<p>Can anyone fill me in on Westminster in Utah? It's recently bubbled up on my son's wish list because of size, proximinity to skiing, where he falls academically in relationship to the reported numbers, campus size and configuation - at least on paper...and the most important of all....he liked the kids in the literature and on the website. I know nothing about his school any input would be helpful 'cause we have a Colorado trip planned for September but not sure when or if we can squeeze in Utah in the fall...
I remember it was on Wolfpiper's possibilities list, but I couldn't really find any info when I searched.</p>
<p>MOM we have been receiving info from them for a while now - It looks to be an ok place but may be major dependant as well. Will be interesting to see what you find out. It is in Salt Lake City - the info we receive is about their ''Winter in Westminster'' - an alernative for semester abroad - I do know they have a fairly new environmental program too. Looks like a pretty place too LOL.</p>
<p>What is your son interested in studying?? - any idea? What other types of schools are you looking at??</p>
<p>Everything you ever wanted to know (and more) about the place:</p>
<p>I can try to answer some questions - it is a small school with a decent reputation in Salt Lake. The campus is small but very nice, well maintained and has had some recent renovations and new buildings - I don't know anything about the living situation there because everyone I knew that went to Westminster lived off campus. It is located in an area of Salt Lake called "SugarHouse" which safe and convenient. From the campus you could easily take a bus to anywhere in Salt Lake including skiing for the day. Campus is also walking/biking distance from grocery, movies and shopping - and the University of Utah! Salt Lake is a very easy and not too expensive city to live in and would be ideal for anyone who loves outdoor activities. </p>
<p>I know two girls who graduated from a local high school last year that had medicore grades and good SAT scores both got merit scholarship to Westminster- one was full merit for 4 years and the other was about 75%. Ne</p>
<p>Let me know if you have any specific questions and I will try to answer them. Good Luck!</p>
<p>Thanks all. I have gone through the Common Data Set for Westminster. My S is looking at the University of Denver, Western Colorado, Colorado College, UCSB and Northern Michigan (we're in Michigan) and now Westminster. He ruled out the big state schools in Michigan, Montana, Boulder, Idaho and any size school anywhere east...so very wierd, we must have not spent enough time out east with the kids when they were little. His primary considerations are size (he prefers 10,000 or less), location (he must be able to ski regularly), academics (he doesn't want to be in the bottom half going in). At the beginning of this year he was all about diversity - he wanted to go where people were different than him and he was looking at more challenging schools, as his junior year went by he starting dropping off the more diverse schools and honing in on ones where kids had a more similar background to his. He absolutely loves the block plan and I think it fits his personality well, but he's a B kid mostly because he can't multi-task at all. Colorado College might be a tad reachy when I look at their stats. He's constantly juggling his classes: focuses on one and the others go down, moves to the downward class gets that up and the other 5 go down. It reminds me of someone trying to keep plates spinning. I feel for him that he has that personality type (got it from my husband). Teachers love him, but they always tell me he is very bright, a great writer and should be getting As. That stresses my son greatly in not a positive way. He did take all the hardest course totally by his choice (and is continuing his senior year) and will have taken 3 of the 5 AP courses our school offers by the time he graduates. Our school does not weight classes at all so his ranking will be hurting because he will be behind the kids who didn't take the honors and AP classes and kept their GPAs at 4. He's an even keeled kid and a natural "politician" so he gets along well with lots of different types of kids and can absorb quickly into different groups. I admire this about him. He could be hanging with the geeks one day, going to a sporting event with some jocks the next day, going to a art film with some girls and guys on the third day. He's not a "Bard/Brown type" though. he's prep in his soul because of his heritage but not in his outward style or personality. It's really interesting to watch him grow up. At the beginning of junior year he was all about writing or English as a major, but now he's wondering how to fit history in (which he's always loved). I've heard him say a few times that "maybe he'd like to teach high school kids"...so liberal arts would be good for him while he figures that all out. Math was a huge sweaty struggle for my son. He got through Trig junior year and is taking Stats his senior year, but he would like to never see another math class in his life (I took math for non-math majors in college to fulfill my math requirement so I can relate.) If he had the grades and test scores I'd send him to Dartmouth in a heartbeat...if you had to generalize "type" and "fit" that's what he'd be an academic low-end Dartmouth or at least what Dartmouth was when I was growing up tee hee (Mid was my school of choice). Any suggestions for this As, Bs and a sporadic C in math student will be seriously considered! Finances are a moderate consideration and give my husband and I heartburn. We're pretty value conscious in our lives.</p>
