Withdrawing from Honors College: red flag to adcoms?

[averageasian]

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I am currently a member of my state school's honors college. As a biology major I carry a 3.8 GPA/3.7 sGPA and i got a 23AA on the DAT. Being part of the honors college requires that i take a lot of useless extra courses to graduate from the honors college. I no longer wish to be a part of the honors program as i feel it is a lot of useless work and it is preventing me from graduating early, not to mention it costs extra to be a member.

will withdrawing from the honors college raise a red flag to adcoms when i apply next spring?

 

[Alpha Centauri]

You have a great GPA and a great DAT, if you withdraw and it comes up, just be honest with them You are clearly a good student and competitive applicant. It would maybe have been a red flag if your stats were much lower and schools could potentially view your withdrawal as an "out" from the workload

 

[averageasian]

would there be a negative drawback to graduating a semester early? ("oh why didn't you minor in something?" etc.) i feel my last semester could be better spent studying abroad, or teaching english in costa rica or volunteering abroad somewhere instead of just taking classes when i could have graduaetd the semester before

 

[LuckBloodandSweat]

I'm graduating one semester early. I'm going to try to work as a DA and maybe a lab job too. I think as long as you have a plan it's fine.

 

[averageasian]

I'm graduating one semester early. I'm going to try to work as a DA and maybe a lab job too. I think as long as you have a plan it's fine.

we have the same score and both are graduating early. coincidence? haha

 

[8_man]

would there be a negative drawback to graduating a semester early? ("oh why didn't you minor in something?" etc.) i feel my last semester could be better spent studying abroad, or teaching english in costa rica or volunteering abroad somewhere instead of just taking classes when i could have graduaetd the semester before

Depends how well you can justify your decision. For the reasons you mentioned, I don't think it would be detrimental.

 

[Likkriue]

I haven't had an issue with invites and I didn't minor in anything lol. They care more about your gpa than whatever comes with it(if they even notice). People always ask whether it's better to take an honors course or the regular equivalent, I'll always suggest the latter. Not worth all the effort for the same class that admissions won't even give a second glance to the honors thing tagged with it.

 

[smallmediumbig]

I withdrew from my school's honors college, and I'm graduating a semester early too (although I am minoring in something). I have 4 interview invites so far this cycle and have yet to be denied anywhere, so from my experience it doesn't matter at all.

 

[stoopidmonkeycatdog]

I interviewed at all of my schools already, I'm graduating a year and a half early, it came up maybe once? And it was in a positive light if I remember correctly.

Also, I don't know why you think withdrawing from the honors college would be a red flag, seeing as how it's not like schools can see that you withdrew from it.

 

[LuckBloodandSweat]

we have the same score and both are graduating early. coincidence? haha

Dude... Are you seriously my long lost twin or something? Although, I'm not in an honors college and my GPA is much worse than yours. Funny thing was those are basically my exact numbers for junior year LMAOOOOO

 

[WaveRace]

I think you're fine. At my alma matter, only ~70/500 of the people in the Honors Program actually went all the way through to graduate with an honors degree. The required senior thesis is what turned most people away. I know plenty of people who were accepted to medical and dental schools who were with me in the honors program. I only know of a few who actually did a thesis (and graduated with the honors degree). MD acceptance rate for students who were in the honors program is 84%, compared to the university's overall MD acceptance rate of 54%. The 84% includes people who "dropped out". That's not how it is viewed here.

Good for you for challenging yourself and being in an honors college. I'm sure you took challenging courses, which will be viewed favorably. Your stats are great and good luck when you apply!

 

[averageasian]

thanks for all of the advice guys (and gals)! i feel a lot better now.

 

[dnp123]

No one likes quittors, including dental school adcoms

 

[averageasian]

No one likes quittors, including dental school adcoms

how is opting to leave the honors college "quitting"? I'm still maintaining my GPA and other commitments. I just have no interest in paying an extra semester to write a thesis i will never think about after undergrad when i could do other things with my time before dental school.

 

[dnp123]

It reflects your work ethics, no matter how you put it.

 

[LuckBloodandSweat]

how is opting to leave the honors college "quitting"? I'm still maintaining my GPA and other commitments. I just have no interest in paying an extra semester to write a thesis i will never think about after undergrad when i could do other things with my time before dental school.

I honestly think dnp is a troll trying to frustrate you my frend. You save money and you'll have time for other stuff. What is there to lose?

 

[DMikes]

would there be a negative drawback to graduating a semester early? ("oh why didn't you minor in something?" etc.) i feel my last semester could be better spent studying abroad, or teaching english in costa rica or volunteering abroad somewhere instead of just taking classes when i could have graduaetd the semester before

I hope not. Graduating a year early.

