University of Utah Top Questions

What is your overall opinion of this school?

Savannah

The University of Utah is an amazing school. It is continually growing and adapting to fit the industry. It treats it's students well and the educational level is amazing.

Nic

I love the School and the Campus is amazing, the new facilities are just stunning. So much stuff to do around campus that you'll never get bored

Erin

The University of Utah is a very big school, and it's tough finding the right path to your dream. Advising for me wasn't very helpful. But I used that experience to make me stronger and even more motivated to accomplish my dream to become a visual development artist for Disney by finding my own path and laying down my own road. Throughout this tough time of laying my own foundation, I'm getting some wounds. Though they may be painful, I now see I bleed red! GO UTES!

Ramona

The University of Utah is a big school, so one can find just about anything here. As far as the student body, it is not very diverse. Lots of young white Mormon kids. I am a graduate student so I spend most of my time in my cubicle in one building on one side of campus, but I do occasionally venture out to the library, pool or gym. The library is nice, but the gym leaves a lot to be desired. They are, however, building a new one.

brandon

I spend most my time on the lower campus and most of my time in the dorms. People are sometimes surprised that I go to Utah. The recent controversy was that the RIAA sued 12 members for downloading music using file sharing. That was quite interesting. School pride happens at athletic events

Josh

I really like Utah. There's lots to do - mountains close by, downtown close by, etc. The professors that I've had are excellent. The university is well funded and state of the art. The institute of religion here is excellent. I'd recommend coming here to anyone.

Allie

The U has a great campus. I love being on campus, whether it's by the classes or by the dorms and being surrounded by students. The one thing I don't like is that the dorms are kinda far from the classrooms. The bus services are really nice though.

Suzi

Campus is GORGEOUS. It's like walking through a park. However, the parking stinks, so try to live on campus and walk to class or take the campus shuttle. If you live off campus, take the bus, carpool, or take TRAX. We get free public transportation as students.

Andrew

The University of Utah isn't necessarily a traditional "college town", but a burgeoning arts, culture, restaurant and bar scene is just a two-minute bike ride down the hill from campus. If you don't want to do the bike thing, there's light rail -- known as "Trax" -- that connects the U with downtown and the rest of the valley. Trax is also nice for those living off-campus, which many students do. There is a business district adjacent to campus with more restaurants, record stores, bike shops and other retail, and there are plans for a mixed-use development just south of the U's football stadium, along the Trax stadium stop. Plans for this include residential, retail and food, anchored by a local brewpub, Squatter's. One of the real advantages of attending the U is the school's proximity to world-class skiing, snowboarding, mountain-biking, hiking and climbing. Salt Lake City was chosen as the host of 2002 Winter Olympics for a reason -- world-class resorts like Snowbird, Alta and Park City Mountain are less than hour from campus. Right behind campus is a network of hiking and biking trails that wind up into the Wasatch Mountains. Utah also has the highest number of golf courses per capita in the country, and with a nine-hole course right on campus, there's been many days in spring where I've been able to golf, ski and go to school all in the same day.

Allie

I think Utah is a big school... maybe too big. It's mainly a commuter campus, which means that many people only see each other during class.

Tony

The saddest realization about the University of Utah is that it is a commuter school. What that means is that most people drive to school like they would any job and then take off at the end of the day. This significantly depletes the "school spirit" available on campus, but I think the U realizes this and does a good job trying to "hedge its bets" so to speak. The fact is, generally I think the "college experience" is a little bit different that people generally have in mind when they think of college living. With that being said, I think there are some amazing things about the U that not a lot of other schools have. For one, I think the U has a beautiful campus. You're not going to find a lot of buildings that match, and something is almost always under construction, but there is grass and trees to keep things aesthetically pleasing. The ability to lawfully possess concealed weapons has to be one of the biggest issues on campus. Thankfully the state legislature made it illegal to openly carry weapons, but this is still a big issue that has many sides and it has been made into hot topic given the amount of campus violence that has been seen on various colleges around the country. The other special nuance of the U that makes it different from a lot of colleges outside of the state is that it is a "dry campus." Without a doubt, alcohol becomes a part of the scenery when you mix people that are on their own for the first time, with the fact that at some point during their college career, those people obtain the ability to legally purchase alcohol. One rumor that I will partially dispel is that Utah is a predominantly LDS population. If this is so, then it sure doesn't seem like it. Many ideas outside the LDS religion—both good and bad—are readily accepted on campus. Religion is definitely a part of many peoples' lives, but it is rarely discussed more than just a topic of interest that makes one person unique from another.

