flyingllama

When completely ignoring anything religious, how does BYU do as a secular academic institution? Is it a top school? Mormons tell me it's equal to top 20 Universities. Someone I know transferred from Princeton and thought BYU was equal to it.

-Prestigious?
-Academic reputation?
-Liberal arts education?
-Job recruitment?
-Grad school placement?
etc

---> Any verifiable facts/anecdotes on this school would be especially appreciated. Thanks

phear_me

BYU is ranked #71 by US news and is top 75. however it's absurd to argue that they are top 20. They have a world class accounting program but the top 25, let alone Princeton, is way out of their league.

However, top 75 is a respectable school and most will assume you chose BYU for religious reasons.

Best of luck.

Whistle Pig

A decent school ...if one is an LDS believer. If not, one should be prepared for being recognized as a non-LDSer. Most definitely none with even a fundamental understanding of Christianity would consider BYU a Christian college, though. And that's not intended to be inflammatory. Simply what is. It's Mormon/Latter Day Saints.

Just the wrong thread and forum for the question. Like asking about Brandeis or Yeshiva.

Lastly to think that BYU is among the leading academic institutions, Christian or otherwise, would be deemed ridiculous by most anyone who knows anything beyond the book that the Hilton's promote in their hotel rooms.

I must wonder if there's any connection between the mormons of Salt Lake and the bff's of Paris.

Wiggle

^You mean Marriott, not Hilton. And no, there is no connection between the Marriotts of SLC and the Paris Hiltons of Hollywood.

Corbett

Conrad Hilton (founder of the hotel chain; great-grandfather of Paris) was Catholic. He was apparently barred from the sacraments for a while after marrying Zsa Zsa Gabor in a civil ceremony, but was restored after the marriage broke up, and is buried in a Catholic cemetary.

barrons

BYU does very well getting people into top grad schools. Many companies love their biz grads.

phear_me

I agree with others that BYU is not Christian/Catholic and that LDS is most definitely very different than what most people think of as Christian. I declined to comment on the issue since the OP asked to leave religion out of it.

Whistle Pig

Thanks for the correction. With a gazillion Marriott points, you'd think one might know the diff. I continue to think that Paris might be Mormon.

BYUFrodo

Some Mormons you know say it is equivalent to a top 20 University? That is interesting. I am a Mormon but I wouldn't say that, but on the other hand I also am not one to read into college rankings too much. I think there are many Universities in the United States where you can get a quality education and BYU is one of them, but it would be nearly impossible to create indisputable rankings of the top schools in America. I think each individual needs to look at what they want from their education, research possible schools, and then choose what is best for them. Although very good academically, BYU is not right for everyone.

BYU is a good University for anyone who wants to follow moral guidelines that are largely ignored by students at most other good universities. People who attend who are not members of the LDS Church are actually treated well by most people who are LDS. It is part of our religion to respect the beliefs of others and those who believe differently then we do.

Topolover

When I was going to college in Utah, yes. I remember girls that wouldn't even dare consider dating a man if he wasn't a prior-missionary and didn't have a degree from BYU. That made dating difficult for those of us that didn't get our Melchezidek Priesthood from being missionaries, but actually earning them instead (and while many Mormons disagree, those of us that were not missionaries had a far harder time "earning it").

I agree. BYU has some excellent programs, but not all.

I agree kinda, but disagree. Perhaps at BYU they are treated well. At most other LDS-oriented colleges, don't count on it. And all in all the LDS are not very accepting of different faiths.