To be one of the best universities in the nation, you need the best students in the nation. 

To recruit these students, universities focus their attention on the following: program prestige, the campus, athletics, dorms and Greek life. But The Daily Illini Editorial Board has found that the University lacks one of these aspects — a prestigious academic honors program. 

As it currently stands, the University has Chancellor’s Scholars and James Scholars. While Chancellor’s Scholars have a standard, selective application process, the James Scholars program lacks consistent requirements across different colleges, and the lack of benefits these programs offer make joining the programs not worth students’ time. 

The honors program requires students to maintain a specified GPA and complete additional activities, which can include completing extra work in their classes, involving one-on-one projects with professors, or doing research — the activities vary by college. Additionally, the program hopes to make students competitive candidates if they decide to apply to graduate school. 

The extra work leaves students with the perk of registering early for classes and a resume boost, according to the University. But do future employers really know what it means to be a James Scholar? And for that matter, do we really know what it means to be a James Scholar?

Some believe the program allows students to build stronger relationships with their professors through the one-on-one projects. In other instances, smaller classes are reserved specifically for scholars. However, students have the ability to bond with a professor without needing to do special projects. 

Some James Scholar programs in different colleges offer more than others, so there is no consistency about what it means to be a James Scholar.

For example, the College of Business offers an MBA scholarship if a student decides to come back here after receiving an undergraduate or graduate degree. There are clearly some perks to being in the programs, but not all scholar students have the opportunity to experience them.

The program could be enhanced by offering more equitable James Scholar perks among all colleges, making it more worthwhile to these students. The University is one of the top schools in the country and offers plenty of incentives for future students, but making these changes could help the University recruit even more talented students.

A more consistent honors program across the campus, with increased perks, would benefit not only honors students, but the University as a whole. The University should take the next step to help attract more students.