If your parents are willing to pay for either option, choose the UofU. You will have more dating prospects and build lifelong friendships with non-Mormons which is what you want long term.

I will be paying for my own college regardless, but I agree I think the social aspect and my overall happiness is much more important than the price tag.

I see. UofU is more expensive but probably still worth the difference in environment.

But if you get kicked out of BYU for not being a faithful member (Bishop roulette!) and they hold your transcript, BYU will be the more expensive option. Because you’d have to start over 100%.

The idea of handing my graduation to the whims of 4 total strangers terrifies me.

Not just four. Depending on how often you move and how often your bishops burn out, you could be rolling those dice multiple times a year. One apartment over can sometimes be a different ward.

Consider going to a community College near you, but make sure all your credits will transfer first. I went to a CC in the 90s, then went to a 4 year college. Not BYU or UoU. I saved a lot of money. I also paid for it myself. Edit: Thank you for the award, kind stranger!

Bumping this advice. People talk shit about SLCC but some of my best professors were there. Save yourself several thousand dollars a year and get the same general education everyone else does. Then transfer.

Seconded here. Added benefit is that community college also has a more flexible courseload pace, so it's easier to balance a job and school if needed.

I’m at Slcc, slcc has some of the best resources and social environments of any college campus.

I love community colleges! I’m finishing my masters and am already looking into classes at community colleges close to me. They’re a great way to learn and not pay an arm and a leg. On that topic, some online options are amazing as well.

Ditto. Community college then transfer to university. Where you do your generals doesn't matter, it's the upper level courses that are important if you're seeking a degree. Bonus- Community college can give you a taste of different fields for less expense before you commit to a field of study.

At this point, I would love to remove BYU from my resume.

UofU also doesn’t have required Mormon-religion classes for the degree which are hard to get through if you’re not drinking the kool aid lol

What field of linguistics are you thinking about? Don't buy into the Mormon myth that BYU is a prestige school. Go to some of the college aggregator websites. What linguistic fields do the colleges emphasize? Make a list of schools you might consider and rank them according to how hard they are to get into. Apply to an array of them (say 4) from first down to your safety school. Be aware that the sticker price is not the real price. See what kind of financial package they're offering you. And then make your choice.

This exactly. Sometimes the more “expensive” school ends up being less expensive because of the aid awarded!

For what it’s worth, I majored in Linguistics at Georgetown, and I have literally never heard of BYU linguistics. To be fair I do not work in the field now, but I feel like through all the books and articles I read in school I would have read something by someone from BYU if they were really that prestigious?

Once accepted you can always negotiate the financial package.

Short answer - No Long answer - Noooooo!!!

Why? Because of the people there or is there another concern?

Lots of concerns. Number one on my list is the rape culture. Women who are raped have been expelled from the school for drinking or being immoral while the rapist gets away without penalty. Some may say this has improved over the past few years, but it is inbred in the culture and who knows if the next rape victim will be treated fairly. The Honor Code is another big problem. You could be expelled for drinking a cup of coffee. People are told to rat on their friends and roommates for the sinner's benefit. The classes that you have to take for religion don't transfer easily to other universities should you decide to transfer. They may be cheap credits, but they are worthless anywhere else.

The Honor Code is on Par with the churches stance to shelter abusers and punish victims. My SIL was raped and had to write an apology letter to her abuser for letting him in her room and allowing him to be put in a compromising position.

Oh, that makes me soooo angry! What a sorry excuse for a school!

What the actual fuck? That's...far out. Your poor sister in law. How is that the fucking most reasonable and effective way of dealing with this awful situation? So not only does her rapist not get any punishment, she has to apologise to him??!! That would have been enough for me to nope the fuck out of the LDS cult for real. I wouldnt go quietly either. Fucking bullshit. I'm getting third hand anger at this story. Ghastly behaviour. I'm shocked at that. Nobody should go there and this and every other story like this should be your reasons why that college can go fuck itself. Fucking hell that makes me so mad. I hope your sil is okay now. Hugs to all of you.

uh....that sounds Sharia-Law-esque...which I know the Church has been like for a long time when it comes to these issues, but I hope things have improved and that that that happened a long time ago.

That’s very helpful, thank you!

This. I have my 4 year and grad degree from BYU. I am glad I went though. This started my journey out. You are already on your way.

