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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The point of honors is looking good to get into college. And, perhaps, being somewhat less bored in school... although my kids who are in honors classes don't particularly regard this as a benefit.

Take as many as the student can handle (get B or above grades without cheating or destroying their health).

Colleges want to see students doing well in the most challenging courses offered at their school, so right away a good student who takes less than the top courses is putting themselves at a disadvantage for their future.[/quote]

Actually parents thinking MCPS honors courses are the top classes that colleges are looking for are putting themselves at a delusional disadvantage.  [/quote]

I'm the poster you quoted, and during the course of helping my oldest DD with her college planning I have heard from several different universities' admissions officials that one of the things they look for is "a rigorous courseload" which they defined as a student taking challenging courses, although what that meant would vary based on individual high schools based on available course offerings at the school. For freshmen (and sophomores, in most subjects) honors courses are the highest level courses for which students are likely to be eligible. If an honors class is the highest level course offered in a given subject, how is it delusional to suggest that colleges would prefer applicants whose transcripts include more honors classes than general classes?

I'm not suggesting that MCPS honors courses are particularly good or challenging classes (some are, but I would argue that many are not and that in many cases 'honors' is a rather worthless designator), but regardless of the quality of the classes if they are what is generally expected I think there is a pragmatic value to taking them in most cases.  Of course, if an AP class is an option -- both offered and a good match for the student -- then that would be the best choice, but if not it certainly makes sense to me to advise students to take as many honors courses as possible.[/quote]

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