Yes, that’s correct. No additional automatic merit for Honors admission. There will be some Chancellor’s Scholarship invitations for the tippy top Honors admits, however. I think those are sent some time in March? Chancellor’s Scholarships are majorly competitive and involve an additional interview.
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gotcha…we were hoping for merit too, but none thus far…she has received merit from a couple other schools, so fingers crossed Pitt still has a tranche to be released somewhere along the line. i’ve read in prior years sometimes the last merit release is in late march/early april.
Daughter (Biology, in-state) received her honors acceptance tonight! We are all thrilled. 
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D25 got into Dietrich in December and was accepted to FHC today. She is thrilled and in tears. Our family had a great moment looking at the letter. Good luck to all. (We are in-State)
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Saw you from another board… our DS25 also into the FHC … so I’m here scrolling around this morning trying to figure out what it should do for his decision making process.
It seems mostly ALL honors college / honors programs do fundamentally two things: 1) allowed to enroll in classes first per present year or standing and 2) the school generally “watches out” for these students, folks might jump over my wording, but if the student wants to take advantage of resources, these kids will get the help.
Like PSU Schreyer is apparently elite(?)… I know kids that went there maxed out 4.0GPA took advantage every step of the way and boom, into top med/vet schools… so that’s worth it… and I know folks that were in it and basically just used it to register first and they’re just “normal” graduates like me (I didn’t go to PSU)… and that’s fine too.
So my general feeling is HC is what the student makes of it… but does anyone have specific insights to FHC?
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so basically waitlisted.
I only know of what we learned from visiting FHC on Blue and Gold Day and what we have read from the FHC website. Seems like you hit the nail on the head in terms of the big perks being earlier registration for classes and extra attention. Things that are also attractive to my D25 are honors housing, ability to apply for additional scholarships and unique study abroad opportunities, and the fact that FHC is housed in a beautiful space at the top of the Cathedral of Learning. FHC seems to have more flexibility with the requirements than some other Honors colleges in that you can pursue 3 paths: honors distinction, honors degree, or Bachelor of Philosophy with a thesis required (info from Academics | Honors College).
My D25 applied to Schreyer’s as well, and that honors program is widely regarding as one of the best in the country. Very competitive, undergrade thesis required for all. A lot of kids from her rigorous high school go to PSU, and only a few get into Schreyer’s each year. We’ll see if my D25 gets in!
When I was in a college a million years ago, I was part of the Honors program at my small liberal arts college. My favorite things about the whole program were the ability to register early and the unique classes that the program offered.
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Thanks for the link! DS23 was accepted to PSU SHC (but declined it). The thing is getting into an HC at say a top 50 school then really starts to level the playing field in my parent’s mind… would I rather have my kid go to say #50 with an HC and know full well likely given every opportunity… or would I risk sending them to say a #20 ranked school without HC? ((I type this leaving financials out of the discussions b/c that’s a bit of a lighting rod ))
Does anyone have any info about Kessler scholars program? My Daughter was encouraged to apply
My two cents is a solid but not top-ranked Honors program like Pitt’s is still potentially quite valuable if what you are comparing is the undergrad programs at larger research universities.
Such universities can have a lot of pros for the right kid, particularly in the last couple years or so when you have such a wealth of options for elective classes in strong departments. But notoriously, there can be some issues the first couple years in terms of getting classes you need, getting decent housing, generally feeling like you are just a number, and so on. And so to the extent a solid Honors program can at least moderate a lot of that for the first couple years, even if it is less relevant the last couple years, that is not a small thing.
Now if your alternative is, say, a liberal arts college, or maybe a not-too-large, reasonably undergrad-oriented private research university, or so on, then that is already structurally similar to what you are getting with the Honors program. Which doesn’t mean the Honors program has no value, but it is likely most compelling if things like the upper level classes, or maybe big time sports, or maybe a lower cost, or so on are the real draw, and the Honors program is just reducing the amount of compromising you need to get that stuff.
At least that is how I see it.
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Interesting. This reminds me of CWRU suggesting they wouldn’t have an honors college because the school is about 1600 per class… so kind of small when compared to the FHC having 700 per class. Makes sense.
Right now… kiddo is between UVA (and awaiting others that come in…) but the Pitt FHC has moved Pitt up on his list a bit as something to consider. So too would PSU SHC, etc.
Tough call. As a parent, I will allow him to select the school he will be most passionate about.
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So many variables to consider! I was sold on Pitt last year when we went to the Blue and Gold day and saw the FHC rooms in the Cathedral of Learning. LOL! But it will come down to where my daughter can see herself fitting in and thriving for her undergraduate years. If she is accepted to PSU SHC, I think PSU might go to the top of the list. We’ll see!
If your S23 at PSU (but just decided not to join SHC)?
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Same! I hear you. Still so expensive OOS.
S23 did not go to PSU … but the PSU with SHC made it very tempting … and put it in his “top three” … I don’t know where he finally put it 2 or 3 …
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That was basically my bottom line as well. Assuming the school is comfortably affordable and academically appropriate (in a broad sense), you might as well go with the school that you are most excited about. Reality may or may not then meet your expectations (indeed, even in good cases it probably won’t be good for all and only the reasons you imagined). But why not at least start off as excited as possible?
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Any updates since submitting the mid year grades? What major your daughter has applied? Still awaiting decision for my kid-Business school.
How long did it take for your son’s portal to update to awaiting decision after submitting mid year grades? My Business kid updated his SRAR with mid year grades on 2/5 and school sent his grade report on 2/7 and his portal is still showing awaiting materials.
My kid is also awaiting for Business school. His portal was updated in a couple of days after SRAR update (1/27) and his school officially sending it to them on Feb 2.
Thanks. I guess we’ll give it another day and then reach out to admissions. Hopefully your son hears good news soon!
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