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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]After that post bashing the PA one, is it how people feel, that regional colleges are bad and sort of loser-ish? [/quote]

As always, in my opinion, the strength of a college for a particular student depends on several factors, including the programs offered, the preferences of the student, the location, and the quality of honors programs. One of my kids went to a regional university because it was strong in an area that interested her, and she wanted a smaller school in a small, quiet town without too much traffic. When she visited, she felt "comfortable" there. She loved the campus and dorms and had a very happy and rewarding undergraduate experience.

Most public universities, regional or otherwise, have honors programs, often giving your kid a similar education to that they might have obtained at a higher-ranked school. Honors programs vary in quality but typically offer small, seminar-style, advanced classes (often multi-disciplinary) and/or a mentored advanced project. Some offer just one honors class per semester (if you can get in), while others provide many possibilities.

I'm sure there are people who feel "regional colleges are bad and sort of loser-ish," but those designations are not necessarily helpful or relevant to helping our kids find the best possible fit.  [/quote]

I don’t know of a single Honors college that offers advanced classes particular to even just popular majors.

The benefit is advanced registration, specific dorms, merit $$$s.  Nearly all the Honors kids consider the special classes and the “advanced” project as big negatives.  It’s like they are getting punished and have to do more work…again, usually nothing to do with their major…for being Honors.

Basically, 95%+ of any Honors college classes will consist of classes that anyone at the college can take.

It really is not at all the same to smaller, private schools.[/quote]

Don't do an honors program if you feel like you would be "punished and have to do more work." Honors programs are for kids who WANT to do more work. These kids are looking for the opportunity to get the best education available to them.

As for "nothing to do with their major," my kid did her honors project in her major and loved it. It was a fun, exciting opportunity for her; she worked really hard at it but enjoyed the time she put in; she got a lot of help and support from faculty members that she would not otherwise have received, and she was told her project was master's level work. The project gave her a big boost in getting into a well-respected graduate program.

As for the "special classes," she loved them! They were mostly multidisciplinary classes that ticked off core curriculum requirements, but they were more interesting, thought-provoking, and challenging than regular classes, and the other students in the class were highly motivated and brought a lot to the discussion table.

I'm sure "smaller, private schools" are wonderful, too, but students and their family circumstances are unique. Certainly, not everyone can afford $300K+ for a private college education, particularly not the families of some of the students at this school. It's good to have a range of options for a range of people.

As examples of the students in my daughter's honors classes, some were first-generation students, some were "dreamers," some were disabled (on the spectrum or ADD, for example), some were recent immigrants who were still learning English, one was a woman who married at 18 and wanted to get a university degree after her children started school, at least one was profoundly gifted, some were homeschooled, one was in her sixties, some were normal, high-achieving kids who could just as easily have gone to the state flagship but just liked this particular school, many chose this school because it was very affordable, some were recruited athletes, etc. Honors programs at regional universities truly fill a niche.  [/quote]

I get all this...however, many people describe Honors Colleges almost like a say the Blair STEM magnet program where you attend Blair HS which is this huge public HS, but you get to take all these high-level STEM classes that only the Magnet/Honors kids get to take.  Sure, you may take some classes with the masses, but many of your classes will only be with this high-performing cohort.

That is not how Honors Colleges operate.  95%+ of your classes will be taken with the general population...you won't just have this gifted cohort in your classes.  It's great that your kid loved their Honors project, however, when you are at UMD majoring in a STEM subject and your core requirements involve a ton of hard work, that Honors project doesn't feel like a "perk".  Also, when your non-Honors classmates are getting the same jobs...again, it doesn't feel worth it.

This was all in response to PP indicating that Honors Colleges within large public institutions mimiced smaller, private schools.  None of this was Honors Colleges within a small institution which could be quite different.[/quote]

Yes, honors programs (as opposed to honors colleges) provide enrichment rather than a school within a school. And I think you hit the nail on the head when you said, "None of this was Honors Colleges within a small institution, which could be quite different." In a smaller, less competitive school with an honors program, professors are often delighted to have committed honors students and go all out to help them. I'm not saying these programs are perfect. It's just if you are truly committed, you can really go places with them. [/quote]

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