Author Archives: Honorsadmin

MSU Honors Student Nominated for Three Major Awards

Posted on by

Editor’s Note:  The story below was originally published on the Michigan State University Today site on November 13, 2013…

Craig Pearson, an Honors College senior majoring in neuroscience, biochemistry and molecular biology in the College of Natural Science and English in the College of Arts and Letters, has been selected to interview for the Rhodes Scholarship and the Marshall Scholarship and has been nominated for the Churchill Scholarship.

Pearson is from Bloomfield Hills and graduated from University of Detroit Jesuit High School.

If awarded, he would become MSU’s 18th Marshall Scholar, its 17th Rhodes Scholar and its 17th Churchill Scholar.

Pearson was named a Goldwater Scholar in 2012 and he served on MSU’s 2013-14 Homecoming Court.

Stemming from a high school volunteering position in which he worked with students who have visual impairments, Pearson wants to develop treatments for blindness and visual impairments.

“In the past, going from blindness to sight has seemed practically unthinkable,” he said. “But in today’s climate of groundbreaking scientific research, this phenomenon is not merely possible, but a realistic goal. With dedication and rigorous research, we can restore vision and change lives. I want to be part of that phenomenon – to be there when someone opens his or her eyes and experiences the unimaginable rush of new sight.”

Pearson entered MSU as an Alumni Distinguished Scholarship recipient and now serves as an undergraduate research assistant in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences and an undergraduate lab manager and lead undergraduate researcher for the Digital Humanities and Literary Cognition Lab.

He has served as a clinical volunteer at the MSU Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology. Pearson also is the student managing editor for ReCUR, the Red Cedar Undergraduate Research Journal, and is the founder and managing editor of Exceptions: The Art and Literary Journal for Students with Visual Disabilities.

“Craig has impressed us with his academic talent and service to others and we’re hopeful that he’ll be just as impressive during his interviews,” said Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, dean of the MSU Honors College.

– See more at: http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2013/msu-senior-nominated-for-prestigious-scholarships/#sthash.s2Odq0x1.dpuf

Craig Pearson, an Honors College senior majoring in neuroscience, biochemistry and molecular biology in the College of Natural Science and English in the College of Arts and Letters, has been selected to interview for the Rhodes Scholarship and the Marshall Scholarship and has been nominated for the Churchill Scholarship.

Pearson is from Bloomfield Hills and graduated from University of Detroit Jesuit High School.

If awarded, he would become MSU’s 18th Marshall Scholar, its 17th Rhodes Scholar and its 17th Churchill Scholar.

Pearson was named a Goldwater Scholar in 2012 and he served on MSU’s 2013-14 Homecoming Court.

Stemming from a high school volunteering position in which he worked with students who have visual impairments, Pearson wants to develop treatments for blindness and visual impairments.

“In the past, going from blindness to sight has seemed practically unthinkable,” he said. “But in today’s climate of groundbreaking scientific research, this phenomenon is not merely possible, but a realistic goal. With dedication and rigorous research, we can restore vision and change lives. I want to be part of that phenomenon – to be there when someone opens his or her eyes and experiences the unimaginable rush of new sight.”

Pearson entered MSU as an Alumni Distinguished Scholarship recipient and now serves as an undergraduate research assistant in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences and an undergraduate lab manager and lead undergraduate researcher for the Digital Humanities and Literary Cognition Lab.

He has served as a clinical volunteer at the MSU Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology. Pearson also is the student managing editor for ReCUR, the Red Cedar Undergraduate Research Journal, and is the founder and managing editor of Exceptions: The Art and Literary Journal for Students with Visual Disabilities.

“Craig has impressed us with his academic talent and service to others and we’re hopeful that he’ll be just as impressive during his interviews,” said Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, dean of the MSU Honors College.

A Methodology Change: We Will Have More Expansive Data for Prestigious Scholarships

Posted on by

All college ranking “systems” receive criticism based on the criteria they use, and our own efforts to evaluate honors colleges and programs have received a fair share of that criticism.

