BYU or University of Utah for daughter?

[Billinsd]

My daughter is a Junior at a Charter HS in San Diego County. She's got straight As in honors and AP classes and good SAT scores. She dosen't like UCSD near us and likes UCI 90 miles north. She's a hard working kid, that likes the outdoors and my wife and I think BYU would probably be a good fit. Good education, Conservative, traditional values, and excellent outdoor recreation!!! The University of Utah is probably good, but not as good or traditional as BYU? My sister in law lives close in South Jordan. I think the University of Utah has a Western Undergraduate Exchange program and I wouldn't have to pay out of state tuition? BYU has scholarships it looks like. Either way I doubt either school will cost more than $30k for tuition and room and board?, which is well under my budget. Utah is on my wife and my short list to move to. I want what's best for my daughter and I believe the quality of people is better in Utah. I think Utah has much better potential son in laws. Have you or someone you know graduated from either school? Thanks Bill

 

[ahlgringo]

Are you LDS? If so, BYU great option


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[307]

Yeah, the LDS question is pretty much front and center. I'd think/guess that BYU would be a little challenging culturally if you're not LDS .

 

[switchback7]

Dont you have to be Mormon to attend? I always thought you had to be LDS.

 

[DAOutfitters208]

Do you want her to get a husband by Sophmore year and drop out to start breeding? Then BYU

 

[String&stick]

Are you LDS? If not are you ok with your future in-laws being LDS and you missing some of your daughters wedding?

Things to consider, but utah is amazing either way.

 

[nobody]

U of U could easily surpass that 30k mark, especially for an out of stater. Also, if she's not big on the culture of the local California schools, the U won't be any better. Seriously, SLC is like a mini Southern California smack in the middle of the rockies. I avoid that crap hole as often as possible, and I only live an hour from the airport. Yesterday was the first time I had been to Salt Lake in almost a year, and I'm hoping I can go longer this next time. She won't experience any values, and SLC and the U of U are FAR from conservative. No sense in paying to send her to the U of U if you're trying to get her away from Southern California.

Utah State is great for the type of experience you want for her, but tuition is kindof crazy. Utah State and BYU both offer great education, TRUE conservative values, respect, lots of great programs. BYU is the cheapest D-1 college in the state by a long shot, and Utah State is the most expensive by far, but only for Utah Residents for some reason. For comparison, I have one brother at BYU and one at Utah State right now. The brother at BYU pays about $2600 for tuition per semester, and then his rent before he got married was like 900 a semester. My brother at Utah State is almost $4000 per semester for tuition, and his housing is about $1000 per semester. So neither one is super crazy, but it just paints the ROI for BYU in a different light.

And before any of you jump on me for being a bandwagon BYU fan, don't worry. I didn't go to any college in the state, so I don't have a dog in the fight!

 

[Billinsd]

Are you LDS? If so, BYU great option


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No we are not

 

[Billinsd]

Do you want her to get a husband by Sophmore year and drop out to start breeding? Then BYU

No, I want her to graduate first...

 

[mlob1one]

The morals and standards at BYU cause me, as a father of a daughter, to relax a bit knowing there are heaps of solid good kids. Don't have to be Mormon/LDS to attend.

My wife actually works in the foreign exchange program at BYU and they send kids all over the world every year (except this one) without incident.

My rec would be to tour both. Both campuses are amazing. The feel is a bit different one from another.

Proximity to the outdoors might have BYU edging out the U, but they're both solid schools.

Good luck.


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[NJDiverDan]

Agree to everyone's above questions on being LDS. Secondly, what does she want to study? Each of those universities have better programs for some degrees. If it is Engineering or really any Science I would not recommend either. I actively recruit from both of these Universities and this is not their strong point vs some of the other Universities around the country.

 

[Billinsd]

Excellent responses!!! Thanks so much!!

 

[Huntinaz]

Dont you have to be Mormon to attend? I always thought you had to be LDS.

Not if you’re on the football team I bet

 

[nobody]

Dont you have to be Mormon to attend? I always thought you had to be LDS.

Nope, my brother has lots of kids in his classes that aren't. Doesn't make a difference, kinda how I could attend Notre Dame even though I'm not catholic. No different.

