| for starters it helps if you use a little thing called the search function or scroll back a couple of pages, this issue has come up before....
Nevetheless I'll try to answer them here:
1.) Selective is it...well I know when I applied to ND, I was accepted EA. I recieved approximately 2 weeks later an envelope inviting me to apply to the Honors Program if I wished to. The application involved writing two essays on topics they provided. I believe Prof Delaney and Hahn, the two who oversee the Honors Program have access to the application files and are able to review parts of your application packet that way. I know that normally they aim to admit 30 students from both the College of Science and the College of Arts and Letters each year. Admission is only open to those who intend to go Arts and Letters or Science, program not available to Architecture, Business or engineers. As I understand it Engineering is starting an honors program of their own, at least that's what some poster on this board claims in an earlier thread. I haven't heard anything about it from the engineers who live around me.
2.) You can answer this yourself if you read the past threads or continue to read down further.
3.) It can't hurt you...why are you already looking ahead to grad school though. You might find your intended major is something you hate, totally change paths and end up in a field you never expected. Honestly I know of very few people who've been the same major all four years and you're already looking to grad schools.
4.) All HP freshman take a two semester Seminar class. It used to slotted as ALHN 195/196. It's not got some stupid 5 number course code (the system changed up here last year, and I think the new one is dumb). One semester of this class will take the place of your First Year Comp requirement, the second semester will count as your Literature requirement. Now you might be asking what if I had credit from the AP English exam coming in? Too bad you've just got some credit you won't be able to use. This seminar is a reading and writing intensive class, with an emphasis on in class discussions. I found it the best two semester class I took while here. The other thing freshman take is a Honors Philo Seminar class....I found mine to be the worst class I ever took up here, mainly because of the Professor. In both instances the 60 Honors students are broken into 4 sections. So your Seminar and Philo will be 15 people classes. You better come to class prepared or you look like an idiot.
The other thing is all Sophomore take a separate Honors Intro to Theo lecture...normally its all 60 students together.
The Seniors all have to complete a Thesis, either a traditional writing piece if A&L; or something totally creative. In the case of College of Science you will be doing a research paper based on reasearch you have conducted in a field that interests you...this Thesis spans the entirety of your senior year.
The main advantage is the Honors Program Electives...That is the fact that the program gets a couple of seats reserved in various classes through different depts, such as Anthro, English, PolSci, History to name a few. These slots are availble for HP students to sign-up for, and you can take the class regardless of whether you have completed the pre-reqs or not. Plus since you sign up through the HP you don't have to worry about getting a seat in the class during the "darting" period. | 
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