Honors: To Join or Not to Join?
A college Honors program can make a huge impact on your college experience. While there are many considerations to make when applying to colleges, this is definitely one that you should weigh heavily! If you’re in the position to consider a college Honors program, I highly recommend that you do. Even if it seems like more requirements, the benefits often outweigh any cons.
When I was applying to my university, I quickly received my acceptance and an invitation to the Honors College. At first, I was hesitant. For me, the Honors College required taking an additional 16 unit minor, living on campus for two years, attending Honors College events, and staying within their academic good standing (above a 3.2 GPA). The extra classes were the only things standing between me and joining immediately, and I didn’t send in my application until the last minute. Four years later, I am very happy with my decision to be a part of the Honors College, and I’ll explain why in the list below.
8 Great Reasons to Join an Honors Program
#1: Free Money
I figured I’d start out with the real thing that drew me into Honors. Because of my acceptance into the Honors College, I was eligible to apply for a scholarship that would pay my entire tuition. I interviewed for it and eventually got it. This scholarship was incredibly helpful throughout my entire experience, as it provided enough to not have to worry about the financial side of school. While there are certainly going to be other scholarships out there, college Honors programs often offer more money and more opportunities to find money.
This will come through in both emails and college newsletters. Quite often, when you apply to an Honors college, they will start sending you opportunities. I got my scholarship before I even officially committed, and it was one of the deciding factors of me choosing my college. The scholarship opportunities just kept coming in through my time in the Honors college, and many people that I knew benefitted from it. As a bonus, you’d only be competing against other people in the Honors program, not the entire university.
#2: Added Support
During my time here, I’ve used the Honors College admin so much. They have been super helpful as I’ve gone through study abroad applications, condensing my schedule into three years, figuring out what I want to do, searching for financial opportunities, applying to grad school, finding internships—you name it. Usually, this staff is there for a reason, and they are very invested in their jobs and your education. You probably won’t find a stronger support system on campus.
#3: Priority Housing
In many universities (including mine), Honors offers priority housing, usually with other Honors students. In my case, this was preferable, as I was guaranteed that I wouldn’t end up in one of the horrible dorms. My dorm also had nice study rooms included, which was convenient. Overall, I am very happy that I joined for this perk, and I know that it was a selling point for many people.
Many colleges have at least one dorm that’s bad for various reasons (gross showers, cramped rooms, far distance, etc.). By joining Honors, you usually avoid this conundrum. In my case, my dorm was one of the closest to the campus, it was recently remodeled, and it had great amenities. As a rule of thumb, colleges want to reward the people who seem like they want to be there. This results in you getting the best dorms, or, in some cases, even apartments. This alone can be a huge reason to join Honors.
#4: Likeminded People + Community
Going along with housing, Honors kids are usually the people who you want to be with. I was initially worried that they would be a bunch of awkward nerds, but they were actually fantastic people. The bonus here is that you’re often working on some of the same coursework, and they likely value work-life balance more than other people. Chances are higher that if you live with these people, they will respect you having a test at 9 am the next morning more than in a dorm without Honors kids, and they won’t come barging in at 3 am. This isn’t a guarantee, but it was definitely something that played into my decision, and it was something that I was grateful for, especially during finals week.
Beyond the practical side of not being woken up in the middle of the night and being able to study during finals week, kids were also nicer and more responsible as a whole. Of course, this is highly subjective to who you randomly get placed with in your dorm, but most Honors kids were great. You also have many classes with them (especially smaller classes!) and this helps to strengthen those bonds. There was a real sense of community, and this was something that I cherished throughout college.
#5: Extra Resume Point
The awards, involvements, and opportunities that Honors opens you up to (courses, theories, internships, events, clubs, etc.) can always come in handy in your next interview! For example, some interview and resume points that I have used include…
- Interdisciplinary Minor
- Classes that qualified as relevant for my career (teaching)
- Outstanding Graduate Student Award
- Internships that I became involved with because of the minor
- A Fulbright Scholarship that I got with the support (and that fulfilled my study abroad requirement!) of my college Honors program
- Honors mentoring events
- Honors volunteer opportunities
As you can see, this has added a lot to my portfolio. In interviews, you can talk about this even more. If you’re applying to a graduate program and need to add something to your C.V., this is even more helpful. It shows genuine investment in your education and community, and that’s something that most (if not all) companies look for!
#6: A Chance to Do New Things
Without my college Honors program, I never would have been able to take random classes like Leadership Theory, Ethics through Literature, Human Sexuality, or Grad School Applications. Quite honestly, I would’ve been too lazy to take them if I hadn’t been forced to choose them from a list. Beyond, that, I probably wouldn’t have normally chosen them from a list of classes. However, they were super cool classes to think about, and they usually weren’t too difficult. I learned about all sorts of random things that had absolutely no relation to my major, and it’s because of classes like this that I still think about random things like what True Colors Leadership Style (test here) people in my life might fit into.
This opportunity extends beyond classes. The same is true for study abroad, internships, research, volunteer work, and outreach programs. I had a ton of support when I applied for my Fulbright Summer Institute, and I never would have found out about it if it hadn’t been for my Honors program. Similarly, they updated the volunteer, research, and internship opportunities page weekly. Both because of the push and because of the easy access to opportunities, I always had ideas of what I could do next.
#7: Smaller Class Sizes -> Letters of Rec
Honors professors usually love their Honors kids, and they get to know them much better because of the smaller class sizes. In larger classes, your professors might not even know your name. In Honors classes/seminars, professors know pretty much everyone’s name. By going to office hours and showing you’re actually invested, this could result in a stellar letter of recommendation.
Additionally, you’ll find that you’re seen in a different light by most of these professors right off the bat. They see you as someone who has chosen to invest in their education, and they treat you accordingly. If you show up to events that they put on, this will further your high standing with them. When you go to apply to grad school, scholarships, jobs, and study abroad, this will be especially helpful.
#8: Alumni
My Honors College has a LinkedIn page for alumni and current students. Like with any club or society, this is a great way to be able to reach out to people who are close in age and who share common ground. Even as an alumnus, there are still benefits and connections that help me out! I know that I can still reach back out to my Honors college admin and professors, and I have fantastic connections from my program. Most of my classmates have joined the page, and I know that they are the best of the best. When I want to network or connect with someone, those are the first people I look to.
As you get further out of college and take different career paths, this becomes even more useful. Having accomplished, driven people in your network who will undoubtedly rise to the top of their fields will be great as you look to expand your career. As I say in my articles about internships, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.
A Final Note
These are just my experiences in my college’s Honors program. I won’t deny that it is more work, more requirements, and often more schedule shuffling if your program requires a minor/capstone like mine did. However, for me, the benefits far outweighed the disadvantages, and I am happy that I joined my program! I strongly recommend looking into your college’s Honors program. It can be a great opportunity to make more money, more friends, and more connections, and you won’t regret it.
I hope this helps! Please let me know in the comments below.