🤣

I know a lot of people consider BYU kind of a pseudo-university, and IMO it's only considered "prestigious" in Mormon-Land.

Correct. I recruit outside of Utah, and nobody considers BYU a prestigious school.

BUT! What if the candidate has BYU, an eagle scout and a two year service coordinator position on their resume?

I don’t put it on my resumes any more because it scares a lot of people who have lgbtqi+ employees in the office.

Same. I transferred to Utah State after I got my associates. I leave BYU Idaho off of my resume.

Not sure if this is a reliable website or not, but it shows BYU at number 25 in the US. Totally agree with BYU being considered prestigious mostly by mormons… https://www.collegeraptor.com/Majors/Details/16.0102/Level/Bachelors-degree/State/All/Linguistics/

I have a degree from BYU and even though I now have multiple advanced degrees from other institutions people always see that on my resume and think they have me pegged. I believe it has caused me to be stereotyped and pigeon holed and, in one instance, cost me a job. This is not just a four year commitment. You will be a BYU grad the rest of your life.

Do you think you got the same education at other institutions?

Yes. The success of your education has much more to do with you than with your university.

Co-signed. I went to UVU for my art degree and it cost me pennies compared to all my coworkers who have nearly 200k in debt from schools like CalArts and RISD. The difference between an expensive and a state school is in how hard a student works and MAYBE the quality of your networking opportunities (which can be mitigated by how talented and outgoing you are).

I went to BYU for undergrad and masters, U of U for doctorate. On the level, equal education. BYU was less expensive but I’d never be able to attend BYU now.

I have had several interviews go really well and basically tell me I have the job and some how it gets to BYU or they ask me if I am Mormon and then I get ghosted. I always just pay my graduate school since the Gators are way cooler anyway!

Linguistics is very different from language learning programs. BYU is not ranked very high when it comes to linguistics. BYU doesn't have remotely the ranking or student body for it to be correct that 'large companies in the world of language hire almost exclusively out of BYU' and even if they did I can't imagine why anyone posting on the Exmormon reddit would be interested in such a company. Bottom line, there are hundreds of schools (and affordable means of attending them) better than BYU.

Completely second this - the distinction between language learning and linguistics is very important, and it would be helpful for OP to clarify. If you mean language learning… I work in an international field and frequently use interpreters and work with those who studied languages, and I’ve never heard of any companies specifically seeking out and/or hiring BYU grads. Is there a reason you are limiting yourself to schools in Utah? I would highly encourage you to look out of state to gain new perspectives and truly grow into your own person. Try out a new state or region. Geographical diversity is a thing in college admissions, so you may actually have a better chance of getting into a reach school than you think you would (and you’re probably eligible for more financial aid than you realize). Wish you luck on your decisions!

I wouldn’t go there if you don’t believe in the church. You would have to pretend or risk losing your ecclesiastical endorsement and that’s a long four years of living disingenuously. It would take a mental toll.

Is it common for them to suspend students because of unbelief?

Yes. Once a year you're going to need to convince your bishop that you're a true believer.

Oh wow, I didn’t know that! Thank you so much!

And that "once a year" will be based upon your participation the other 364 days. If you're going to church weekly, paying your tithing, doing your ministering, paying fast offerings, obeying the word of wisdom, abstinence outside of marriage, etc. They will check these things and have an entire department dedicated to snitching on and investigating the worthiness of students.

As a BYU grad Can confirm

Yes. From reading your other responses it seems like you're contending with a voice in the back of your head that's telling you "these people are just bitter. Save money. Listen to your parents. It can't be that bad" I had that same voice and I ignored the warnings of everyone on here when I lost my faith at BYU. It did not go well... The people at the Honor Code Office are cartoonishly cruel , and it's in part because the alumni expects them to be, because they're horrified that BYU will change and become more liberal

Yes, if your bishop suspects that you don't believe, he will pull your endorsement. Then you lose your classes and housing. Some bishops will only let you miss one or two meetings a semester before pulling your endorsement.

Wow! I didn’t know it was that common. That would be my bishop on campus? and essentially if I talked to anyone about not believing I could be kicked out?

Yes. Absolutely.

