sections of required classes were very small, and all of mine had a tenured professor teaching (not a graduate teaching assistant). Several of the professors tried to give us a SLAC sort of experience (which I never could have afforded), having groups of us over for dinners, inviting us to meet with guest speakers, etc.

[Anonymous]

It was worth it at my DD’s college because of the honors dorm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Safety school are your most important choice in the college process, because by definition your student might have no other choices but to go there (or take a gap year and go around again). So think carefully before you blow off any aspect of that application and if the student is so unenthusiastic about the safety they don’t want to work on the application, think about that too. A safety should be a place that your student is happy to go.

I agree with this. Plus, if it's a safety, doing the honors college helps your student be in classes with his academic peers so you can get the more challenging academic experience. DS is applying to honors college for both his safeties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UMD has ice cream socials so definitely worth it. Other less important things like guaranteed housing for 4 years and access to otherwise restricted classes. They do not allow early enrollment but I believe that is a perk at other schools.

My DD loves her honors program at UMD. The social aspect has made living on campus worth it, even during corona.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UMD has ice cream socials so definitely worth it. Other less important things like guaranteed housing for 4 years and access to otherwise restricted classes. They do not allow early enrollment but I believe that is a perk at other schools.

My DD loves her honors program at UMD. The social aspect has made living on campus worth it, even during corona.

DS loves his honors program. So much extra support for the students and small H version classes with top professors.

[Anonymous]

Yes. I suspect that I got a "reach" job offer because I was in the "honors math" class - of only a dozen or so students - in college. The odd part is that I retired as a software developer and never needed any more math (arithmetic) than what I had already learned by 6th grade. I chortle when I hear people include IT in STEM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UMD has ice cream socials so definitely worth it. Other less important things like guaranteed housing for 4 years and access to otherwise restricted classes. They do not allow early enrollment but I believe that is a perk at other schools.

I hope the bolded is a joke. Looking for more substantial reasons to apply than ice cream socials and a 'better' dorm room.

My niece went to Penn State was in the honors program and married a fellow non-honors Penn Stater - comparing the two, she said in retrospect, not worth the extra.

[Anonymous]

Honors programs are definitely worth it

[Anonymous]

Another person who was in the honors program at PSU.

It was well worth it. Preferential scheduling alone was huge.