With the final round of applications for the Weber Honors College closing for all prospective students on March 22, many who were invited to apply may be asking themselves: “Is it worth it?” The tall order of ​​requirements includes 16 credits of classes in interdisciplinary studies, study abroad and a High-Impact Practice, or HIP, to complete the minor. 

The nature of the selective minor invites students to reach beyond their major with honors classes in intersecting subjects such as humanities, social sciences and arts, applying the lessons to contemporary world affairs. 

Study abroad and HIP immerse students in hands-on learning outside of the classroom through opportunities in leadership or volunteering. HIP requires students to take on a long term position in their community gathering real-world experience such as an internship, research assistant, or leadership position. Many applicants may wonder if adding so much extra work into their college plan will be worth the effort in the end. 

For SDSU students such as Ethan Van Boerum, a third-year majoring in marine biology, the payoff is the chance to explore subjects outside of STEM before he goes to medical school after college. This is often a rare opportunity for students who are deep into their majors.

“I love biology. It’s really great, but I love so many other things just as much as biology,” Van Boerum said. “I love art … it’s just not the thing I want to have a career in, but I don’t necessarily want to not learn more about it.” 

For Jessica Johnson, a fourth-year majoring in English and comparative literature, the honors courses work hand-in-hand with her academic interests. Johnson is a writing coach and wants to become a writing professor one day. She fulfilled her HIP requirement through two different opportunities. Johnson was the cofounder and president of Creative Collective, a magazine for SDSU students to publish their artwork that launched in spring 2024. In addition, Johnson volunteered for World Relief, teaching English to Creole speakers, many of   whom were Haitian refugees.

“They now know a lot more English from when they first came here. It is so fulfilling,” Johnson said. “There are no words to describe and express how happy I am for those people, because learning a language is so difficult, especially coming into a new country, just throwing yourself in without ever having practiced.” 

However, not all students immediately find a sense of purpose in the honors college. Second-year criminal justice student Kevin Vera Cruz heavily considered dropping the honors program toward the end of his freshman year when many of his friends discussed dropping. They cited a lack of interest in the courses as their reason for leaving the program.

“A STEM major didn’t want to spend her time sitting in a class about philosophy and anthropology like I’m doing now, but because I’m interested in that, I stayed,” Vera Cruz said. “It gives me a different view of things, because a lot of the subjects intersect, so I decided to stick it out, and I’m happy I did that.” 

Vera Cruz’s opinion shifted as he took advantage of opportunities for involvement and became a mentor to first-year honors students in the fall. His position in fostering connection and leadership provided him a newfound purpose in the college. 

“None of my mentees were friends at the beginning, none of them hung out with each other,” Vera Cruz said. “I would tell them to walk back together and they would all literally go in opposite directions. But by the end of the semester, we were all texting in our group chat at the same time, and they would walk back together. It was super nice to see how all of their paths intersected with each other’s paths. That’s beautiful.” 

Raleigh Matern graduated from the Weber Honors College in 2016. As the current director of product management for Animoto, not only does he feel that he uses the skills he grew in the honors college every day at his job, but he also looks for them when he’s hiring.

“The skills that matter aren’t just the tools, but I look to see if you can ask the right questions, and can you work well with others,” Matern said. 

He explained that, similar to classroom settings in honors courses, he continues to collaborate in small groups, and it is a skill he carried over to his job 10 years later. 

The honors college doesn’t always align with everyone’s pathway, and not everyone who joins 

stays. As of spring 2025, the honors college has about a 75% retention rate, according to Stacey Sinclair, director of the WHC. Sinclair observed that many students who drop often do so because it doesn’t fit into their schedule. 

“For example, there’s some students who get very involved in Greek life,” Sinclair said. “That can be very time-consuming, and so they kind of feel like they have to make a choice.” 

With the honors college representing over 80 different majors, it is a beneficial experience for students, but a hefty time commitment for others. Ultimately, the decision will differ for everyone’s unique paths.