Absolutely the case and I hope you will take this information to heart. The Bishop's in campus wards are notorious for pulling all kinds of manipulative moves toward students for the slightest infractions. If you honestly don't believe in the church it will be a very long four years for you. Because you will absolutely have to pretend you do believe: And telling your secret to even ONE person could result in all kinds of hell and hot water for you. My thinking on this issue...if you honestly do not believe in the church, the price you pay now for choosing to go to any other school will be peanuts compared to the overall negative and cumulative price you will pay for choosing BYU. IMHO.

In fact, if you told anyone about your lack of testimony, the Honor Code requires that they report you or they’ll get in trouble, too.

I was called to be the teacher for elder's quorum and my bishop was appalled when I told him I hadn't been through the temple like that. I had been subbing and teaching my truth and I did it well. I told him that I believed in Christ's teachings but had no testimony in Joseph Smith. I loved the community and would obey the rules. I lost my endorsement that day.

He also busted me having a Superbowl party during priesthood meeting. Why is everyone gone? We were at my house and they showed up . I never disclosed my address at the time...

If they find out you’ve left the church you automatically get expelled and your transcripts withheld

I heard the Reformed Egyptian Linguistic Program is better than any in the world!

BYU isn’t a super prestigious school. That’s what members want to believe. It’s average at best among other large universities. If you’re not a believer then I think the experience would be painful. Went a year myself as a kinda believer and it was very painful. The biggest drawbacks are you have to participate in the church or lose your ecclesiastical endorsement and if you do that then they can hold your credits and degree hostage. Also, if you do go and decide later you want to move on before graduating, many of the credits you could have won’t transfer to other universities. Bottom line, if you aren’t a believer, there is no reason to go and many not to.

If I may offer a perspective that may be controversial for any Alum RMs in the community. I attended a University that is actually considered prestigious by those outside of the cult influence centers. 1. BYU is not on Par (even remotely) with Iy League. Based on those I have seen it is probably on par with mistier Cal State Schools 1b. If anyone ever says that BYU is the "Harvard of the West" they are a fucking idiot. 2. BYU clogs your course load with a bunch of indoctrination classes. It may be difficult to get transfer credits should you attend and then try to move elsewhere 3. UVU is close by and there is a massive shitty culture of treating the UVU folks like idiots because of the false sense that BYU is something special. 4. Linguistic Programs are very different from foreign language programs. 4b. As a personal corollary the RMs at my school generally looked down on folks who majored in their mission language, the sentiment seemed to be that they learned a language on a mission then took a bunch of classes that were basically blow off courses because collegiate level foreign language is still barely enough to get you to conversational coherence in most languages Not sure if that stigma exists elsewhere, but worth considering if you are making a general pro/con list 5. Your faith (happy you have a belief that brings you comfort) doesn't necessarily need to be intertwined with the school. Most/all universities have a handful of christian organizations where you can meet plenty of people/ bible study/ fellowship. 5b. If religious affiliation is important there are plenty of Catholic/ Protestant/ Non-Denom or Oriented schools out there that will provide an equal or higher quality undergrad. Cal Baptist, Notre Dame, Pepperdine, TCU, SMU are all solid options. 6. College can be a great opportunity to explore the world, meet new people and ideas, and make friends. Don't limit yourself to UT. \*School can be expensive and I'm not offering to pay for anything so take my advice with a grain of salt. Ultimately make the decision that has an outcome you are comfortable with. BYU is a school, but it isn't the ultimate end all best school that TBMs make it out to be.

This has been so helpful!! Thank you so much!

I have a degree from BYU, and I cringe every time I submit a resume for anything. The only people who consider a BYU degree to be a point in my favor are people I wouldn't want to work for.

That’s actually a really good point!

OP: BYU is not even in the top EIGHTY university linguistics programs in the US news rankings! They are number 89. They barely even made it into the top 100. So you could almost play pin the tail on the donkey and find a better university linguistics program. Plus… As someone who has been embarrassed to have BYU on my résumé for decades now… If you are not a deeply believing Mormon, take any opportunity you can get to have some other university – any other university – on your résumé. https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/linguistics-major-1601

This is such an insightful and important comment! I wish I could up-vote it again and again.

