Whenever we talk to students and families about honors colleges, many of the same questions frequently come up in our conversations:
What is an Honors College?
Is an Honors College like the AP/IB version of college?
Why should I (or my child) consider the Honors College at Less Selective University instead of attending the University of the Low Acceptance Rate?
Because there are a lot of questions out there about the different types of honors opportunities available for students (and because honors is often included on a campus visit but isn’t usually deeply explored outside of specialty sessions), we thought it would explore some of these questions.
WHAT IS AN HONORS COLLEGE?
An honors college is a specialized program within a college or university with specific academic and often co-curricular requirements. Students have to apply and be admitted to the honors college, usually when they are applying to the college. The honors college becomes part of their college experience similar to their chosen major.
Every honors college functions differently, but honors students generally take honors-designated courses (which may be a more rigorous version of a traditional university course or a deep dive into a particular topic). Honors courses are often smaller than the university average so students have more one-on-one interaction with their professors. Honors students may have an honors advisor or mentor for additional support. They may also have access to experiential learning opportunities like study abroad, internships, research, and service-learning.
WHAT ABOUT OTHER TYPES OF HONORS?
Is an honors college different from an honors program? What about departmental honors? You’ll run into a lot of “honorifics” on college websites, so let’s unpack what they mean.
“Honors college” and “honors program” are sometimes used interchangeably, but the main difference is the size of the college or university.
Larger universities that house many colleges or schools (ie: College of Engineering, College of Music, College of Arts and Sciences, etc…) will usually call their honors opportunity an “honors college,” and it will function as a separate college within the university. Smaller colleges or universities tend to call their honors opportunities “honors programs.” But just like a large school isn’t inherently “better” than a small school, an honors college isn’t superior to an honors program because of the name difference.
Even smaller colleges may not have an honors program at all. That may be because, in part due to size, typical honors features like seminar-style classes, individualized advising and mentorship, and experiential learning is already a part of the traditional curriculum at that college. Some of these colleges will, however, grant students who perform well in their major courses or meet specific requirements the distinction of graduation “with honors.”
IS AN HONORS COLLEGE “REGULAR COLLEGE BUT HARDER”?
We hear versions of this question a lot, especially from students who have taken demanding high school courses and aren’t sure if they want to take on four more years of the same.
Just like nearly every detail of a college—from major options to quality of housing to financial generosity—how an honors program works will vary from school to school and needs to be researched.
Some honors programs will focus more on the academic components. The curriculum may be more rigorous, and students may have to complete projects before graduating like research, a capstone, or a thesis. These types of programs can be a good choice for students who are looking for a more scholarly environment or who want to prepare for certain graduate programs. Other honors programs still focus on academics but place a greater emphasis on personal development even if the requirements look similar on paper.
AM I A GOOD FIT FOR AN HONORS PROGRAM?
The first question you need to decide is whether the idea of “college and” appeals to you.
By “college and,” I mean students in an honors program must complete all the traditional graduation requirements (like major courses and general education requirements) to graduate on top of their honors requirements. At some colleges, an honors program can feel like adding an additional minor or even major. And honors students tend to get involved elsewhere on campus. Outside of the classroom, they’re joining clubs, playing sports, and holding leadership roles.
Honors students are ambitious! And if this sounds like an exciting four years of college, honors might be a good fit for you!
But this may sound exhausting! Or boring! Or limiting! Maybe you have other ideas for how you want to spend your four years. Even the most ambitious students can show that ambition in other ways that an honors program may not make room for.
So first up is deciding if honors is even something you’re interested in. If you are, the next thing to consider is whether or not you’re a likely honors candidate for the colleges on your list. Realistically, evaluate the Likely and maybe the Target schools on your list. Being admitted to an honors college at a Reach school isn’t very probable.
For those Likely and Target schools, see how your GPA and test scores (if the honors program uses test scores in the admissions process) compare to their middle 50%. Strong grades, a strong high school curriculum, and strong test scores will increase your chances of being a good candidate for an honors program.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF AN HONORS COLLEGE?
Maybe you weren’t sold on “take more classes, do more work” and are wondering about the perks of an honors program. I don’t blame you! While program offerings vary, here are some common benefits of honors programs:
Honors programs make large schools seem smaller—Sometimes, students are drawn to a larger university but still have concerns about what it means to attend a school with tens of thousands of students. Maybe you’re drawn to the social aspect of a bigger school or maybe a larger state public institution makes the most financial sense for your family. But few people choose a large school because they’re drawn to classes with more than 100 students where the professor never learns your name. Or where you’ll be taught by graduate students (who get all the good research opportunities).
Academically, an honors program can make a larger university setting feel smaller. Class sizes are reduced. Students are generally working with dedicated honors faculty who get to know them on a personal level. And students are provided with more opportunities to pursue their learning outside of the classroom.
