Posted by:
justgradbyu
(
)
Date: July 14, 2014 10:49PM
I read lots of comments here about BYU from people who probably went there decades ago... Since everyone told you the bad already (and I agree with most of it), I will tell you some of the good. As someone who just graduated, here's my perception:
- BYU has great programs in business and social sciences, and religion has little place in the classroom in the majority of cases. As a social science grad, I had professors who were very liberal, and others who you could tell were more conservative. But in reality, besides the eventual prayers before class started, I heard very little church topics in my major classes.
- I hear people say that BYU on a resume is detrimental. I find that blatantly wrong when it comes to business and most social sciences (when it comes to hard sciences, I have no idea). There are so many top-notch firms recruiting at BYU that I felt overwhelmed at how many interviews I had. A list of these firms includes all the big 4 accounting firms, all the big 3 consultancy firms, Goldman Sachs, Adobe, Apple, Google, Amazon, and a bunch of other big firms. I talk to my friends at the U and they say the recruiting there is not nearly as strong as at BYU. BYU is seem as a lot of companies as a national, and not regional university. Companies from all over the US come to hire students. I was one of them.
- BYU is an undergrad institution -- and that's that. I hear that our grad programs are not good.
- The honor code exists, and every year you need to interview with your bishop for an endorsement. However, due to the high volume of requests, most of these interviews are just 5-minute check-ups. Nothing really serious; the bishop basically signs it on the spot.
- There's no BYU KGB. I've accessed exmormon.org using the university's computers MANY TIMES and have never received an e-mail about it. The only time you might really see the "honor code" being shoved down your throat is when you try to take a test and they won't let you because of how you are dressing, of because you did not shave. BYU has over 30 thousand students, and they simply can't enforce that code.
- I studied at BYU for over two years without believing, and while breaking every single lds church commandment. I can count on one hand how many times I was annoyed at a retarded TBM comment a professor or student made. Things were just normal for me. No big deal.
- BYU students are very competitive and curves are pretty high. Kids just want the best offers so they work hard for it. I think there's a lot of the mormon mentality of being perfect at everything. But in the end, it helps keep the academic standard high.
- I HATED every religion class, even when I believed. If anyone is going to BYU, take them online through independent studies. A piece of cake and none of the crap.
- If I had to do it again, I probably would chose BYU if I had to chose an university in Utah for my undegrad. Even not believing in any of the BS, even having to lie to get my endorsement. I really got an amazing undergrad education for basically no money. I paid 1200 a semester after scholarships for good grades, and I got an offer for 70k (adjusted for Utah's cost of living) right after college.