Importance Of Honors College At Georgia State University

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Honors College
“To engage a diverse and talented community of undergraduate scholars with experiences that prepare them for a lifetime of achievement” is the mission statement of Georgia State’s honors college. Many institutions offer honors colleges for students who perform at an advanced level (Considering). These colleges provide students with new learning and growing experiences. Requirements for honors colleges usually follow similar guidelines and come with the same cost and benefits, and Georgia State’s Honors College is no exception.
There are requirements for becoming part of the Honors College at Georgia State. As incoming freshmen, all students need to do is apply to enroll at Georgia State University, and students are automatically considered for the honors college. The honors college recommends that students apply by the Early Application deadline because they review applications as they come and only 200 students can be accepted. Then the Honors College will look at applications, test scores, and transcripts and will notify the chosen students. According to the Honors College website, accepted students for fall 2013 had an average score of 1300 on the SAT, 29 on the ACT and an unweighted GPA of 3.8. Students already attending the university who are not part of the Honors College can apply after they have completed at least twelve credit hours. They must also have a GPA of at least 3.5. These students will also be required to have an interview with the Associate Dean.
To continue being part of the honors college, students must maintain a GPA of at least 3.3, and take HON1000 during their first semester. HON1000 is a one credit pass/fail freshman seminar. The classes are small with a maximum of fifteen students and are meant to allow the students to form meaningful bonds with professors that could guide them throughout their college career. Honors students must also take one honors course each school year (Requirements). Although these are the requirements for Georgia State’s Honors College most institutions have similar requirements for joining and staying part of their honors college.
Although honors colleges have many requirements, they also come with benefits. When students are part of an honors college, they get to register for their classes before non-honors college students. This means students are able to select the best classes to fit their schedules and they do not have to worry about the class they want being at capacity. Honors classes are smaller, so students are able to interact with their classmates and professors more. This smaller class size allows students to learn better and gain a deeper understanding of the subject being taught. Also, students are eligible for special honors housing and scholarships at most universities. Being part of an honors college gives students the opportunity to graduate with honors, but at most universities there is a minimum amount of honors credits students must complete before they are given this distinction.
There are a lot of benefits to being in an honors college, but students must look at other factors to decide if it is what they want. Honors courses may require more work, and because of smaller class sizes, students will have to participate more than they would in a larger lecture-type class setting. Some institutions