Honors colleges

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS was accepted into South Carolina Honors College as well as Penn State (regular). According to USNews, South Carolina (regular) is ranked 127 and PSU is ranked 59. I know USC Honors is highly rated, but a degree from USC Honors valued over a degree from PSU (regular)? Thanks in advance.

You’re relying too much on US News. Both are average flagships, there is no meaningful difference in academics or the social experience. Both are huge football and party schools. Only differences are north/south and PSU is rural and SC is urban. Oh, and both have top honors colleges. Visit and see which one your kid likes more, but stop with the US News drivel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS was accepted into South Carolina Honors College as well as Penn State (regular). According to USNews, South Carolina (regular) is ranked 127 and PSU is ranked 59. I know USC Honors is highly rated, but a degree from USC Honors valued over a degree from PSU (regular)? Thanks in advance.

Also interested in this. Do employers value the USC Honors college (considering that overall USC is ranked so low) compared to other colleges that are higher ranked overall?

No. No employer cares whether someone was in the “honors college” at their university or not. All they care about is their GPA and major.

No, they care about skill-assessment performance and social connections.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS was accepted into South Carolina Honors College as well as Penn State (regular). According to USNews, South Carolina (regular) is ranked 127 and PSU is ranked 59. I know USC Honors is highly rated, but a degree from USC Honors valued over a degree from PSU (regular)? Thanks in advance.

Only if you trick someone into thinking USC is University of Southern California!


Nether of these schools have degrees that are "valued". They are fine schools. Real world doesn't care about US News arbitrary ranking. It is not valued.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But I think being in an honors college generally implies you can do hard work and also, probably means you have a high gpa anyway. As a hiring manager, I think of it as a plus, regardless of school.

Honors college is an assessment of high school performance, not college performance. The course load and rigor isn't higher in the honors college. There is wode variation that comes down to students choice.

[Anonymous]

Most important practical difference between Penn State and U of SC is the geographical distribution of the alumni network.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most important practical difference between Penn State and U of SC is the geographical distribution of the alumni network.

Correct, SC has a much wider reach along the entire east coast and south. They’ve been heavily recruiting Penn State’s footprint for decades so they have a presence in the north and south. Not sure how many kids from the south go to Penn State.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But I think being in an honors college generally implies you can do hard work and also, probably means you have a high gpa anyway. As a hiring manager, I think of it as a plus, regardless of school.

It doesn't say "honors college" on your diploma.

[Anonymous]

Do honors colleges really make college feel smaller?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do honors colleges really make college feel smaller?

Here is that thread
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1313291.page