Red, blue and green

By Kaleo Li

As college admission deadlines loom closer, seniors are filling out applications and keeping their fingers crossed for their choice colleges. Brigham Young University, Utah Valley University and University of Utah rank highest by student preference at Timpanogos High. According to an ACT report, about 77 percent of the Timpanogos college-bound seniors of 2008 listed one of these colleges as their first choice.

BYU is the most preferred school by Timpanogos High with 47 percent of students listing it as their first choice school. Both undergrad hopefuls and alumni recognize its unique environment.

"I like how it's a more religious school," says senior Valerie Peterson. A lot of students who attend BYU seem to more conservative. In fact, BYU was ranked the Most Socially Conservative college of 2008.

"I enjoyed my classes, but it was the association of people that I met," BYU alumna Ms. Bodily states. "There were a lot of really talented people academically, and so they really were the ones that stimulated me to really learn."

Around 24 percent of Timpanogos High students listed UVU as their first preference. UVU seems to be a cheaper alternative than the other local universities, and its open enrollment is a large incentive.

"I didn't have a lot of money," says UVU alumnus Mr. Nagro, "UVU was very affordable, and I knew that I could take a lot of courses there in a short period of time."

Another factor of UVU's popularity is its proximity to the students in Timpanogos High. Its campus is a mere seven miles from the high school, allowing students to stay at home and save money from housing.

Six percent of the students chose the University of Utah as their first choice, and most of them did so because of its quality programs.

Senior Helen Kwok says, "(Utah) has better medical fields."

Mr. Sannar, a counselor here at Timpanogos High, says, "A lot of times we see students going there because of the medical programs they have."

The University of Utah also has a very different environment. Set in the hustle-bustle of Salt Lake City, its location provides a more urban, and therefore liberal, setting in contrast to the suburbs of Provo and Utah.

Each of these univerisities offer their own academic advantages. "All three have a good reputation," says Mr. Sannar. Whatever college each student decides to attend, they will be guaranteed a worthwhile experience.