One component of our rating system is a measure of each university’s attainment of prestigious awards, such as Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, and Goldwater scholarships.  The criticism of this metric is based on the indisputable fact that not all of these awards are won by honors students.  But our view is that probably most of them are won by students who have either been in a core honors program at some point or who have at least been involved in departmental honors.  In addition, we believe that prospective honors students need to know what their prospects might be for winning one of these awards for themselves.  (We also will continue to have a second major ranking section that excludes the metric for prestigious scholarships and emphasizes only honors-specific factors.)

With that said, we agree that we have been too narrow in the scholarships we measure, and we have come to believe, based on our updated analysis, that in the first edition of our book the honors programs at a few institutions, most notably at the University of Maryland, Illinois, UCLA, and Rutgers were underrated, in part because of the scholarships we emphasized at that time. Accordingly, after months of research, we will expand the awards we use in calculations for the next edition of our book.  Awards in bold will be new additions.

Rhodes, Marshall, Gates Cambridge, Churchill, Truman, Udall, Goldwater, Fulbright*,
National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Grants, Boren, and Gilman. 

*Fulbright Student awards will now be counted for the three most recent years, as will Boren awards.  Fulbrights will not be adjusted for the size of the institution as was the case in the first edition.  Gilman scholars will be counted on a percentage basis.

The fact is that we have come to realize that only a very few public universities–or private universities, for that matter–excel in the attainment of all the awards listed above.  To maintain that the awards most familiar to the public, such as Rhodes, Marshall, and Truman scholarships, should trump lesser known awards would be to discount the strong impact of undergraduate awards (Goldwater, Udall, Boren, Gilman) and their important relation, in some cases, to undergraduate research.   Expanding the awards will also broaden the field of competition for our expanded list of programs, now 75 versus only 50 covered in the first edition.

 

Best Public Universities for Study-Abroad Scholarships

Posted on by

No matter what your major is, you may be eligible for one of the almost 3,000 study-abroad scholarships for undergraduates awarded each year.  The generous Boren scholarships along with the far more numerous Gilman scholarships provide between $2,500 and $20,000 for studying abroad.

The keys: at least a 3.5 gpa for Boren awards and around a 3.4 gpa for Gilman awards AND excellent skills in the foreign languages emphasized by the Boren program (see below).  Gilman awards are for students receiving Pell grants, and chances are about 1 in 3 for long term awards and 1 in 5 for summer awards.  Gilman study must be for at least four weeks, and Boren study is generally a full semester or entire year.

We are completing our national database of prestigious undergraduate and graduate awards granted to students from 80 leading public universities.  The database now includes the full history of winners of the following awards: Rhodes, Marshall, Gates Cambridge, Churchill, Truman, Goldwater, and Udall scholarships, by university.

The database also includes the full history for Gilman study-abroad scholarships, and for Boren scholars awarded since 2003.

Following the program descriptions for Boren and Gilman scholarships, please see a list of the public universities whose students have earned the highest number of these study-abroad scholarships.

“Boren Scholarships provide up to $20,000 to U.S. undergraduate students to study abroad in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

“The countries of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are excluded. For a complete list of countries, click here. Boren Scholars represent a variety of academic backgrounds, but all are interested in studying less commonly taught languages, including but not limited to Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Swahili.”

“The Gilman Scholarship Program offers awards for undergraduate study abroad and was established by the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000. This scholarship provides awards for U.S. undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study and intern abroad programs worldwide.

“The program aims to encourage students to choose non-traditional study and intern destinations, especially those outside of Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The Gilman Scholarship Program aims to support students who have been traditionally under-represented in education abroad, including but not limited to, students with high financial need, community college students, students in underrepresented fields such as the sciences and engineering, students with diverse ethnic backgrounds, and students with disabilities.”

Gilman awards range from $2,500 to $5,000, depending on the duration of studying abroad.