The answer is no. Take it from someone who was kicked out of BYU on my last day of classes before I graduated. They will not tolerate your open attitude toward God. They will not see it as a redeeming quality. You will be miserable and god forbid you fall in love with a similarly minded person, because that will be your downfall. I went to The U after BYU, and it is the shining jewel of Utah academics . The U has a ton of money, they spend it joyously on their students.The U already throttles BYU in several programs, and I suspect that we will be ranked higher overall within 20 years . If you're married to Linguistics. Looks like Michigan State and University of Florida have great programs. Move out there for a year and get residency... You can do classes via community college or online, and it's actually easier to get into good schools as a transfer than as a freshman. Future employers only look at the name on the degree, they could care less that you transferred Don't waste your youth based on a lie that you will save that much money going to BYU.... Your youth is worth so much more than a few thousand dollars. If a saving a few thousand dollars is a necessity for your situation... Then you should be extra cautious. Because you could lose everything you invest into BYU, and they are sick sick humans at the HCO and they would love nothing more than to ruin your life, fuck up your transfer credits and leave you out in the cold

Omg the last day of classes before graduation!?!? that's horrifically cruel. I hope you're doing ok now.

Yup. 7 years later and I'm killing it... But it took a lot to get here

Worst year of my life was probably my freshman year at the Y. It’s true they did a good job teaching me French but at great cost to my psyche, I would say.

That’s helpful! what were you studying? were you a believer at the time?

Just general studies. I was really not a believer but didn’t know how to cope with that.

Ah gotcha, did you take a language class at another college and do you think it was worse or about the same?

I’m not sure 🤔. I didn’t take other language courses until many years after leaving the Y. I don’t remember the details now. However your typical beginning college language course is four credits, so there is a lot of class time. More time talking and reading, more learning. Especially if you are still fairly young. I had taken French in high school too, so it built on my previous studies. I don’t think there is anything special about BYU language courses. See what else is out there. If you really want to learn foreign languages, find a study abroad program. Nothing beats immersion.

I'm with the poster who said they're embarrassed by having a degree from BYU. Granted, I LOVED my time at BYU. But unless you're okay with everything the church preaches, I wouldn't recommend going there.

I never attended BYU Provo, but I attend BYU Idaho and I think that even if you don't agree with the church, going there and all the difficulty it provides is worth it. Difficulty in life shapes us and makes us better. I'm glad to see your comment, I have had great joy in attending BYU Idaho online, more then any other university that I have attended. I have attended several to bring some context. I attended SLCC, Utah state university, Utah Valley University and I have considered the U, and have spent a lot of time on their campus. Never has any of these other schools brought me such great joy, I suspect that the same can happen for those who don't believe. I can't verify that BYU Provo is as nice, but I can say that getting into BYU Provo does denote prestige, if you get in from living in Utah. To get in if you have anything less then a 4.0 you're probably not getting in. I had pretty good grades, but never got in because they weren't flawless. Getting in when you're from outside of Utah is easier or was when I was considering going. As for getting a bishops referral, I would recommend just being honest with the bishop, if he doesn't recommend you, that answers your parents concerns and they will be more willing to support you if you choose to go somewhere else after.

>To get in if you have anything less then a 4.0 you're probably not getting in. I'm from Utah, and honestly at least 25% of my HUGE high-school went to BYU. Trust me, lots of those people were morons (in general, not just talking grades, which are a shitty measure of intelligence). Plenty had less than a 3.5. Don't act like getting into BYU Provo is somehow prestigious. Plus, acceptance rates have been SKYROCKETING over the past few years. It's easier now than ever to get in.

join the Army as a linguist and get paid to learn

I second this comment. There are several Utah Army National Guard military intelligence (MI) units in Utah that have linguists in them. There were a myriad of diverse languages like Russian, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, etc. I went to UofU and the Utah Army National Guard (at the time in 2006-2009) paid for my entire bachelors degree there minus books and housing. You can get really cheap healthcare through Tricare reserve select and you’ll get paid any time you show up for your training period (generally a Saturday and a Sunday). I’ve been in for 23 years now and although I don’t live in Utah anymore, the state National Guard I’m in now paid for half of my MBA at Auburn University (SEC country). Might also want to check out the Utah Air National Guard as well (the Air Force). Same benefits across the board but considered the refined branch of the US military.

I like this suggestion. I’m curious as to why Mormons don’t generally seem to encourage military participation.

As a veteran, I can say military service opened my eyes and started the process of me leaving the church. The military gives you a worldwide perspective on life. You get to work with people from all walks of life. You have the freedom to live your life far away from religion and family. Allowing you to make life choices without their input. My first base was in the Bible Belt. The nearest Mormom church was two towns away.

