Honors programs at big universities

dodgersmom
Thu, 05 Jun 2014 17:45:08 +0000

The assumption that private schools cost more is for those who do not have financial need. For those who do, big U’s may not be worth it.

This was the question I addressed in a thread I started recently in the Alabama forum: [If cost weren’t an issue . . . would you still choose Bama?](If cost weren’t an issue . . . would you still choose Bama? - University of Alabama - College Confidential Forums) It got off to a rocky start, but started generating some interesting posts near the bottom of the first page and, after that, they only get better. The consensus among several Alabama honors college parents was that it was definitely worth it.

There’s a certain cache to attending an elite LAC, but that doesn’t necessarily make it the best choice, even for the student with full need met and no loans. If the cost at Big U Honors College isn’t significantly more, there may be some very real academic advantages, including access to classes at the university’s graduate and professional schools. And for a kid coming in with significant AP credit, it may even be possible to get a B.A. and an M.A. in the same four years that it would have taken just to get a B.A. at the elite college. For the kid who wants to hit the ground running after graduating from college, Big U Honors College may be a far better choice.