Tyler

The best thing about Utah is the landscape. Whatever you want, Utah has it: desert, mountain, lakes, forest...the list goes on and on. I would try to encourage the rest of the state to be more open-minded. The school feels just the right size, growing fast enough to keep things interesting, and still provided excellent services open to all students. People, upon hearing that I'm a student at the U, usually ask me how liberal it is and if it's anti-Mormon. I spend most of my time in the library or at my two jobs, both of which are on campus (besides classes, of course). What college town? You must be thinking of Utah State University... Utah's administration...I work for the paper, so my opinion is influenced... Guns. People think that open carry should be made legal if you have a concealed weapons permit. Fortunately it got shot down once again in the state legislature. 2004 Fiesta Bowl Champs (BCS busters, baby!) and Mario Capecchi, Nobel Prize winner! Yeah, there's school pride. Unusual? I've been around this place too long. I'll always remember...I'll just love to remember everything about the school. Student fees are rising.

Mel

We have great outdoor activities all year round. People always think we are Mormons which we aren't. The Mormons are great people and treat you well that I know but we aren't all. There really isn't enough School Pride that we would like to have.

Nick

I love the U campus and I think the size is perfect; The U has an excellent overall science program and I am proud to say that I go to the U as a science major. I spend most of my time on campus up in the dorms, considering I live there. I like the U administration, its pretty laid back for the most part.

Harper

The best thing about Utah is by far the outdoors. If you are a person who enjoys any kind of outdoor recreation, the University of Utah is definitely for you. I, myself, enjoy mountain biking, and have chosen to stay in my home state for that reason alone. However, the biggest reason by far that many people come to Utah is for the awesome skiing. Nevertheless, whatever you do, if you love the Outdoors, Utah is for you. The University of Utah, although it consists of about 28,000 students, doesn't feel all that large when you're on campus. It's about a 20-minute walk across campus, and you tend to see people you know quite frequently on campus. However, if you prefer the small school classroom experience, with the big school feel, I would highly recommend the Honors Program. With it you get the best professors on campus, in classes that are capped at 40. It's a great way to get a great education at a large university. By far the biggest hangout on campus is the Union Building. From the lounges and quiet areas for study, to its delicious cafeteria, to its bowling alley downstairs, the Union is the place to be. Although the U is pretty sweet, it does have its bad sides. The University of Utah administration is currently in a stage of hypocrisy as they swing from one extreme of policy to another. They promote outdoor recreation, yet fail to maintain or even install sidewalks around all areas of campus. They promote cleanliness, yet the north side of the dormitory dining hall smells like rank garbage most of the time. They promote physical well-being, yet make students who actually live on campus walk twenty minutes across campus to the Field House if they wish to do ANYTHING with free weights. (I've lodged complaints with three different people in Housing, and not even one set of dumbbells has been added to the Dorm gyms.) Now, as much as walking across campus would seem to promote physical well-being, with Utah's frigid winters, it can sooner promote frostbite than it can a healthy heart. As a student living on campus, one of the biggest complaints I most frequently hear is that the food is disgusting. As any good marketer will do, the Housing and Residential Education director will tell you at Preview Day that the food is "delicious" and "prepared by gourmet chefs". And when the dining hall knows they are hosting future students, of course they will cook their food at its best, but most of the time, it leaves much, MUCH, to be desired. Nevertheless, living on campus with friends is quite an amazing experience, and so I will still live on campus and deal with the food again next year.