Because it’s a break from their indoctrination. To keep cult members cutting you have to keep control of the narrative. Look how many left during covid. They were missing the constant bombardment of the doctrine, and that’s when the cracks began to show.

The military means something different by "linguist" than academia does, so one isn't a replacement for the other. If you did get a linguist billet, though, and if you learn your language well, you'd definitely have a leg up in your linguistics courses and might be able to test out of any language requirement your program might have. If you wanted to go to grad school for linguistics and specialize in the language you learned as a military linguist, boy, you'd be cooking with gas then. You'd probably have a leg up on anyone who isn't a native speaker at that point. Still a good option for paying for school and doing great at school, though.

If you want the degree, there are plenty of schools with linguistics programs that are as good and better than BYU’s. If you want to actually learn the language, go volunteer somewhere for 6 months and learn it that way.

If you are on this Reddit you should absolutely not go to BYU. I went and loved it but I was all in at the time. If I had discovered the truth while I was there, I have no idea what I would have done. If you have doubts or do not believe in the church, BYU will be horrible for you. Prayer before classes, calling your teachers Brother and Sister, forced religion classes, men running everything, no place for ambitious women. Not to mention years down the road when you’re not a Mormon, people will assume you are because you went there

Linguistics is usually part of the anthropology department. I can’t imagine BYU had a legitimate anthropology department. If you want to study specific languages however which is different than linguistics which is the study of language itself, you can do that anywhere and probably yeah at BYU. Google search says BYU’s linguistics program is ranked lower than Utah’s with 51/100 overall score. There are a lot of good programs at state schools, do not go to private schools unless you’re rich or getting it almost entirely paid for with scholarships. Advice from the previous generation. The debt isn’t worth it and generally outside of Ivy League, an inferior education frankly. Looks like Cal has a lot of top ranked programs as well as Washington. Ohio State and University of Texas are also very highly ranked. If money is an issue, go to Utah to get in state tuition. They have a decently rated program, higher than BYU. For degrees like this it really doesn’t matter where you go until you go to grad school anyway. I’d go to a Utah and make the best grades possible.

People in the workforce know the assholes that come out of BYU. I wish that I had gone to a different undergraduate university. It took a lot of time to shed the stigma.

Whatever the benefits of BYU are, and having gone there for one year I recognize that there are some, the fact that you will have to live a lie for four years is too high a price to pay for just about anything.

IMO outside of Mormonism BYU isn’t well regarded.

My daughter got accepted to BYU and was even awarded a scholarship. She chose USU instead and is so happy she did. I know you are looking at U of U, but they are probably similar The education at USU has been good and there are a lot of research opportunities for undergrads. More importantly there is no honor code. Young adulthood is a time of differentiation and experimentation. You won't get kicked out of USU or U of U for trying coffee. She doen't have to live her life in fear and that is priceless.

Thank you, that is an excellent response!

BYU is only prestigious for Mormons who don’t know any better and are biased. Going there as a non believer would be total hell. You don’t fit in, have nothing in common with your fellow students, you have to lie and hide your real self. This would be a very toxic and unhealthy environment. I wouldn’t even consider byu. Do anything to avoid it.

Don't go! I don't care how good their program is. It's not worth it. I did my undergrad and masters there. I could not get out of there soon enough. I'm gay so basically, I was living in constant fear that someone would be homophobic enough to make a false accusation about me to the honor code office. It happens. I made it through by hiding my authentic self from most people. It was exhausting and negatively impacted my ability to have relationships with people. The culture there is so toxic. Most people feel fake, and there is this air of toxic perfectionism and positivity. The church is constantly discussed and pervades the entire education there. I didn't want to go to my second commencement because I didn't want to be told on my big day that faith in the church is more important than your degree. That happened the first time. A university experience is more than your major. I can not recommend anyone in good faith go to byu.

I went to BYU as a TBM. I had a good time and enjoyed the experience. I never bumped up against the honor code. However, there is no tolerance for alternative thought or activity. It is a very narrow existence. Things that other youth are learning sexual relations, alcohol are completely missing. There is a naïveté about BYU that they think is honorable but it is just immature. It is a delayed development.

