<p>I don’t think you get an “honors college degree” unless you fulfill the requirements for the special B.Phil., which requires a thesis. Not too many kids end up doing that. Here are the details.</p>
<p>[Bachelor</a> of Philosophy Degree](<a href=“http://www.honorscollege.pitt.edu/bphil/index.html]Bachelor”>http://www.honorscollege.pitt.edu/bphil/index.html)</p>
<p>The Honors College at Pitt is unlike similar programs at other schools. It exists to provide an enhanced intellectual experience and opportunities for the kids who seek it out. It doesn’t have a lot of “perks” in the traditional sense. But on the other hand, there isn’t a strict cutoff that keeps people out who really have a love of learning. So if you see an honors course that really interests you, even if you’re not “honors eligible,” you can go over and talk to the honors folks, and chances are they would let you in. The classes are smaller, and the professors are hand-picked. My daughter is taking her first honors class next semester, so we’ll see how that goes. It’s a small class of 15, as opposed to the regular section, which has 100 kids in it. There are also activities planned for the honors kids, but my daughter hasn’t done any of those either. Maybe someone else could weigh in on those.</p>
<p>Honors housing is very limited. I get the sense that is one reason the SAT score was upped, to cut down on the number of kids trying to get it. The year my daughter applied for housing at Forbes, 135 kids were turned away.</p>