Public University Leaders in Boren Scholarships (about 167 a year):

Arizona State (by a large margin), Maryland, Illinois, UT Austin, Arizona, Wisconsin, Colorado, Oregon, Pitt, Georgia, Ohio State, South Carolina, Michigan, Washington, Ohio University, Kansas, and Oklahoma.

Public University Leaders in Gilman Scholarships (about 2,500 a year):

UC Berkeley (by a large margin), Arizona, UC Santa Barbara, UT Austin, UCLA, UMass Amherst, Oregon, Texas A&M, Illinois, Maryland, Illlinois Chicago, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Florida, and Temple.

 

 

Michigan, ASU, Rutgers, UT Austin Lead in 2013-2014 Fulbright Student Awards

Posted on by

The major research universities with the most Fulbright Student Award winners for 2013-2014 have been announced, and Michigan, Arizona State, Rutgers, and UT Austin are the leaders among public institutions.

Over the last four years, Michigan, Arizona State, and Rutgers lead all public universities, followed by North Carolina, Maryland, Washington, and UT Austin.

Fulbright scholarships are for work in foreign countries and cover a broad range of disciplines.  They, along with National Science Foundation Research Grants, are among the most prestigious awards for graduating seniors and beginning graduate students.

Below are the leading universities, public and private, for Fulbright Student Awards for 2013-2014.   We will list the university name, number of awards, and the number of applicants this year for awards.  Note that there is little correlation between the size of a university and the total number of applicants or the number of awards.

Harvard: 39 awards/234 applicants

Michigan: 32 awards/151 applicants

Arizona State: 26 awards/60 applicants

Princeton: 26 awards/82 applicants

Northwestern: 23 awards/106 applicants

UT Austin: 22 awards/70 applicants

Columbia: 21 awards/107 applicants

Yale: 21 awards/106 applicants

Cornell: 20 awards/67 applicants

Chicago: 20 awards/98 applicants

Boston College: 19 awards/85 applicants

UC Berkeley: 18 awards/62 applicants

Duke: 16 awards/54 applicants

Ohio State: 16 awards/72 applicants

Stanford: 16 awards/75 applicants

Penn: 16 awards/81 applicants

Maryland: 15 awards/41 applicants

Rochester: 15 awards/32 applicants

William & Mary: 14 awards/53 applicants

North Carolina: 14 awards/91 applicants

Georgetown: 13 awards/50 applicants

Tulane: 13 awards/52 applicants

Colorado: 13 awards/42 applicants

Pitt: 13 awards/51 applicants

Fordham: 12 awards/44 applicants

UC San Diego: 12 awards/25 applicants

Washington U: 12 awards/43 applicants

Johns Hopkins: 11 awards/54 applicants

NYU: 11 awards/49 applicants

Penn State: 11 awards/54 applicants

San Diego State: 11 awards/47 applicants

Washington: 11 awards/77 applicants

 

 

 

Times Higher Ed World Rankings 2013-2014

Posted on by

 We continue to enjoy writing about the Times Higher Ed World Rankings  because unlike most U.S. ranking publications and the current trend of disparaging academic research at public institutions, the Times rankings embrace research as “the single most influential of the 13 indicators,” as the Times “looks at the role of universities in spreading new knowledge and ideas.”

Note: Because research, as measured by publications, can vary significantly from year to year, there is more fluidity in the Times world rankings than in, say, the U.S News rankings of national colleges.  For this reason, our list below shows the Times rankings of American public universities for three years: 2012, 2013, and 2014.

It is notable that this year American universities hold 46 of the top 100 spots in the rankings, up from 43 last year, showing that despite years of national criticism, the world still holds our universities in the highest regard.

Of the 46 U.S. universities in the top 100, public universities account for 21 places and private universities for another 25.  In last year’s rankings, publics also held 24 places and private American schools held 19.