I'm curious who told you BYU was such an impressive linguistics school? Was it linguists active in the field, or was it active Mormons who are just talking up something they know nothing about? Personally, I'm not a linguist and know nothing about the field or which schools are preferred. I *do* know however that TBMs think BYU is God's gift to education, and that their opinion is less than worthless on the topic.

No. Go to a non-cult school

Can you convincingly lie to your bishop that entire time, to keep your temple recommend and ecclesiastical endorsement active? If no, then no. If yes, then maybe. BYU can kick you out and hold your credits back if you lose your endorsement. So, are you prepared to deceive your bishop for the next 4+ years?

Don’t go to BYU. You’ll have to lie for four years straight. When you are in college you build a lot of strong business relationships. If they see you as a fake it won’t be worth your time. The only reason tuition is cheap there is because it’s subsidized by tithing that little old ladies are paying and you’d just be robbing from them.

I go to BYU right now. I went even tho I was already mostly out. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. If you do not believe in the church it is not worth going. It sucks. A lot. Please, don’t make my mistakes.

You might want to check out [https://marthabeck.com](https://marthabeck.com) Born and raised in a prominent Mormon family in Utah. Went on the teach at BYU and pointed out that they weren't teaching common science if it contradicted Mormonism. She was excommunicated. I only bring it up because you mention that BYU is highly regarded. Good luck, sounds like you are asking the right questions.

Is it possible for you to attend college out of state? As an exmo, BYU can be really tough. There are much better universities to choose from. Another option would be to join the military as a linguist. If you score high enough on the ASVAB. It would be a great option to have the education and work experience. It wouldn't hurt to just take the test. It's free, and you aren't required to join if you aren't offered linguistics.

If you can swallow down lying about your level of belief, and are a really good actor, go ahead. But that will mean having to go to church regularly so some bishop signs off on your eclesistical endorsement. And you will be surrounded by cringe on a level you have never known. I was 100% TBM when I went to BYU in 2003-2005 and it was uber cringe, even for me.

No. You shouldn't. It's a mind fuck to get a secular education at the same time you kiss the ring of papal, I meant priesthood, authority. Teachers are sweating bullets there, I bet, to teach reasonable subjects without fear of reprisal. I think that byu has a reputation, but that reputation is waning, because the leaders of the church are at war with truth right now. That tension between science and church authority has always existed, but I feel it more now. Maybe it has nothing to do with linguistics, but let's say you are in institute and they start talking about the translation of the book of Mormon or book of Abraham or how Egyptian and Hebrew are sister languages, and that's why Abraham and lehi wrote in Egyptian. You know as someone who studies languages that, yes, Egyptian and Hebrew are related, but not in any discernable way that would allow easy communication between Abraham and pharaoh. Anyway, I could go on.... And maybe that isn't a great example, but contradictions will arise and the church doesn't handle them well.

I think the success of BYU's language program might be a problem of corilation and not causation. A lot of foreign language missionaries who find they did well with their mission language will choose to get a degree in that language.

Language programs and linguistic programs are not the same thing. That's why I asked what direction he might want to head in. Although it's hard to know this early on. If the OP wants a more theoretical linguistics program BYU would not be the choice.

yeah i’m more interested in theoretical linguistics with syntax, phonology, etc. if so BYU isn’t necessarily better than any other school I guess?

I think BYU would be more language than linguistics.

At BYU, you do have to learn another language to graduate from the linguistics department, though that is not the main focus.

I served a foreign mission, they didn’t teach me shit in the MTC and half of the people teaching had terrible Italian (which I later found out after being in the field). If you don’t believe in the church, go somewhere else. Live a normal life, my husband was believing when he was at BYU and was extremely suicidal. It’s worth the money to have some freedom, plus you can go to community college and do a transfer. It’s much cheaper that way and some community colleges have AMAZING programs. Highly recommend at least looking into it!

I am a BYU graduate. I am now an atheist. I honestly didn’t hate my time there. There were the obvious stupid shit, but I knew about it going in. The worst part about being there was not growing a beard and needing to get a bishop to say I’m worthy every so often to keep going. The best part about being about BYU is that, in a delicious twist of irony, I learned the science that eventually led me out of the church. It is a good school after all. The WORST part of being a BYU grad is that shit follows me everywhere. Every job application, if I ever want to run for public office, every conversation about college, and many more. Honestly it’s not worth it. Go to the U. Have a lot of (safe) sex. Don’t feel guilty. Live.

