University of Utah (September 19, 2024)

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University of Utah

9.19.24 Campus Visit Report

Lindsay Woodard - San Marcos High School



ADMISSIONS

  • The University of Utah has an episode of The College Tour

  • R1 research university

  • Nursing has a cap on the number of students admitted each year

  • Apply on the Common App or on the university’s website

  • Dec 1 early deadline for merit scholarships and mid-Jan decision

    • Also helps with securing preferred housing

  • Test scores are not used in determining merit scholarships

  • 50% of students are from out of state



ACADEMIC

  • Pre-nursing track

    • GPA and application determines if they get accepted into the program

      • Each cohort is around 50 students

  • Nursing clinicals

    • Two different placements depending on where a student lives

      • On-campus students can be placed at the 5 hospitals on campus

      • Off-campus students get placed at Intermountain Medical Center

  • Honors College classes (and major-specific Scholars classes) are much smaller

    • Honors College certificate candidates write a thesis

    • The Honors College is liberal-arts focused

    • Honors College students get priority registration

    • Better housing

    • Comes with a scholarship that stacks on top of WUE

    • Separate application for admission

    • 3.75+ GPA + essay

  • Students get the full Adobe suite for free because one of the founders of Adobe is an alum

  • Career Services 

    • Career Closet

    • The student tour guides spoke highly of the services there

  • 9 different business majors including entrepreneurship

  • The business school has a digital internships board

  • Students get an assigned academic advisor

    • It’s optional to meet with one’s academic advisor before registering each semester



SOCIAL

  • There’s a print version of the student newspaper

  • Guided outdoor trips ($150-200)

  • Single-day ski passes are 60% off + big discounts on season passes through two clubs on campus

  • A shuttle goes to the base of the canyon and then students can take any of the resort shuttles from there

    • Students frequently rideshare to the ski resorts as well

  • $60/sem for unlimited group fitness classes in the rec center

  • There is club hockey, but it plays D2 teams

  • Greek life is 10-15% of student body

    • Happens immediately in the fall



CAMPUS

  • 26,355 undergrads

  • Students can live on campus all four years if they would like

  • There are single-sex residence halls if students prefer those

  • Initiative to be carbon neutral by 2050

  • Lassonde Residence Hall has LLCs and a makerspace

  • Certain residence halls has separate applications

  • Apartments in the Honors College get weekly housekeeping service

  • The Trax light-rail system makes it super easy to get around

    • Multiple stops on campus and goes all around SLC

    • Free for students

    • Students can get from the airport to campus via Trax in 30 mins

  • Lots of new buildings, especially residence halls

  • Kahlert residence hall is only first-years and has LLCs

    • Suites

    • Clusters

      • Hall has 10 individual locking bathrooms that two assigned students share

    • Singles are available for first-years

  • Laundry included in tuition with an app to monitor the progress of a load

  • Students can stay in the residence halls over breaks

  • Allergen-free dining options

  • Students can trade a meal swipe for a meal transfer and use it at one of the eateries that don’t take meal swipes

  • Football is the only sport that charges for tickets

    • MUSS pass is $70 and includes catered Red Robin tailgating

  • Parking is an issue

  • Winters can be six months long and grey

    • Inversion is bad due to the valley, creating poor air quality

  • There’s a Starbucks in the library

  • Students get a certain number of free counseling sessions each semester

  • The student union has a food court



FINANCIAL

  • Total direct cost of attendance with the WUE discount is $34,436

    • Alternatively, a student could pay the full non-resident direct cost of attendance in Year 1 ($50,700), qualify for residency, and pay $28,224/yr in subsequent years

      • This is a very slight savings over four years but could make sense if a student planned to stay for graduate school

  • Once enrolled, students use utah.academicworks.com to get matched to possible scholarships

  • WUE

    • Apply by Dec 1

    • Min 3.3+ unweighted GPA

    • Available for all majors

    • 4-yr renewable

  • Residency

    • Be present in Utah for 12 continuous months

    • Prove financial independence (meaning parents/guardians cannot claim the student as a dependent)

    • Establish Utah ties

      • Driver’s license or state ID

      • Register to vote

      • Car registration if applicable

      • Apply for residency reclassification

    • Applies indefinitely

      • Good if a student intends to pursue grad school in Utah

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