Private U.S. schools occupy 16 of the top 50 world places this year, while public U.S. universities hold 13 of the top 50 places.  The top five public universities this year are UC Berkeley, UCLA, Michigan, Washington, and UT Austin.

Deserving of special mention are Penn State, which rose from 61 in 2013 to 49 in 2014, and Purdue, which improved its ranking to 62 this year versus 69 last year.2

The Times surveys 400 institutions, so being in the top 100 is certainly a noteworthy achievement.  The continuing worldwide respect for U.S. higher education is even more remarkable, given the number of detractors in this country.

The Times rankings do not ignore metrics for class size and financial resources as they focus on research, but they certainly do not make them determinative.  The downside to the Times list is that it does not include a metric for graduation rates.

We believe that they are most useful in tandem with some of the other rankings that place more emphasis on class size as well as graduation rates.  In effect, the Times rankings offset some of the shortcomings of the U.S. News rankings, and the U.S. News rankings do the same for the Times rankings.

The list below shows the U.S. public universities that are among the top 100 universities in the world, according to the Times rankings.   Following the name of the university, we will show the world rank for 2014 first, followed by the 2013 rank and the 2012 rank.

U.S. Public Universities in the Top 100 Worldwide:

UC Berkeley 2014 rank (8); 2013 rank (9); 2012 rank (10)

UCLA (12), (13), (13)

Michigan (18), (20), (18)

Washington (25), (24), (25)

UT Austin (27), (25), (29)

Georgia Tech (28), (25), (24)

Illinois (29), (33), (31)

Wisconsin (30), (30), (27)

UC Santa Barbara (33), (35), (35)

UC San Diego (40), (34), (33)

Minnesota (46), (47), (42)

North Carolina (47), (42), (43)

Penn State (49), (61), (51)

UC Davis (52), (44), (38)

Ohio State (59), (53), (57)

Purdue (62), (69), (98)

UC Irvine (93), (96), (86)

Colorado (97), (91), (77)


Rutgers, Iowa State, Ohio State, UC Santa Barbara Make Gains in Undergrad Engineering

Posted on by

The annual U.S. News Best Colleges edition for 2014 lists 29 public universities among the top 50 nationally in undergraduate engineering, and Rutgers, Iowa State, Ohio State, and UC Santa Barbara all gained at least four places in the rankings compared to 2013.  Rutgers led the way with an increase of seven places.

In general, there were fewer changes in the rankings of undergrad engineering programs than there were for undergrad business programs.  (See U.S. News Best Undergrad Business 2014:  Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Maryland Gain the Most.)

Below are the leading public programs in engineering, with the 2014 listed first, followed by the 2013 ranking.  The symbols +, =, and – precede the name of the university to indicate whether the 2014 ranking is higher, the same, or lower than the 2013 ranking.  Please note that a change as small as .1 on the 5.0 scale can lead to a change of two or more places.

=UC Berkeley–2014 (3); 2013 (3)

=Georgia Tech–2014 (5); 2013 (5)

=Illinois–2014 (5); 2013 (5)

=Michigan–2014 (7); 2013 (7)

=Purdue–2014 (10); 2013 (10)

=UT Austin–2014 (10); 2013 (10)

=Wisconsin–2014 (13); 2013 (13)

+Texas A&M–2014 (15); 2013 (16)

+Virginia Tech–2014 (15); 2013 (16)

-Penn State–2014 (19); 2013 (16)

+UCLA–2014 (19); 2013 (20)

=Maryland–2014 (23); 2013 (23)

=Minnesota–2014 (23); 2013 (23)

+Ohio State–2014 (26); 2013 (30)

-UC San Diego–2014 (26); 2013 (23)

-Washington–2014 (26); 2013 (23)

-NC State–2014 (32); 2013 (30)

-UC Davis–2014 (32); 2013 (30)

+Colorado–2014 (32); 2013 (34)

+Iowa State–2014 (35); 2013 (39)

+UC Santa Barbara–2014 (35); 2013 (39)

-Florida–2014 (35); 2013 (34)

-Virginia–2014 (35); 2013 (34)

+Arizona State–2014 (43); 2013 (44)

+Michigan State–2014 (43); 2013 (44)

+Rutgers–2014 (43); 2013 (50)

+Colo School of Mines-2014 (49); 2013 (53)

-UC Irvine–2014 (49); 2013 (44)

+Pitt–2014 (49); 2013 (50)

Arizona, Auburn, and Delaware were all ranked at number 53 in the 2014 report.