 

[averageasian]

I hope not. Graduating a year early.

i agree. why should someone be punished for finishing college early? there is so much good you can with that time off besides school (volunteering, peace corps, the list goes on). since you, I @LuckBloodandSweat and countless have already proven ourselves in school and the DAT, i hope this works in out favor before we all head off to dental school

 

[8_man]

i agree. why should someone be punished for finishing college early? there is so much good you can with that time off besides school (volunteering, peace corps, the list goes on). since you, I @LuckBloodandSweat and countless have already proven ourselves in school and the DAT, i hope this works in out favor before we all head off to dental school

I agree, and that is why I said it depends entirely on how you justify graduating early. As long as you're making use of your extra time, you will be fine.

 

[dnp321]

quitting? lol it doesn't even reflect on ur transcript if u quit honors college. gpa is way more important.

 

[Incis0r]

No one likes quittors, including dental school adcoms

quitting? lol it doesn't even reflect on ur transcript if u quit honors college. gpa is way more important.

Looking at the usernames of the two posters above (dnp123 vs. dnp321), I feel like we have a Good Cop-Bad Cop situation going on here. Or perhaps dnp123 IS dnp321....I'M ONTO YOU.

 

[averageasian]

Looking at the usernames of the two posters above (dnp123 vs. dnp321), I feel like we have a Good Cop-Bad Cop situation going on here. Or perhaps dnp123 IS dnp321....I'M ONTO YOU.

my goodness you're right! wth is going on?

 

[LuckBloodandSweat]

He's a giant troll. Either that or dnp321 is the anti dnp123

 

[8_man]

Illuminati

 

[averageasian]

how do adcoms view honors college vs non honors college? i feel it is a total waste of time and money. your gpa makes you honors, am i right?

 

[WaveRace]

how do adcoms view honors college vs non honors college? i feel it is a total waste of time and money. your gpa makes you honors, am i right?

Sorry you feel that way. Being in the honors program at my University was by far the best decision I made in college (even not doing the thesis). Our first two years required a certain number of honors courses. I took honors classes on Greek literature, German literature, Buddhism, and abnormal psych. The benefit of these classes was tremendous, in my opinion. As a biochem major, I would never have taken any of those otherwise (aside from Buddhism for one of my minors). We also had smaller, more challenging honors classes for chem/orgo/physics.

Additionally, and most importantly, is the friendships and networking that resulted from the honors program. I know a surprising number of people attending great med/dental schools, but I also know people in the tops of other fields (business, finance, history, etc). The perspectives of these people are invaluable. Again, I wouldn't have those connections if I wouldn't have been in the honors program.

I guess I have a different view of undergraduate pre-health education than most people. My goal wasn't "get into dental school at any cost", it was "learn as much as I can from as many people as I can". I learned to speak a foreign language (6 semesters), received two inter-disciplinary minors, and founded a non-profit organization. Non of those have anything to do with dental school and are not directly going to help me in admissions. I don't care... that's completely missing the point, in my opinion.

That said, I completely understand taking the path of least-resistance to dental school. I think the system is clowned but I'm not going to bend to it. I'll get where I'm going by being me and pursuing things that I love. The answer to your question, @wezleesun`, is "adcoms will not care". They care about your GPA and your test score.

 

[averageasian]

hey guys, i just to spoke to the wonderful Nancy Steen of DAT destroyer and she said quitting anything, especially and honors college would weaken me as an applicant and that i should stay put.

im so conflicted. I've worked so hard in school and studying for the DAT. I really do not feel an honors thesis and an extra tassel at graduation are worth it. Why should withdrawing from honors hurt me when I'm still taking challenging courses as a bio major in addition to my ECs?

 

[NCC1701]

While I am just a lowly undergraduate, I highly doubt that withdrawing from an honors college is going to be the yes vs no deciding factor in dental school admissions. If it's expensive and you'd rather spend your time doing other things, drop it.

 

[Incis0r]

im so conflicted. I've worked so hard in school and studying for the DAT. I really do not feel an honors thesis and an extra tassel at graduation are worth it. Why should withdrawing from honors hurt me when I'm still taking challenging courses as a bio major in addition to my ECs?

Here is my advice for you. It will let you put this issue to rest permanently, and you will be 100% confident in your decision.

Call the dental schools that you really care about and ask them directly over the phone. You do not need to identify yourself if you are concerned about that. Just ask to speak with an admissions counselor and describe your situation. They are the ultimate authorities. If they say it's fine/won't hurt you, then you can take that to the bank and drop honors without worry.

 

[Scumbag_Steve]

.

 

[averageasian]

No it will not. It would look better if it completed but I know people who have started out in their school's Honors Program only to withdraw and were fine. I actually did the opposite (wasn't admitted to begin with but got accepted while in undergrad), and I can tell you that I loved my Honors Program experience for a lot of reasons other than the classes.

Moral of the story; no it won't affect your chances, but "useless" is a very relative and subjective term. The only things in life that are "useless" are the things you choose to let yourself think are useless.

thanks scumbag steve. you da man