<p>Ok, I am an incoming Freshman in Forbes so I will admit that I haven’t experienced Pitt’s UHC much yet but since a lot of what the OP is saying came from stuff I said on other threads I think I have to respond.</p>
<p>The “dis the UHC in public” is likely not correct. What that came from is me saying that my honors advisor quoted the Medical School dean saying he would rather see a A in a regular class than a C in a honors class. He probably said that to the UHC people not to the public. It is the UHC announces this actually. </p>
<p>Getting into Forbes is in no way a popularity contest. Its an essay and almost everyone gets in. Your other two points are correct only if you maintain the world view that this entire post comes from.</p>
<p>If you think that education is all about getting into increasingly selective groups which exclude others based on SAT scores and GPA’s then what you say is correct. If the goal of your entire college career is to get a better job or into a better grad school, yes, the UHC is probably not worth your time. No one, not employers, not grad schools care if you take UHC courses. ANYONE can take UHC classes if they, in the view of the advisors, are interested in the material. The UHC is not some elite group that you can say your were a part of on your resume. It is not PRESTIGIOUS or SELECTIVE or EXCLUSIVE and that is entirely intentional. </p>
<p>I however firmly believe that the UHC is great. That is because while i do plan to go to med school I do not see this as the sole focus of my education and because I am not part of the UHC for the sake of being in an elite group. I am taking 3 UHC classes next semester not because they further my ambitions more than equivalent regular classes but because I enjoy learning and I enjoy a class that goes into greater depth. I realize that I will have to work harder and I know that the only way I will be rewarded for this is in terms of the greater knowledge I gain. I am part of Forbes mainly because I want to meet other people who enjoy thinking and learning. I plan to do UHC activities because I think I will enjoy them . </p>
<p>So i guess what I will have to say is that if you see education simply as a game to achieve the end of a better career or graduate school acceptance, then what you say is mostly correct. The UHC will not help you much. If you see the goal of education to become a more complete thinker and to amass knowledge and have a great time while doing so then the UHC will serve you well.</p>