 


U.S. News Best Undergrad Business 2014: Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Maryland Gain the Most

Posted on by

The 2014 U.S. News Best Colleges report lists the top schools for undergraduate business majors, and this year Florida made the biggest advance in the rankings –up 9 places– followed by Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Maryland, each of which gained 4 spots.

Other notable changes involving public universities were the additions of Georgia State University, Miami of Ohio, Oklahoma, and Utah to the top 50.  (The state of Georgia now has three public undergrad business programs in the top 50.)

Public universities with number one business specialty programs in the nation are as follows: UT Austin (accounting); Georgia (insurance); Michigan State (supply chain management/logistics); South Carolina (international business); Michigan (management); and Wisconsin (real estate).

As we have noted elsewhere, changes of four to six places can occur with only minor statistical changes.

Below are the public universities that made the top 50 list in 2014.  We will use the symbols (+, =, -) to indicate whether a school rose, remained the same, or dropped in the rankings compared to 2013.  Schools that gained four or more places will be in all caps.

+UC Berkeley–2014 (2); 2013 (3)

+Michigan–2014 (2); 2013 (3)

=Virginia–2014 (5); 2013 (5)

=North Carolina–2014 (7); (2013 (7)

-UT Austin–2014 (8); 2013 (7)

+Indiana–2014 (10); 2013 (11)

-Illinois–2014 (16); 2013 (14)

-Ohio State–2014 (18); 2013 (17)

+Maryland–2014 (18); 2013 (21)

-Minnesota–2014 (18); 2013 (17)

-Wisconsin–2014 (18); 2013 (17)

-Penn State–2014 (22); 2013 (21)

-Purdue–2014 (22); 2013 (21)

+Arizona–2014 (22); 2013 (24)

+Washington–2014 (22); 2013 (24)

-Arizona State–2014 (27); 2013 (24)

+GEORGIA TECH–2014 (27); 2013 (31)

-Michigan State–2014 (27); 2013 (24)

-Texas A&M–2014 (27); 2013 (24)

+FLORIDA–2014 (27); 2013 (36)

+GEORGIA–2014 (27); 2013 (31)

+Iowa–2014 (34); 2013 (36)

+William & Mary–2014 (38); 2013 (40)

-Colorado–2014 (38); 2013 (36)

+South Carolina–2014 (38); 2013 (40)

-Vermont–2014 (43); 2013 (40)

+GEORGIA STATE–2014 (47); 2013 (not in top 50)

+MIAMI OF OHIO–2014 (47); 2013 (not in top 50)

=Arkansas–2014 (47); 2013 (47)

=Connecticut–2014 (47) 2013 (47)

+OKLAHOMA–2014 (47); 2013 (not in top 50)

=Oregon–2014 (47); 2013 (47)

=Pitt–2014 (47); 2013 (47)

=Tennessee–2014 (47); 2013 (47)

+UTAH–2014 (47); 2013 (not in top 50)

 

 

 

 

U.S. News 2014 Rankings: Lots of Changes for Public Universities

Posted on by

The U.S. News Best Colleges edition for 2014 is out, and the somewhat obscure changes in the magazine’s methodology this year have wrought many changes in the rankings of major public universities.

The 2013 rankings were especially unkind to public universities; the new rankings show gains by 23 of the 50 schools we follow most closely, while 19 declined and 8 remained the same.

