Honors essay?

[FadedOne]

I find myself applying for my college's honor program.....completely out of the blue I might add. It's a new twist in my collegiate fate due to the unforeseen 4.0 I got last semester.

Anyways, amidst other applicational terrors, i'm required the write a 5 page paper on why I want to be in the honor program. 5 blasted pages!
I'm at a loss.

Does anyone have any suggestions of what one would write on an Honors App Essay that would satisfy the question at hand without being a complete BS trip?

advice more than welcome. can't say i've ever written one of these applications. Especially not a 5-pager.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

why you would want to be in the honors program

Perhaps you should focus on a different question: Why wouldn't you not want to be in the honors program.

Maybe the graders like a philosophical twist now and then

[GhostontheNet]

I find myself applying for my college's honor program.....completely out of the blue I might add. It's a new twist in my collegiate fate due to the unforeseen 4.0 I got last semester.

Anyways, amidst other applicational terrors, i'm required the write a 5 page paper on why I want to be in the honor program. 5 blasted pages!
I'm at a loss.

Does anyone have any suggestions of what one would write on an Honors App Essay that would satisfy the question at hand without being a complete BS trip?

advice more than welcome. can't say i've ever written one of these applications. Especially not a 5-pager.

Yes, my suggestion is that you tell the truth, tell your story, lay down the details of what you have just told us - write it well, write it with honesty, and you will be surprised how the pages fly as you pour out your soul.

[Technomancer]

Like most people have said, I think you should first have a solid grasp of what it is you want to do as a student and why. In other words clearly articulate what you are studying and why, and what difference the honours program will make to your academic goals.

[Kaligraphic]

Write about the effect of social pressure from family and peer group to perform, and the negative social repercussions of not being in the honor program.

[Ashley]

When I wrote my honors app essay (yes, I've been in the same spot!) I told them that I took my education seriously and felt that the honors college would provide the best opportunity to be mentally challenged in that regard. I told them, too, a little about my intellectual and character virtues--you can be honest about yourself without being prideful or boastful.

I'd suggest sitting down and writing out several ideas about what you could write on and create an outline...and then sit down to write. Hope this helps!

[FadedOne]

Muchly appreciate the ideas so far...i'm going to take them to heart. lol, I know when i had to write my entrace essay(300 words max....i had to condense that thing FOREVER!) I felt like I was writing some kind of self-advertisement. disturbing. But hopefully by taking you guys' ideas, this will turn out well.

Thanks for support/advice so far! more welcome. *must keep creative juices flowing* LoL.

side question: If they say 4 1/2 to 5 pages....do you think that double spacing would be preferred or looked down on? Last semester all I heard was that double spacing would make professors happy due to reduced eye strain, but in this case I may look like a slacker. o.o Wish these application people would be more specific. ideas?

[GhostontheNet]

Muchly appreciate the ideas so far...i'm going to take them to heart. lol, I know when i had to write my entrace essay(300 words max....i had to condense that thing FOREVER!) I felt like I was writing some kind of self-advertisement. disturbing. But hopefully by taking you guys' ideas, this will turn out well.

Thanks for support/advice so far! more welcome. *must keep creative juices flowing* LoL.

side question: If they say 4 1/2 to 5 pages....do you think that double spacing would be preferred or looked down on? Last semester all I heard was that double spacing would make professors happy due to reduced eye strain, but in this case I may look like a slacker. o.o Wish these application people would be more specific. ideas?

If it doesn't say to on some kind of sheet, don't double space, or finish 5 pages normally and then double space those. There is some truh in this sort of writing being a self advertisement in it's own way, for it is, like an advertisement, an effort at persuasion to "pick me".

[FadedOne]

The oddest thing..i'm actually enjoying the writing of this essay. On the downside, i know if anything I write will be worth turning in. I've enter my English Professor mode and find myself coming across like some 19th century writer. Dickens perhaps. Needless to say, I have my doubts as to whether or not the essay-analyist will take me seriously as a Freshman in college. I sound ancient.

always a new dilemma, LoL, at least this one lets me write. I forgot how much I love this kind of thing...even if it may be a waste.

[GhostontheNet]

The oddest thing..i'm actually enjoying the writing of this essay. On the downside, i know if anything I write will be worth turning in. I've enter my English Professor mode and find myself coming across like some 19th century writer. Dickens perhaps. Needless to say, I have my doubts as to whether or not the essay-analyist will take me seriously as a Freshman in college. I sound ancient.

always a new dilemma, LoL, at least this one lets me write. I forgot how much I love this kind of thing...even if it may be a waste.