Melissa

I like the size of the U of U. Some classes are large and I am not used to large classes but I think I just need to adapt. Old classmates who went out of state don't seem to be impressed but many people in Utah think it is a great opportunty. When I am on campus I am in class, at the Newman Center, walking around campus buecause it is beautiful, at the library, or at the Union eating on on the computers or just hanging out there (in order of most time spent to least time spent.) Yes there is a good amount of school pride.

Tyler

Why the hell would anyone want to go to school in Utah huh? Well, the snow is pretty cool, if you like sliding around the streets in your car and being hours late for everything in the winter. But I guess if you like to ski or board then you really don't care about driving conditions. But basically, Utah really isn't that bad at all. A lot of people kinda laugh and think we're all a bunch of polygamists with non-alcoholic beer (Utah beer really isn't that bad at all!). We know how to have a good time here in the SLUT (Salt Lake, UT). Plus, the University of Utah is a really good school too. Academically, we have biology and chemistry departments that are in the top 10 in the nation, I think... Plus, the U is an amazing deal! With all that money you'll save on tuition, I'm sure you can find all sorts of things to entertain yourself with!

Will

Salt Lake is a growing urban center, with an amazing amount to do. I think there is often a sense that if you don't enjoy skiing or outdoor recreation there is little to do here, but there are cultural events, festivals, and activities downtown every weekend.

mike

the best thing about utah is the gay population. in down town salt lake the per capita percentage is the 3rd highest in the U.S. behind san fransisco and dupont in chicago.if i could change one thing about utah it would be the closed minded and unaccepting part of religion. i dont like how people are blindly following something that other people tell them. children are given a religion and are told to do it because it is good. if the child was given the oprotunity to choose then they can decide for themselves what is good and what is not, then the choice will be more meaningfull. in my opinion, children should be taught to think for themselves and question things they are doing so they can find reasons why they are here in the first place. i like having the large school. when people hear that i go to utah, they ask things like: so are you mormon? do they sell alcohol in utah? or are you the only gay in utah? i spend most of my time in the math buildings and in the math tutoring center. just like every other math major. then when i get a chance i come to the LGBT resource center. my opinion of my utah administrators is varied. i feel that some are very supportive and have helped me a lot. while others have oppressed me and made me think twice why i am here. my biggest controversy on campus is the gun police. i will leave my opinions to myself on that one. i think there is a lot of school pride. an experience i will always remember are the many residents halls experiences with friends.

Kai

Name one thing you'd change: If I could change anything about Utah, I would have everybody be more open-minded. I preface my statement by saying that I have lived here my entire life and this problem has been evident for the whole of it. It seems that people here are either ignoring you completely, (that is, if you're a pedestrian!) condemning you based on religious beliefs, or just otherwise trying to get you to change your ways instead of being more tolerant themselves. The culture in Utah does not see the dangers in censorship and will not hesitate to shut down people and ideas which do not conform with Church Doctrine. Even in spheres (such as a University) where religion should not have influence over policy somehow a religious agenda continues to be inserted into everyday life. The Best thing about Utah: The cost of living in Utah is very cheap. I'm buying a condo downtown for less than $100,000 where in a more metropolitan city I'd have to pay at least triple that for a much worse and smaller place.

Annie

- Its air quality may not be at its prime, but overall, Utah is a beautiful, incredibly diverse and quiet state. It truly has something to satisy everyone. From newlyweds, to young families, to older families, big and small, to singles who crave partying, etc. Even though its daily life isn't as wild as NYC's, its night life, bars, clubs, and restaurants are emerging as some of the best places to satisfy a growing young adult community. - My school could be considered large, especially since it's a commuter school so it has a few meeting places throughout the valley. Overall, though big, it becomes quite small once you're used to walking around in it. Buildings/classes are within 5-10 minutes of each other and there are always hidden pathways you can take to get somewhere faster. - As I mentioned earlier, we BLEED red. Well, figuratively at least. We go crazy during games and events. We sport U of U clothing anywhere.