Colorado, Penn State, Stony Brook, Vermont, and Indiana made the most dramatic gains.   The new rankings mark the second year in a row that Stony Brook has made a big leap, now ranking 82, versus 111 only two years ago.

What we do know about the changes in methodology probably explain the perhaps surprising fall of two public elites, UT Austin and Washington.  The new methodology places more emphasis on grad and retention rates, and these two schools likely did not better the expectations set by the magazine in these categories or actually fell below projected levels.  It is also possible, though less likely, that other schools performed much better in these categories than they did in 2013.

The magazine has not been forthcoming about possible changes in the weight given to academic reputation.  Both these schools have scored extremely well in that category in recent years, so a reduction in the weight of that category would hurt their rankings.

Alabama, Binghamton, Arizona State, and UC Irvine also fell by at least five places in the 2014 rankings.  It is important to keep in mind that very small statistical changes can result in a ranking difference of 4-6 places.

Below are the 50 universities we follow, showing by the symbols (-, +, or +) whether they fell, stayed the same, or gained in the rankings.  We also list each school’s rankings for a three-year span: 2012, 2013, and 2014.  Schools with gains of five or more places are listed in caps.

-Alabama—2014 (86); 2013 (77); 2012 (75)

+Arizona—2014 (119); 2013 (120); 2012 (124)

-Arizona State—2014 (142); 2013 (139); 2012 (132)

+ARKANSAS—2014 (128); 2013 (134); 2012 (132)

-Auburn—2014 (91); 2013 (89); 2012 (82)

-Binghamton—2014 (97); 2013 (89); 2012 (90)

+CLEMSON—2014 (62); 2013 (68); 2012 (68)

+COLORADO—2014 (86); 2013 (97); 2012 (94)

+CONNECTICUT–2014 (57); 2013 (63); 2012 (58)

=Delaware—2014 (75); 2013 (75); 2012 (75)

+FLORIDA–2014 (49); 2013 (54); 2012 (58)

+Georgia—2014 (60); 2013 (63); 2012 (62)

=Georgia Tech—2014 (36); 2013 (36); 2012 (36)

+ILLINOIS—2014 (41); 2013 (46); 2012 (42)

+INDIANA—2014 (75); 2013 (83); 2012 (75)

-Iowa—2014 (73); 2013 (72); 2012 (71)

=Iowa State—2014 (101); 2013 (101); 2012 (97)

+KANSAS—2014 (101); 2013 (106); 2012 (101)

-Maryland—2014 (62); 2013 (58); 2012 (55)

+MASSACHUSETTS—2014 (91); 2012 (97); 2012 (94)

+Michigan—2014 (28); 2013 (29); 2012 (28)

-Michigan State—2014 (73); 2013 (72); 2012 (71)

-Minnesota—2014 (69); 2013 (68); 2012 (68)

+Mississippi—2014 (150); 2013 (151); 2012 (143)

=Missouri—2014 (97); 2013 (97); 2012 (90)

=Nebraska—2014 (101); 2013 (101); 2012 (101)

=North Carolina—2014 (30); 2013 (30); 2012 (29)

+NC STATE—2014 (101); 2013 (106); 2012 (101)

+Ohio State—2014 (52); 2013 (56); 2012 (55)

+OREGON—2014 (109); 2013 (115); 2012 (101)

+PENN STATE—2014 (37); 2013 (46); 2012 (45)

-Pitt—2014 (62); 2013 (58); 2012 (58)

-Purdue—2014 (68); 2013 (65); 2012 (62)

-Rutgers—2014 (69); 2013 (68); 2012 (68)

+South Carolina—2014 (112); 2013 (115); 2012 (111)

+STONY BROOK—2014 (82); 2013 (92); 2012 (111)

-Texas A&M—2014 (69); 2013 (65); 2012 (58)

-UC Davis—2014 (39); 2013 (38); 2012 (38)

-UC Irvine—2014 49); 2013 (44); 2012 (45)

+UCLa 2014 (23); 2013 (24); 2012 (25)

