<p>@megans113 & @mrice1519 You are correct it is confusing with the two different programs for high achieving students. Scholars is a relatively new program, selections are made by different faculty than Honors. There is inconsistency in the quality of programming of each Scholars cohort, which my daughter attributes to the differing degree of involvement of the faculty who lead each group. She loves her Scholars group, but says other students don’t have much involvement with their cohort but certainly appreciate the extra scholarship funds and perks. The Scholars program strikes me as a work in progress at MU, you should reach out to the contacts on the Scholars webpage to express your thoughts about being considered for Pre-Law Public Policy Scholars despite your major to see what may happen. I’ve been so impressed with MU faculty and how quickly they respond to prospective students.</p>
<p>Honors is more established and has a social component that Scholars lacks, such as dances, get-togethers, etc. However, it appears to be a program in transition. I believe it is now a 2 year commitment and you need to apply to stay in the program as an upperclassman. I view selection for Honors much like a small LAC; they have so many high-stat students to choose from it likely comes down to essays and what type of diversity you can add to the group. They are trying to build a community in Honors rather than reward students for their high school resumes. I do wonder if the selectivity of Honors actually hurts MU by turning off high achieving students who are not asked to join since those are the very students who likely have lots of other college options. Just my 2 cents with a current student in the honors dorm and a high school senior prospective student.</p>