<p>Considering my current circumstances (I posted those in another thread... moved to Germany... struggling. yadda yadda) I am not expecting to get good enough grades to get into my dream college(s) such as UCSD, UCLA, Stanford, NYU, etc. So, after talking to my mom, I am considering applying to the University of Utah (one of my relatives went there + my grandparents live in SLC). The reason for that is because the u of u apparently gives out very good scholarships and financial aid making the education affordable (UCSD would cost me north of $50,000 a year were I accepted) and the campus looks pretty cool. I am not sure whether I want to pursue a grad degree after my bachelor although I would say that is likely. Question is, would graduating and getting a degree from a university such as the UofU hurt my career/life chances?Also, if I were to get a grad degree from a prestigious/top school, would that "even out" my Utah degree? WHELP... I'm kinda confused about all this...</p>
<p>I would like to end up living in either Cali or an East Coast city (NYC, Boston, etc.). I've been to SLC plenty of times and the mormon presence there isn't as strong as people make it out to be (less than 50%) + from what I've heard the U is pretty diverse. If, by any chance, anyone has gone there or knows anyone who's gone there could they tell me what it's like (eg. how diverse/accepting it is)? I'm gay so I just want to make sure I'd be happy/comfortable there...</p>
<p>where you go undergrad says very little in most cases compared to what how you DO there says about you. Employers, grad schools, etc. are going to look at performance, not school, greater than 99% of the time. Go where you can afford to go. We can’t all afford ivies or UCs, and employers and grad schools know this.</p>
<p>The University of Utah is one of the “hubs” for non mormons and exmormons in the state of Utah. A few people from my high school, mainly exmormons who needed to appease their parents, went there and had/ are having an excellent time. A friend of a friend transferred there because of its excellent program in a health science field, and to get away from the overwhelming party school atmosphere of a CA public. </p>
<p>HOWEVER Utah as a state is one of the most LGBT intolerant states in the nation, and I would urge you to contact the [LGBT</a> Resource Center](<a href=“http://lgbt.utah.edu/about/contact.php]LGBT”>Contact Us - LGBT Resource Center - The University of Utah) to find out the overall area/ campus climate. Ask about the dating pool, whether two men walking down the street holding hands will face discrimination, and any other concerns you might have. Hopefully the answer will be that it’s not an issue, but you never know. Also, it’s worth noting that Utah has some of the most asinine drinking laws in the country which could pose a problem should you get caught underage drinking. </p>
<p>ucbalumnus, that’s very administrative. Whenhen is right with her suggestions.
Idaho would be even worse than Utah though.</p>
<p>@USofAwesome : if you want Utah, check out Westminster (in SLC). Good education, very good merit aid.
More appropriate overall: check out Colleges that Change Lives (ctcl.org). Lots of colleges where your German experience wouldn’t be held against you as long as you can show improvement in your skills (take the SAT German test in May/June! Check when it is offered.)</p>
<p>I do urge you to take the year off to learn German and resume schooling as a junior in the Fall, NOT as a senior, unless all your grades this year can be turned into pass/fail. In addition, learning German will actually help you benefit from the experience - I can’t imagine how desperate you must be, sitting in class 6 hours a day, understanding basically nothing, cut off from all communication, peers, and stimulating thoughts - I bet you “evade” inside your own brain, or that your brain shuts the sounds off after a while. That situation isn’t good for you, it holds you back both socially and intellectually. Go to an institute, learn German, join clubs for social purposes. Next year your grades will improve and if you’re a junior you’ll have a shot at showing what you’re able to do.</p>
<p>UCB, what does that prove exactly? On almost every chart I’ve seen Utah ranks among the lowest Western states in the nation for support of same sex marriage, even though it’s now legal. The only states which regularly rank lower are the ones in the Bible Belt (I haven’t been able to find any updated information on current support for gay marriage in 2014).</p>
<p>The previous replies seem to be written by people who have no personal experience with the University of Utah.</p>
<p>Don’t confuse the University of Utah with BYU. The only thing they have in common is that they are both located in the state of Utah; they aren’t even in the same city. </p>
<p>The U is a Tier 1 research institution according to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Again, this is the highest rating.</p>
<p>My son will start at the U Fall 2015. We visited the campus in April and he loved it. He’s interested in video gaming and animated film. Cofounder and president of Pixar Animation Ed Catmull is an alumnus and a big supporter of the Entertainment Arts and Engineering program.</p>
<p>The University of Utah is an excellent school. Everyone I know who has gone there had a great experience. </p>
<p>BTW, I live in Las Vegas; I’m not LDS; and my son is bisexual.</p>