Socially, too, honors programs can shrink the size of a larger university by giving students an automatic social network when they come to college. Honors students often live and socialize together right from the start, forming a close community during their time at college.
Honors students get good housing—Living in honors housing may not be a requirement, but it is almost always a perk! Honors housing is sometimes nicer than standard freshman housing and may include other bonuses like being centrally located. Living together lets honors students form close bonds outside of the classroom.
Honors students may get scholarships—Sometimes, but not always, honors students may receive merit-based scholarships for being an honors student or be eligible for other merit aid. They may also have access to other funding sources to pay for things like research or internships.
Honors students get PRIORITY REGISTRATION—This is the biggest perk that no one realizes is a perk until they’ve lived it. Believe me—this is a big deal. Honors students usually get early preference in registering for classes, meaning honors students are rarely shut out of the classes they want to take. No having to wait a semester to take a major course. No missing out on a favorite professor. And, if a student prefers it, they may be able to arrange their schedule to have no online classes, no morning classes, no Friday classes… The sky’s the limit!
Honors students graduate with full resumes—Because of all the opportunities honors provide and because honors programs tend to attract naturally ambitious students to begin with, honors students make the most of their time in college. And it shows! An honors resume tends to stand out because of its depth and breadth.
Because “how” you go to college is more important than “where” you go to college, the opportunities and experiences honors students graduate with can make an honors program acceptance the determining factor for many students. Especially students in one of two scenarios. First, we’re often asked why a student should attend a less selective college with an honors program over a more selective college. Second, students who are interested in competitive graduate programs (like medical school) ask if they should attend a “big name” school or school with a medical school over another school’s honors program. The answer to both scenarios is the same. Think about your potential resume at graduation.
Potential resume A may have a higher-ranked college’s name on it (but if you read our blog you know rankings aren’t a determining factor anyway). They earned good grades in their major classes, joined a club or two, and had an internship over the summer. But they weren’t able to do any research even though that sounded interesting to them. They almost studied abroad on a really cool trip but found out about it too late. And the professor recommendations they need for grad school applications were taught by a graduate student who’s no longer at the university and a professor who forgot their name because there were 75 people in the class. That college name may catch someone’s eye for a minute, but there’s not really anything else on that resume that stands out.
Potential resume B belongs to an honors student from a lesser-known university. During their four years, they completed all of their major requirements and, through honors, designed their own interdisciplinary minor. Their honors advisor helped them plan ahead so they could spend one summer abroad and another interning. They also spend a semester in DC through an honors-specific internship program. They spent two semesters as a research assistant for one of their professors who wrote them a glowing recommendation. They served on the Honor Council and got involved in campus life outside of honors, holding more than one leadership position before they graduated. In their senior year, they also completed a semester-long thesis project.
WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL DRAWBACKS OF AN HONORS PROGRAM?
Honors programs have many pros, but are there any cons? Maybe, depending on how you look at it.
The benefits may vary, so do your research—Again, not all honors programs are the same, so make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into. Maybe there isn’t any honors housing at all when that’s what you were looking forward to most. Maybe you’re looking to maximize financial fit and the college doesn’t offer any scholarships to honors students (or even charges a fee to participate in honors).
Honors students have to do more work—There’s no way around this one. From application to graduation, honors is more work from beginning to end. You need to decide if that’s something that excites or exhausts you.
Just remember - honors programs aren’t the only way to have a fulfilling college experience. Non-honors students still get to know their professors, study abroad, intern, research, lead, and learn at colleges around the country every day!
HOW DO YOU APPLY TO AN HONORS PROGRAM?
If you decided you are interested in an honors program, what are your next steps?
First, I recommend that you try to engage with the honors program in some way. Many colleges offer open houses or preview days for juniors and seniors to learn more about the school, and honors programs often have a session at these events. Or if you are doing a general campus visit, see if there is an opportunity to visit with honors as well. This will let you learn more about the program and what they are looking for in potential students.
Each program is going to have its own application process that takes place around the same time as the college application process, but it often involves its own essays and can also involve recommendations, a resume, and/or an interview. Keep in mind that the audience for these essays and other written materials is different than the general application. Usually, honors applications are read by at least some professors (ask if you aren’t sure) and the questions may feel a little more “academic” in nature. They still aren’t looking for a traditional school essay, but you might want to crank it up a notch.
Most importantly, plan ahead! Sometimes, honors applications aren’t accessible until you’ve applied to the college. But the honors program deadlines are often early in November or December - meaning you need to apply early. Plan to apply early action and plan to begin on all of your applications early enough to leave yourself plenty of time to work on your (often longer, often harder) honors essays when you aren’t feeling the strain of other college deadlines.
Lastly, make sure to ask if the decision committee will have access to your general college application as well. If they will, make sure you don’t repeat information. If they won’t, make sure you aren’t leaving out something important that will help the committee get to know you!