 

[Billinsd]

U of U could easily surpass that 30k mark, especially for an out of stater. Also, if she's not big on the culture of the local California schools, the U won't be any better. Seriously, SLC is like a mini Southern California smack in the middle of the rockies. I avoid that crap hole as often as possible, and I only live an hour from the airport. Yesterday was the first time I had been to Salt Lake in almost a year, and I'm hoping I can go longer this next time. She won't experience any values, and SLC and the U of U are FAR from conservative. No sense in paying to send her to the U of U if you're trying to get her away from Southern California.

Right, I avoid SLC too!! I agree with what you said. However, if she graduated from U of U she probably won't move back to California. I don't want my kids to plant roots in California. Socially I don't want my daughter going to a party school like I have three degrees from, SDSU or SUDS.

 

[Billinsd]

Agree to everyone's above questions on being LDS. Secondly, what does she want to study? Each of those universities have better programs for some degrees. If it is Engineering or really any Science I would not recommend either. I actively recruit from both of these Universities and this is not their strong point vs some of the other Universities around the country.

That's what I was afraid to hear. No, she doesn't know yet. She said she's interested in being a hospice nurse or maybe an elementary teacher, which are noble professions, however, she is BEST at math, but doesn't love it. My wife and I think she'd make a good engineer and are encouraging that route.

 

[Billinsd]

I'd like to keep the costs below $50k a year for total costs, because she might want to get an advanced degree. I have a twelve year old that I need to budget for too. Thanks!!

 

[nobody]

Right, I avoid SLC too!! I agree with what you said. However, if she graduated from U of U she probably won't move back to California. I don't want my kids to plant roots in California. Socially I don't want my daughter going to a party school like I have three degrees from, SDSU or SUDS.

Yup. U of U will be that party school. I lived in Los Angeles for a couple of years and spent some time around USC campus, U of U is VERY similar from what I've experienced. And really, planting roots in SLC wouldn't be that different from much of California, and getting worse every day. It's just a liberal and twisted as lots of places you've already experienced, so all I'm saying is that her schooling and surroundings wouldn't be that different from So Cal, with the exception of the elevation difference really.

BYU really isn't as bad as some of these guys make it seem. Yes, there's lots of us out here who are Mormon, and yes we do tend to get married younger than some people. But contrary to what one person said, she won't be "dropping out as a sophomore to breed." I met my wife my freshman year of college, I was 21 and she was 19, and that was 5 years ago. Timing is different for everyone, and it's not a given that she will be a mom with 12 kids by the time she's 30 (we are Mormon and have been married for 4.5 years, no kids). But it is a different culture than So Cal, for sure. No different than if she were to move to the south, there's gonna be culture shock either way.

And truthfully, I bet you wouldn't be able to pick most of us "Mormons" out of a crowd. The only difference is when I go to a bar for dinner, I order my margarita virgin. Other than that, we really are pretty normal. I only have one mom, one wife, and my parents have each only been married once. I hunt, shoot, swear, drive a truck, have facial hair, work construction, order my Ribeye rare, and say Merry Christmas just like any red, white, and blue blooded American would. Basically, she would be surrounded by Christianity, and if that's a negative thing for her, then that might make the decision right there. But really, don't worry about the religion thing. This nation was founded on Christian values, there's just lots of states that have forgotten that

This is a big decision, tell her good luck from all of us!

 

[scooter25]

Something to look into on the WUE program is if the credits/years earned while using that scholarship can be applied towards gaining residency status and you were limited on receiving other scholarships. When I was going through school the time spent under the WUE did not count towards residency. I'm not sure what the requirements are now but back then (15 years ago) once you earned around 30 credits you gained residency status which is a huge difference. The school I went to, SUU, offered me a scholarship equivalent to the WUE so that I everything I did counted towards establishing residency. I also received a couple other small scholarships that I would have been ineligible for if had had used WUE. At that time taking the WUE scholarship was still more than instate tuition.

 

[Hatchet Jack]

Another unsolicited plug for Utah State Univ. Great Elementary Ed program and now a great nursing program that is somehow partnered in a way with Weber State's which is a great nursing program I hear. I really enjoyed my time in Logan, if you haven't been to Cache Valley it's beautiful and has great outdoor opportunities. The winters can get a bit long for someone from San Diego however. I'd feel much more comfortable sending my daughter to Logan over SLC.

Edit: I have no opinion on BYU. Great academics, freakin weird culture and i'm a life long LDS member; but that's just based on my interactions with their student body at football and basketball games. So probably not a great barometer of actual university experience.