Well, some days it's the best of times and the worst of times. People are influenced by what they read at least in subtle ways, and that's just the way it is, whatever anybody else has to say about it.

[the_lizardqueen]

Well, I did have to write an artist's statement when I applied to art college, but it was nowhere near as long as your application. And I also had to write a letter of intent when applying to the Design program. I mostly just outlined what I was hoping to achieve and learn. I also discussed my prior skills and experiences and how they might be beneficial. It is difficult though, since you don't want to come off as arrogant. But the fact of the matter is, if your worried about how you sound, your probably a very humble person. If anything, you might be in danger of underselling yourself ^^;;

I hope it goes well and I'll be praying for ya ^_^

[Ashley]

Sounding ancient might do you more good than you think; it'll be clear that you're well read, well trained, and gives an all-around aura of education. I don't think you have to worry about sounding like you just threw the thesaurus at your essay without thinking about it, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

[FadedOne]

i'm bumping this up merely because I could use some more ideas, advice, or just general prayer. I currently have just under two pages of essay. Sadly the required length is 4 1/2 to 5 pages. *shakes head* I'm not quite sure I have 5 pages of yearning to be an honors student. It's more of a 3 page yearning.

But yea, my required topic is 'what do you hope to gain from the honors program at *insert college here*'. Suggestions more than welcome. I'm pretty close to getting on my knees and begging. XD

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Semi-off topic: I recall someone telling me about how someone got accepted into an ivy league school. On their entrance essay or something, the question was "What is courage". The student wrote "This is courage" and marked red x's on his paper...

Apparently he was automatically accepted. Whether it's true or not us unknown

[FadedOne]

Semi-off topic: I recall someone telling me about how someone got accepted into an ivy league school. On their entrance essay or something, the question was "What is courage". The student wrote "This is courage" and marked red x's on his paper...

Apparently he was automatically accepted. Whether it's true or not us unknown

Wow, that IS courage. Unique too. I hope it's true...the world needs more disturbingly spunky people like that.
Thanks for thes sidenote!



mmm...and I just discovered two wonderful things from emailing the guy in charge of Honors. 1. I can double-space, which means that I already have enough essay length! Now I just need to edit it to death for the sake of perfection.

The other wonderful thing is that I now know WHO is reviewing these things and he's an English Professor. So if I sound like a thesaurus on speed, he probably wont even notice!

[GhostontheNet]

The other wonderful thing is that I now know WHO is reviewing these things and he's an English Professor. So if I sound like a thesaurus on speed, he probably wont even notice!

Nonsense, that means he will know all the old cliche tricks all too well.

[FadedOne]

Nonsense, that means he will know all the old cliche tricks all too well.

You misunderstand my meaning. All I'm saying is that if I sound mature and professional(without using 'like' and 'you know' every other sentence
) it will be expected and appreciated, not seen as over-written and fake. Granted I could be wrong, but honestly I can only do so much to impress people. *shrug*

[GhostontheNet]

[quote="FadedOne"]You misunderstand my meaning. All I'm saying is that if I sound mature and professional(without using 'like' and 'you know' every other sentence
] Exactly, so long as you don't simply whip out the thesaurus and literally do that, it will not be a horribly hackneyed paper, and you'll have that in your favor.

[Ashley]

sounds almost exactly like the honors college essay I had to write, and they told us later that the whole point of the essay was to place us in either the "upper" English--for us good at the subject--or a less rigorous "science" English. If this is true, just be honest! Why DO you want to get it? Whatever the reasons, polish them up, elaborate, and show them your best style. I think the point isn't exactly WHAT you say, but how you say it.

[Puritan]

Science English? Is that between "Engineering" English and "Proper" English?

Anyway, I have to second what most people are saying, simply be professional and polished. Sincerety tends to be highly regarded in college circles, there seems to be a dearth of sincerety and honesty in essays like this. Also, from my experience, I find the use of a good quote or anecdote usually helps bring people into your work. If you can find something that sums up what you want from the program, that might be a good thing to use as a theme to tie the essay together. I do hope that the essay goes well for you!

[Ashley]

Science English? Is that between "Engineering" English and "Proper" English?

Heh, that was our slang for the Honors English that wasn't so demanding, as opposed to the Honors English you had to take if the board deemed you "good" at English...we called it that because most of the people in that class were engineering, science, or math majors.