Hi, Steve.Your mitneon of students using undergrad as mere stepping stone into grad school rings strongly in my ears. I don't know if an honors' program is one that should encourage students to continue extradisciplinary/cross-disciplinary study, when that is precisely what a liberal arts education is supposed to be. Besides, can't motivated students create their own majors and courses of study if they wish to pursue this route? Can't we just make that easier to do for those who desire it? I wonder if one of the weaknesses of the four year liberal arts program is that it may do disservice to students who decide to attend graduate school well after they start into a liberal arts undergrad education in good faith. The breadth of a liberal arts education exposes the student to many streams of thought, many perspectives on the world, one or two of which the student may find deeply compelling, leading to a major. I fear, however, that except for the smartest and/or most motivated students, the liberal arts educational philosophy which remains in force within the major becomes a hindrance for the individual who decides they wish to pursue graduate study. It is precisely the myopic delving into the nitty-gritty of the field in advanced courses which allows interested students to prepare themselves for graduate study at a reputable institution. This kind of technical training is mostly missing from major programs at a liberal arts school.So, what I imagine a good honors program in a liberal arts institution should be is EXACTLY one which provides deserving students with the depth they need to pursue graduate study or good' careers. That is, an honors program considered as an excursion out of the liberal arts into the technical details of their chosen field(s). Keep the holistic entrance requirements, but make it something that encourages students both to appreciate the liberal arts while incentivizing and facilitating specialization.