In the process of applying to universities, you will likely come across the terms honors program, honors college, or honors track. Generally speaking, pursuing honors studies is associated with smaller class sizes, challenging courses, access to research and/or internship opportunities, and financial support. Here are a few things to consider when deciding whether an honors track is right for you:
What Is an Honors Program/College?
While these terms are often used interchangeably, understanding the differences between them will make for a more productive school search process.
“Honors program” generally refers to a series of classes or seminars within a college or individual department that students can complete in addition to their major. For instance, at Boston University, the Pardee School of Global Studies Honors Program lasts two semesters and culminates in a thesis paper and oral defense.
On the other hand, “honors college” entails a specific, stand-alone school located within a larger university, like Arizona State University’s Barrett Honors College. Much like an engineering school or a business school, many university campuses also contain honors colleges with their own designated buildings, faculty, living quarters, and academic programs.
Throughout this article, we apply the terms “honors track” and “honors studies” to mean any honors-level academic experience that encompasses either definition provided above.
Of course, the schools on your college list will vary significantly regarding whether they offer an honors program, an honors college, or both. Naturally, the requirements to apply to each will also vary.
Requirements
If you’re interested in applying for the honors track at your school/s of interest, make sure you meet the minimum GPA and test score requirements for acceptance.
Next, look into the application process itself. Does the university provide a separate application for prospective honors students? Is a supplemental essay involved? Are any additional fees tied to the application?
Finally, once admitted, you will likely need to maintain a certain GPA and meet other academic requirements to stay enrolled.
So, Why Apply?
COMMUNITY
While specifics vary, at most universities, honors students are encouraged to form connections with one another through communal housing, shared classes, and group-wide extracurricular activities, such as volunteering and social events. For applicants concerned about struggling to make friends after high school, honor programs/colleges provide a great opportunity to cultivate long-lasting friendships early on in the college experience.
Moreover, the prestige associated with honors studies can enrich students’ professional networks by facilitating connections with alumni, faculty, and experts in a given field.
RIGOUR
Of course, part of what makes an honors track prestigious is the intensity of the curriculum. Honors students can expect to take extra classes, complete additional research and/or internship opportunities, and experience a heavier overall workload than their non-honors counterparts.
For many students, the challenge is rewarding in itself. Smaller class sizes typically allow for more in-depth discussion about course material and more experimental pedagogical methods than the standard lecture format, like Socratic seminars and other flipped classroom models.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Interestingly, many honors colleges around today emerged in the 1990s in an attempt to incentivize high-performing students to apply to public universities.
Moreover, because honors colleges often receive additional funding from donors and alumni, many offer financial support to their students in the form of scholarships and grants, which can be used to pay for living expenses during unpaid internship or study abroad experiences; additional research costs; or career-related travel.
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