Does graduating with honor or joining the honors program really matters?

[Smileyfrowned]

I'm going to be a freshman majoring in biochemistry BS with a pre-med focus. Is it really worth it to join the honors program or graduating with honor in biology. I will have to take many upper level classes, do research, write thesis, do presentation, etc. Not that I don't really want to do them, I will do research and I will write papers in order to graduate but I just don't know if I want to do it to the extensive and rigorous amount the honors student and student graduating with honors will have to do. If I want to get into a good med school say, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, University of Michigan... will I be competing against many applicants with honors?

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[mathnerd88]

Yes. You always put your best foot forward .

 

[Lawpy]

Yes. You always put your best foot forward .

Um no. No one cares if you graduate with honors.

What's important is pursuing the opportunities that you find to be of interest and making best use out of it.

 

[claduva94]

All that really matters is your GPA.

 

[mathnerd88]

Um no. No one cares if you graduate with honors.

It still helps you. If two people have identical GPA and MCAT and one has honors with research thesis and another doesn't, who do you think is going to be accepted?

 

[Lawpy]

It still helps you.

Not really. Someone who graduated with honors in some unknown school is no different from someone who graduated from a top school that lacks any such honors college. It's just fluff. The opportunities pursued in the honors college are worthwhile.

 

[claduva94]

It still helps you. If two people have identical GPA and MCAT and one has honors and another doesn't, who do you think is going to be accepted?

The person with the better ECs and interview scores.

 

[mathnerd88]

Not really. Someone who graduated with honors in some unknown school is no different from someone who graduated from a top school that lacks any such honors college. It's just fluff. The opportunities pursued in the honors college are worthwhile.

While that may be true, most applicants aren't from top schools.

 

[mathnerd88]

The person with the better ECs and interview scores.

My point is any bit helps. Honors means you have done research and wrote a thesis about it, which means he already has better EC's.

 

[Abraxas65]

My point is any bit helps. Honors means you have done research and wrote a thesis about it, which means he already has better EC's.

Not every schoole requires a thesis for honors. In the end the best thing about doing an honors program is the close relationship you will develop with certain professors and the mentoring/research/EC that will be available to you because of that close relationship.

 

[mathnerd88]

Not every schoole requires a thesis for honors. In the end the best thing about doing an honors program is the close relationship you will develop with certain professors and the mentoring/research/EC that will be available to you because of that close relationship.

And you also get better chances of getting excellent LOR. It benefits the student. It certainly helps if you take advantage of it.

 

[Lawpy]

While that may be true, most applicants aren't from top schools.

And most applicants aren't from the honors colleges. Like i said, the opportunities matters. Graduating with honors is no different from just graduating. Only the Latin honors are slightly useful, but it's redundant since the GPA addresses that.

One small distinction: completing an Honors thesis is always a plus. But a thesis isn't necessarily required for graduating with honors (it's a school-specific basis)

 

[PantherPride]

My point is any bit helps. Honors means you have done research and wrote a thesis about it, which means he already has better EC's.

Doing research and writing a thesis (which you can do without being in the honors program) is helpful for your app. Doing honors in and of itself is not. A valid reason for pursuing the honors program would be for the benefits, like priority registration, smaller classes, additional mentorship, etc. doing the honors program to impress adcoms isn't a good reason imo. You would be better off getting a high GPA and pursuing great ECs

 

[Abraxas65]

Doing research and writing a thesis (which you can do without being in the honors program) is helpful for your app. Doing honors in and of itself is not. A valid reason for pursuing the honors program would be for the benefits, like priority registration, smaller classes, additional mentorship, etc. doing the honors program to impress adcoms isn't a good reason imo. You would be better off getting a high GPA and pursuing great ECs

Bingo! If going honors works for you then do it but it shouldn't be a priority getting a great GPA and EC is what matters.

 

[mathnerd88]

Obviously GPA is the most important, but the opportunity helps. It might not help drastically but it does help.

My school takes care of the honors students more and most of them get into med school.

 

[Nucleophile1]

While med schools may not care, honors programs can provide you with a lot of benefits that will help you get into medical school. Some honors programs will provide priority registration for classes, research opportunities, etc.

 

[cidem2065]

Those opportunities are optional and may even be provided by other means. Therefore, honors programs on their own are not inherently helpful to an applicant, and thus no one cares.

 

[mathnerd88]

Those opportunities are optional and may even be provided by other means. Therefore, honors programs on their own are not inherently helpful to an applicant, and thus no one cares.

However, honors programs (especially for large institutions) makes it easier for the applicant to gain access to research opportunities. The OP listed some schools that are not very easy to get into. They're ranked very high in primary care.

Adcoms will not care about you having honors program on your resume, but at least you have EC's (research) that are more readily accessible and harder for the average applicant not in the honors program.

 

[cidem2065]

However, honors programs (especially for large institutions) makes it easier for the applicant to gain access to research opportunities. The OP listed some schools that are not very easy to get into. They're ranked very high in primary care.

Adcoms will not care about you having honors program on your resume, but at least you're starting off with better EC's than the traditional applicant.

That was basically my point. It might get a foot in the door for you but if the advantage isn't taken or if it's nearly as easy to gain access without the program it serves almost no purpose.

 

[mw18]

.

 

[mathnerd88]

That was basically my point. It might get a foot in the door for you but if the advantage isn't taken or if it's nearly as easy to gain access without the program it serves almost no purpose.

You'll get extra bling on your graduation gown. =)

You can't graduate with honors if you don't do a thesis according to the OP.

