Challenge Yourself and Enjoy the Perks at an Honors College
Of course, let’s start with the perks. Some potential merit aid that lowers your cost of going to school, smaller classes just for honors students, more faculty and advisors dedicated just for you, dorm with fellow honors peers in nicer housing, more international study opportunities, and maybe even priority registration, just to name a few.
Did we get your attention?
So now, what is an honors college and how can you get into one?
An honors college is a smaller community within a larger one, created to attract highly talented students who want to be on a more selective track in their college experience but still have access to everything that a large university offers. It also provides an excellent springboard to those eager and able to make a greater leap to graduate, medical or other postgraduate study. These honors programs are a way to provide a more challenging program than the college offers to the entire student body.
How do you get into one?
For some, the university will invite you in as part of your acceptance into their school. Others, like Schreyer Honors College at Penn State, have a rigorous and detailed application process. Honors colleges are a great alternative to a highly selective school, where you are one of many top-level students, to being at the top of the totem pole yet experiencing the large university scene.
For more information on honors colleges that are available, read “INSIDE HONORS: Ratings and Reviews of Sixty Public University Honors Programs” by John Willingham. Know the entrance requirements and what that particular program offers. All honors colleges are not created equal. Experiencing one, though, may mean a great-big-huge difference in those next four years.
Do you have questions about the college admissions process or the above information? Don’t hesitate to contact me at info@signaturecollegecounseling.com or by phone, 845.551.6946.
