Freshmen in the Honors Program tend to produce GPAs around 3.50. Freshmen who have the grades and SATs to get in the program but choose not to join produce GPAs around 2.90. This difference is significant. Honors courses will challenge students--but they will stimulate them, as well. The readings, projects, and class discussions provide an enriched understanding of the course subject. The class generally favors discussion over lecture and critical analysis over memorization. Creativity and innovative thinking are encouraged. Along the same lines, Honors courses tend to favor depth over breadth; i.e., particular topics may be explored at greater length than in a typical survey course.
At the same time, Honors students receive more individual attention from their professors, helping them work more effectively. Honors students will have peer mentors to whom they can turn for help and advice. Most importantly, Honors students make friends with other dedicated students, and this atmosphere is the main reason students in the program are so successful when compared with students not in the program.