Question regarding honors and thesis (asking for a friend)

[Bored_Conscious]

So, my friend is a Texas resident and applied to TMDSAS this cycle.

She got three II's so far (Dell, UTSW, and Long). She is super excited about this opportunity, but it is her senior year now and she has to start her honors thesis. She has been considering dropping the thesis (this may also result in her being dropped from honors) because she has to find a mentor to help with her thesis. However, COVID-19 has made this significantly more difficult and it is taking a toll on her mental health immensely.

If she drops her thesis (and potentially subsequently her honors program) she will have to update all the schools she applied to (including the ones she got an II from) and she is worried that this will be viewed negatively. She hasn't done her honors thesis yet, it is just put down as "Independent Research Project - Honors Thesis" along with its projected hours in future work. She has a great GPA (3.9+), MCAT (515+) and ECs.

@LizzyM @wysdoc @Goro

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Goro]

So, my friend is a Texas resident and applied to TMDSAS this cycle.

She got three II's so far (Dell, UTSW, and Long). She is super excited about this opportunity, but it is her senior year now and she has to start her honors thesis. She has been considering dropping the thesis (this may also result in her being dropped from honors) because she has to find a mentor to help with her thesis. However, COVID-19 has made this significantly more difficult and it is taking a toll on her mental health immensely.

If she drops her thesis (and potentially subsequently her honors program) she will have to update all the schools she applied to (including the ones she got an II from) and she is worried that this will be viewed negatively. She hasn't done her honors thesis yet, it is just put down as "Independent Research Project - Honors Thesis" along with its projected hours in future work. She has a great GPA (3.9+), MCAT (515+) and ECs.

@LizzyM @wysdoc @Goro

She didn't get the IIs because of her honors thesis.

 

[wysdoc]

So, my friend is a Texas resident and applied to TMDSAS this cycle.

She got three II's so far (Dell, UTSW, and Long). She is super excited about this opportunity, but it is her senior year now and she has to start her honors thesis. She has been considering dropping the thesis (this may also result in her being dropped from honors) because she has to find a mentor to help with her thesis. However, COVID-19 has made this significantly more difficult and it is taking a toll on her mental health immensely.

If she drops her thesis (and potentially subsequently her honors program) she will have to update all the schools she applied to (including the ones she got an II from) and she is worried that this will be viewed negatively. She hasn't done her honors thesis yet, it is just put down as "Independent Research Project - Honors Thesis" along with its projected hours in future work. She has a great GPA (3.9+), MCAT (515+) and ECs.

@LizzyM @wysdoc @Goro

Your friend needs to check carefully the graduation requirements for her major and make sure she will meet them without the honors thesis course. I would think probably she can - but UT has some unique majors like Plan II Honors and I don't know the ins and outs of those.

She needs an appointment with her academic advisor ASAP. If it ends up that she meets the requirements for Bio major but not Bio Major Honors College, for example, nobody will care.
As far as updating the future courses, she can just do that on the TMDSAS portal and does not have to email each school.

 

[Bored_Conscious]

Your friend needs to check carefully the graduation requirements for her major and make sure she will meet them without the honors thesis course. I would think probably she can - but UT has some unique majors like Plan II Honors and I don't know the ins and outs of those.

She needs an appointment with her academic advisor ASAP. If it ends up that she meets the requirements for Bio major but not Bio Major Honors College, for example, nobody will care.
As far as updating the future courses, she can just do that on the TMDSAS portal and does not have to email each school.

Great, thank you. I will let her know. She shouldn't be too concerned about schools rescinding II's or deciding to her reject her because of her decision correct? I can't imagine they place too much weight on possible future accomplishments.

 

[wysdoc]

Great, thank you. I will let her know. She shouldn't be too concerned about schools rescinding II's or deciding to her reject her because of her decision correct? I can't imagine they place too much weight on possible future accomplishments.

All schools know that future plans can change. The only thing that could harm her is if her grades took a sudden dive senior year or she had some academic censure or infractions.