<p>@mathmomvt, just to give you an idea – and this totally varies by class – my friend says that as far as he knows, there are 5 or 6 civil and environmental engineers currently in our Honors College class. Keep in mind that this does not account for electrical or mechanical engineers, and also that we are seniors which typically results in fewer Honors College students than there were during our first year (people leave for a variety of reasons, the biggest of which being a GPA that does not meet minimum requirements). This also does not account for the variety of other majors that are in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (Math, Statistics, Computer Science). </p>
<p>In my experience, the Honors College has definitely had a positive impact on my academic career. I feel like it has given me a wealth of opportunity, such as access to some of the best faculty on campus, priority registration, and extra support from the Honors College staff. The professors that teach HCOL classes love doing so, as it gives them the chance to teach subjects they may not typically get the chance to teach, as well as an opportunity to work with students that typically go above and beyond. I also loved being a member of a smaller community within my larger college (College of Arts and Sciences) and the large University in general. It was great to have 159 other students that were in the exact same boat as I was to go through my first semester as a university student with. Also, both my boyfriend and many of my best friends are people who I met through the Honors College, many of whom I may not have otherwise met had I not been a member.</p>
<p>I am a bit of a unique case because as a personal choice, I chose to forego the Honors College housing in order to leave my housing situation up to fate. I do wish that the Honors College had been a bit more open about the ability to do this and a bit more receptive to my choice. It took a few visits and many emails to understand that I could in fact choose not to live in University Heights North, which was a bit frustrating. However once I had officially made my decision, the staff did respect my decision and offered me extra support if I needed it. </p>