-UC San Diego—2014 (39); 2013 (37); 2012 (38)

=UC Santa Barbara-2014 (41); 2013 (41); 2012 (42)

-University at Buffalo—2014 (109); 2013 (106); 2012 (111)

-UT Austin—2014 (52); 2013 (46); 2012 (45)

+VERMONT—2014 (82); 2013 (92); 2012 (82)

+Virginia—2014 23); 2013 (24); 2012 (25)

+Virginia Tech—2014 (69); 2013 (72); 2012 (71)

-Washington–2014 (52); 2013 (46); 2012 (42)

-Washington State—2014 (128); 2013 (125); 2012 (115)

=Wisconsin—2014 (41); 2013 (41); 2012 (42)

 

Arkansas Honors College Has a New Home–and a New Honors Residence Hall

Posted on by

The class of 2017 at the University of Arkansas Honors College now has a fully renovated honors residence hall that houses 400 underclassmen in close proximity to two adjacent halls for honors upperclassmen, giving the college an even stronger sense of community that can be of special value to entering freshmen.

Now those freshmen will have frequent contact with older students in the college, gaining knowledge about classes, professors, student activities, foreign study, and opportunities for prestigious scholarships.  And that contact will occur not only in the cluster of honors residence halls but in another completely renovated building, Ozark Hall, which houses the honors college administration and staff, common rooms, classrooms, a music room, a kitchen, and a fireplace lounge area.

Students outside Ozark Hall, home of the honors college. (Photo by Shelby Gill.)

The old honors residence at Pomfret Hall did not receive a strong rating in our Review of Fifty Public University Honors Programs, published in 2012, although the honors college itself did do well in the review.  The remodeled honors residence, Hotz Hall, is much more centrally located and has a what are essentially brand-new double rooms throughout.  The baths are described as “spa” type baths, and what this means is that each floor has, at either end, a large complex of private baths that also share 4 or 5 sinks.

The arrangement retains the community advantages of traditional corridor baths but at the same time provides a greater degree of privacy in the bath areas.

In our posts, we have stressed that the strength of an honors college or program depends on the frequency, duration, and quality of honors “contacts”–extensive curriculum across four years; living, dining, and mentoring involving faculty and upperclassmen; and a full range of honors activities.  The new developments at Arkansas reflect the college’s commitment to make the honors experience as deep and comprehensive as it can be.

 

Temple U Honors Enrollment at All-Time High–and Higher Scores Too

Posted on by

Editor’s Note: The following post is by Temple University communications writer Hillel Hoffman:

An estimated all-time-high 525 freshmen have enrolled in the Honors Program, 183 more than last year. The projected average SAT score of Honors freshmen — 1371, another record — is up 37 points compared to 2012. The projected high school GPA of Honors freshmen, 3.85, has never been higher.

Temple Honors — a program that offers small classes, unique courses and one-on-one advising to a tightly knit community of academically talented students — is on a roll. Honors students are attending the nation’s top graduate schools and are being recognized with prestigious national scholarships, including well over a dozen awards such as Fulbrights, Marshalls, Trumans and Udalls in the last decade. In recent years, Honors has expanded its course offerings, established a peer mentoring program for recruits, added small-group research opportunities, launched a new cultural and service immersion program that has sent students to Appalachia, New Orleans and more.

For many freshmen, the allure of Honors is its scale; it offers an intimate community within a large research university. “I liked the smaller classes, living in the Honors Living Learning Community in 1300 and the individual attention,” said Samantha Rogers, a freshman in the College of Liberal Arts from Tulsa, Okla.

While proud of the high numbers of incoming freshmen and their glittering transcripts, Honors Director Ruth Ost is more interested in the Class of 2017’s character. “There’s an exuberance about this class,” Ost said. “This group is excited about thinking and ideas. We’ve had students who come up to us and say ‘I want to take all the hardest classes I can.’ That’s what we like to see.”