<p>Given everything you have mentioned then I would definitely try to squeeze in a trip to Westminster. I think they would have good merit aid for a student like your S. Also, I know a few people who were in the graduate education program there and loved it - </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I applied to Westminster this year and used to live in Sugar House--hands down the best place I've ever lived. It's called surburban, but having lived in the "real" suburbs, I can tell you the area is nothing like that. ~15 minutes from downtown and with tons to do in the area. Great shops and resturants, a dollar movie theather (great when you're on a budget, test me), museums, ballets, symphonies, etc., nearby. Real estate costs are through the roof, but if he lives on campus, it shouldn't be much of a problem.</p>
<p>The skiing is nearby and excellent. Some of the resorts are getting pretty expensive, but its financially feasible if you try. When we lived in the area, my dad skied maybe 40 days a year (he came to Utah to go to ski and go to college), and we're a pretty budget conscious family. The back country skiing is also great (and much cheaper), according to him.</p>
<p>I visited the college a couple of weeks ago, and the campus was gorgeous--compact but really nice. The landscaping is excellent and the whole thinng feels very clean and well kept. There's actually a river running through the campus! I left wishing I had considered the college a bit more seriously/</p>
<p>The college has a scholarship calcuator on its website and a scholarship chart in its promotional materials. There also are a few full tuition and full-ride scholarships available with a seperate application as well as an honors program.</p>
<p>I'd say WC hs a pretty good rep in the area. The U of U and BYU duke it out in sports while Westminster is usually the school for people who want a smaller environment (and can afford it). The school is stronger in Business and humanities than science.</p>
<p>There's a CC, 311Griff, who goes there. I PM'd him with a few questions when I was making my decision, and he was very helpful. You might try the same.</p>
<p>Good luck and feel free to ask anything else.</p>
<p>Ok Wolfpiper, you got my attention since I do respect your comments and observations! I printed your post and put it on his pillow to read when he gets home from work tonight. His dad and I tried mightily to get him to go visit Montana long before I started reading your posts because we thought it looked like a great fit but couldn't get him off Colorado. It's to Utah we go somehow I'll figure out how to fit it in, fortunately I can drive to Chicago and I think get a cheap flight to Salt Lake City. I just need to figure out when. The kid took a pretty aggresive schedule complete with AP classes for his senior year! My darn son is a B student, but he sure doesn't cut himself any slack! He's over the credits needed to graduate already because he took Latin as a "before school class". Westminster looked good to me and statistically it looked like a good fit for S so....off we go. This one will flip his guidance counselors out. Michigan skiers tend to migrate to Colorado so he has friends at all the main Colorado colleges also his dad went to Colorado in his youth so my son is Colorado focused. I'm not totally sold that it's the only place on earth for him since he is such a "get along with all kinds of people" type person. I'll do a report when we get back in a few months. Thanks for taking the time to post and by the way, speaking for many parents, we all do hope to hear from you this fall. I will post and see if I get a response from the current student, thanks for that heads up.</p>
<p>Hopefully this helps:</p>
<p>I transferred to Westminster as a Sophomore from a large university, because I was fed up with just being a number and having to cut through so much damn red tape to get anything I wanted taken care of. Westminster was a "breath of fresh air" from the large University, and a lot of my friends who also transferred from large schools agree... "finally, we can ask a professor a question and get an engaged response (using my first name and knowing me personally) tailored to my specific needs." I work full-time while I attend school, and it's so wonderful to have professors that take this into account and advise me accordingly. Other students have other things going on in their lives, and to have professors who are willing to empathise and respect those real world challenges just makes learning so much more engaged and effective, IMO. At a larger university you don't get any trace of empathy or advise from professors... they actually don't even care if you have a pulse--or if you even understand a concept. Also, for me, knowing that my professor knows my name and can tell when I'm not in class, I am more apt to finish assignments and put in the time to learn--and to this point, I'm happy about that, because college costs money! About partying, well a spanish professor I had a few semesters back encouraged the class to study really hard for the test, and then to both let loose and experience a little spanish culture... have a margarita or two!! The professors understand the urges to party and have fun, and they are cool with it, and it's no surprise if you catch them at a school dance, or art exhibit sharing a glass of wine with some of the students.</p>