 

[gettheleadout]

However, honors programs (especially for large institutions) makes it easier for the applicant to gain access to research opportunities. The OP listed some schools that are not very easy to get into. They're ranked very high in primary care.

lol

 

[Petrichor1]

Note that specific colleges inside a university also cannot offer honors. I believe honors and the ability to write a thesis are reserved for mainly college of arts and sciences, which to me is so pretentious. Despite having done research much longer than most folks, I could not obtain a thesis because I would have had to go to the dean and department director to have an unconventional honors thesis course come my way. On the other hand, because it was so easy to do a thesis under another college with people starting just the start of junior year almost everyone I knew in it was graduating with honors.

 

[mw18]

lol

Be nice, GTLO. LOL. But to be fair, they are hard to get into. The primary care ranking, not necessarily withstanding.

 

[mathnerd88]

lol

Well, they're all top 5 ranked in primary care according to US News.

Be nice, GTLO. LOL. But to be fair, they are hard to get into. The primary care ranking, not necessarily withstanding.

Maybe I'm not understanding the joke. Perhaps GTLO is saying those schools aren't research heavy so it doesn't matter if you do research? Or that they're easy to get into compared to other medical schools?

I'm confused.

 

[mw18]

Maybe I'm not understanding the joke. Perhaps GTLO is saying those schools aren't research heavy so it doesn't matter if you do research? Or that they're easy to get into compared to other medical schools?

I'm confused.

Lol they are very good schools. No doubt about that. I don't know as much about Wisconsin, but in my opinion Michigan and UNC are schools that are very elite, and very tough to get into (especially out-of-state). I think GTLO is laughing because nobody really pays much attention to primary care rankings. They base that primarily (no pun intended) on how many students they send to primary care residencies, which doesn't have a lot of basis on how good a school is. It's also inexact because many specialty fellowships (not primary care) start after an Internal Medicine residency (primary care). Research rankings usually portray prestige a little better. But no, research-wise, I don't consider UNC, nor Michigan to be slouches. They are great schools that anyone would be lucky to attend.

 

[gettheleadout]

Well, they're all top 5 ranked in primary care according to US News.

Maybe I'm not understanding the joke. Perhaps GTLO is saying those schools aren't research heavy so it doesn't matter if you do research? Or that they're easy to get into compared to other medical schools?

I'm confused.

Lol they are very good schools. No doubt about that. I don't know as much about Wisconsin, but in my opinion Michigan and UNC are schools that are very elite, and very tough to get into (especially out-of-state). I think GTLO is laughing because nobody really pays much attention to primary care rankings. They base that primarily (no pun intended) on how many students they send to primary care residencies, which doesn't have a lot of basis on how good a school is. It's also inexact because many specialty fellowships (not primary care) start after an Internal Medicine residency (primary care). Research rankings usually portray prestige a little better. But no, research-wise, I don't consider UNC, nor Michigan to be slouches. They are great schools that anyone would be lucky to attend.

Haha, @Mwoods18 is absolutely correct, I'm just poking fun at the fact that you referred to the USNWR Primary Care Rankings. All three are excellent schools.

 

[mathnerd88]

Lol they are very good schools. No doubt about that. I don't know as much about Wisconsin, but in my opinion Michigan and UNC are schools that are very elite, and very tough to get into (especially out-of-state). I think GTLO is laughing because nobody really pays much attention to primary care rankings. They base that primarily (no pun intended) on how many students they send to primary care residencies, which doesn't have a lot of basis on how good a school is. It's also inexact because many specialty fellowships (not primary care) start after an Internal Medicine residency (primary care). Research rankings usually portray prestige a little better. But no, research-wise, I don't consider UNC, nor Michigan to be slouches. They are great schools that anyone would be lucky to attend.

Ahh, thanks for the clarification. Makes sense now.

 

[mw18]

@mathnerd88 always happy to help. I take it you're in an honors program?

 

[mathnerd88]

@mathnerd88 always happy to help. I take it you're in an honors program?

Haha, yes. I graduated from Rutgers Honors Program.

The Honors Program itself didn't help, but I was able to get research opportunities and even was able to obtain grants for my research through them. Lots of research labs LOVE taking students who have their own grants - it really opens up research possibilities for you. To stay, you had to keep at least a 3.5 GPA every semester. It certainly gives you a little more motivation to succeed. You had personalized mentors available to you.

I also had added benefits of getting better dorms to live in and choosing classes earlier. Really helps when you're in a large state university. I was able to live with everyone else who was in the Honors Program.

You'll notice a huge dichotomy between the average Honors Program student (study habits, etc) and the average of non-honors program students. (Not trying to insult those regular students, just the average of them-obviously there are some exceptions to both honors and non-honors students.)

 

[HillyFromTheSouth]

Basically, go for the Honors program, but it won't make or break your app.

I graduated with .02 away from Summa Cum Laude, and instead just got "With Distinction". Didn't affect me at all.

 

[Fedekz]

It still helps you. If two people have identical GPA and MCAT and one has honors and another doesn't, who do you think is going to be accepted?

It literally would not matter... If the gpa and mcat are the same, then the only difference in if one applicant had honors or not is based on the schools gpa cut off for honors. Mine is 3.9 for the highest honors, and my old school is only 3.8 for the highest honor.

Why should one applicant be considered more highly and favored just on the basis their undergraduate cut off is easier?


EDIT: disregard, I thought this thread was about graduating summa cum lauda etc. Not about literally like "honors college" program tracks.

 

[Grace184]

I feel like it depends on the school your graduating from and what an honors program is to them- mine required me to take all honors level cores in a special program, as well as all my sciences. It also allowed my to enter an honor fraternity, etc, and the coursework was much more challenging, as stated in my LORs. And did get some extra graduation bling haha. It opened opportunities to research that others Not in the program didn't have. I personally liked it better be of smaller class size- but that was my school. Explore the benefits of exactly what an honors program entails at yours.