Honors courses provide more rigorous and in-depth coursework to students who are particularly gifted and motivated. They are traditionally offered in high school and are typically open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. A student must typically demonstrate talent, motivation, and a strong record in basic courses in the same subject in order to enroll in an honors course. These classes can provide opportunities for bright students to succeed in the classroom.
Advanced placement (AP) courses are not the same as honors courses. Advanced placement classes are designed specifically for students who plan to take an advanced placement exam. These exams allow students to skip over basic college prerequisites demonstrating that they understand the material. These courses are taught at the college level, and they are occasionally taught guest instructors who are college instructors.
Honors courses are available in a variety of subjects, such as English, foreign languages, science, mathematics, social studies, and so on. Depending on the school and the teacher’s skill level, a teacher may specialize in offering honors courses or teach both honors and conventional curricula. Honors classes are generally more challenging, and students are held to a higher standard of performance than they would be in regular classes. Many honors students also discover that their participation in an honors curriculum causes teachers in regular classes to be more demanding, as they may assume the student has a high level of skill and intelligence.
Because honors courses can be more difficult, many schools give them a higher weighting in their grade point average calculations, giving them a slightly higher grade. This can allow highly motivated students to surpass the theoretically top 4.0 grade point average, which can be used in college applications to demonstrate the student’s high level of skill and competency.
Every school’s honors program takes a slightly different approach. Students interested in taking honors courses should contact the teachers who teach the courses of interest and inquire about the requirements and whether the instructors believe the student is prepared. In some cases, a teacher may be required to sign a form allowing a student to enroll in an honors class, and it is best to do so as soon as possible because honors classes are typically smaller and can fill up quickly in a competitive school.