<p>Ok, further in my actual choice of study: As an accounting major, I have been challenged, and have grown in ways I didn't foresee... I went into the program thinking I would just learn the mechanical elements of accounting (memorize a bunch of formulas and regurgitate information) and what accountants do so I could try and work myself into a career... that's how I felt it would be like while I was studying at a larger U. However, I have learned that accounting is more than just mechanical memorizations and technical skills... more importantly, as I have found at Westminster, it is about using the information and solving business problems. My professors have challenged me to use the information I produce in accounting assignments and create new/improved solutions to real world problems during class discussions... essentially, they require me to think in different, creative ways, as an accounting major!!!! Come on, Accounting isn't creative, is it? Well, according to Dr. VanOs and Alan Rogers CPA (two exceptional professors, IMO), accounting is as much a liberal arts major--think outside the box, put a different spin to problems--as Philosophy or English. For this, I have totally fell in love with Accounting and look forward to the vast opportunities it will provide upon completion of my degree (in June 2007).</p>
<p>Another element of going to a small liberal arts college is that there aren't as many degree programs to choose from, and I actually see this as a huge bonus, because ultimately the different majors at a large university are confusing and can make it VERY, VERY hard to choose what you want to do.... "should I major in outdoor recreation service hospitality management, or philosophy?..hmmmm..." So with it widdled down to the most prominant areas for a major, Westminster has really made my choice easy, and because the business school has small class sizes with deep, creative, discussions, and because it integrates the majors so well (i.e. if you major in Marketing, you will learn economics, management, accounting, and finance too, because business professionals don't work in a vacuum, and need an understanding of all aspects) I have found myself very stimulated and energized to actually go to class, and I am able to get a truly well rounded education which is/will be paying off in leaps and bounds... Oh, and as a side, Westminster graduates have the highest percentage of graduates who are offered employment within the first three months of graduation, and who receive starting salaries over $30,000 than any other school in Utah (which includes the highly ranked Brigham Young University).</p>
<p>So, sorry this is way long, but I wanted to share with you what I have personally experienced as a student at Westminster. Hopefully your son can take a closer look, because it is worth that at least...also, if he's interested in the sciences, the school plans on building a new state-of-the-art undergraduate research center (to go along with its already awesome as hell fitness center which was finished in November 2005) within the next few years (approximately when he will be diving into major coursework).</p>
<p>Westminster has a pretty good aviation program, but it's definitly not North Dakota or Embry Riddle</p>
<p>Also, if you are going to send your son to Salt Lake, have him read up a little on the Mormon Church. Otherwise, it would be like sending your son to school in the vatican knowing nothing of Catholicism or to Mecca knowing nothing of Islam.</p>
<p>Actually Westminster is religiously non-affiliated, and the mormons that attend Westminster, for the most part, are more liberally minded, and less "typical mormon". Also, the area, Sugarhouse, is the most religiously diverse area in Salt Lake City so the mormon influence is neutralized there... trust me, I grew up in a suburb of SLC called Sandy, and it is bombarded with overzealous mormon influence, which can get boring and a little crazy...so I know a mormon crazed area when I see one, and Sugarhouse is nowhere near being influenced by the mormon craze... </p>
<p>On financial aid... Westminster does provide generous financial aid packages, and every student is eligible for continuing education scholarships once they get a Westminster GPA... and the scholarships are a plenty... I don't know what it is, but for some reason Westminster has a lot of private donors and outside support who give generously to their scholarship efforts... (it costs me less to go to Westminster than it did to go to the U of U).</p>
<p>How is the business (Gore) school at Westminster?</p>
<p>Why is Westminster(utah ) not ranked by the Forbes best 600 schools?</p>
<p>Westminster would definitely be less reachy than Colorado College. Salt Lake City is a nice location for skiers since so close to the ski centers (accessible by bus). </p>
<p>Utah does have a high concentration of Mormons (per Wikipedia, Westminster is 37% LDS/Mormon.) That’s not necessarily good or bad… just something you should be aware of if it makes a difference.</p>
<p>“Why is Westminster(utah ) not ranked by the Forbes best 600 schools?” - Only 600 schools can be ranked top 600. Depending on criteria of a specific ranking systems, different schools will be in top group. </p>
<p>Here’s a ranking of western regional - #22
[Westminster</a> College | Best College | US News](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/westminster-college-3681]Westminster”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/westminster-college-3681)</p>
<p>22 regional. Prinston Review has it in their best 367 schools and it doesn’t make Forbes? Doesn’t seem right to me.
Our son has it on his list of schools and we plan on visiting in January.</p>
<p>Oh - also #10 for best value - that seems a good sign
[Best</a> Value Colleges | Great Schools, Great Prices | Top Regional Universities West | US News Best Colleges](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/regional-universities-west/best-value]Best”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/regional-universities-west/best-value)</p>
<p>Ranking is not an exact science. You have to look a various rankings for a pulse and then take it all with a grain of salt.</p>