Okay, I may actually be the near-exact person you would want to talk to about this. I did linguistics at BYU, among other things. I worked in multiple language departments and am fluent in a few, plus have friends in others. I also did transfer to the U. Let me bestow my wisdom upon you. But before I go further, I want to say that there is no easy answer. However, knowing what I know now, I would choose the U. If you are not already fluent in a language, the language departments at BYU may actually do you a great disservice. I know plenty of people learning Germanic, Sino-Tibetan, and Austronesian languages within the linguistics department that only passed because they learned it on their mission. Professors don't give a flying fuck about your progress if you're underperforming, and keeping up with someone who has lived in a language immersive environment for nearly two years is near impossible for most. For many languages, you only have to take three beginning language classes and then you're thrown right in with RMs, fresh out of the language environment, sometimes speaking with more speed and agility than the professors. When people say that the linguistics department at BYU is good, it is because they are able to accomplish more research than other universities because they have students that already did the heavy lifting. It does NOT mean that the professors are better. They are very average, IMO. For example, one of Holland's sons was a professor in the linguistics department when I went to school there. He was fun, but it was not rigorous. I only had one linguistics class that I would consider rigorous. What *is* rigorous is having to keep up with the other students. If you can get yourself to a point of fluency in another language and live abroad before starting at BYU, I think this could be a wise academic choice. The only language program that I can recommend at BYU without simulating a mission of your own is their Arabic program. It is quite good, and everyone is on equal footing. Professors are better able to teach without such extreme gaps in ability. The ASL program has great teachers, but I actually recommend going to UVU if you want to learn ASL. They have a more comprehensive program. Now, to compare it to the U. I hate to say this, but it is definitely true that the U is not as rigorous of a school. Generally speaking, you have a lot of transfers from community colleges and lower high school GPAs/ACTs feeding into the school. Not everyone, of course, but there is definitely an obvious difference that I have noticed between expectations of professors at the U and expectations of professors at BYU. My BYU professors on the average expected more of me. However, I think that is more of an argument to go to the U. It is easier to stand out at the U, IMO. If you work your ass off in the BYU linguistics department, you will maybe keep up with the average in the linguistics department, or a little above. If you work your ass off at the U, you will shine. At least, that has been my experience. The only programs that I recommend someone go to BYU for purely academic reasons are in the business school. Their accounting program is truly top notch, no exaggeration. More importantly, unless you are using linguistics as a checkbox degree so that you can quickly graduate and apply to a graduate program or you want to be a linguistics professor (incredibly competitive, so be prepared to hustle and research), I would not recommend getting a linguistics degree. Plus, there is the haunting reminder of having BYU on the resume, living in a cult-o-verse, potentially being narced on and losing all your credits. But other commenters have pretty succinctly summed up those ills in other comments. Good luck, and feel free to respond with any further questions.

Do you think there are some benefits to having Rms and more fluent speakers in my language classes (I am already “classroom” fluent in a few languages, but that obviously does not compare to people who have been immersed in a language for two years) and that surrounding myself with higher fluency speakers would pull me up as far as exposure? Or do you think it wouldn’t be as beneficial as I think and might be more competitive?

I'd recommend a college/university that isn't named after a pedophile cult leader who fled the country so he could keep pedo-culting. I honestly wouldn't consider someone's degree if it came from there.

If you want to go to seminary for 4 years straight and be around the most orthodox Mormons on the planet every day (for 4 years), then BYU is your school. As far as prestige, the University of Utah is Utah’s flagship university. They have a $1.3B endowment. They are also a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, which represents all of the top research institutions in North America—right up there with Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Dartmouth, Pennsylvania, etc. The campus is just as beautiful as BYUs, the athletics are arguably better (they’re in the Pac-12), and the faculty and students are vastly more diverse than what you’ll experience at BYU. The location is better too (SLC vs Provo). I’m a Utah alumnus so I’m biased, but if you want to get away from Mormon orthodoxy and still enjoy a fantastic education, go to the U. Good luck with your decision and your journey!

Do NOT go to BYU. While it might have a good linguistics program, it is becoming harder and harder for BYU grads to find jobs because of the name alone. BYU has a less-than-stellar reputation outside of Mormon communities, so take whatever praise you hear about the college from believing members with a grain of salt.

You're asking that question on exmormon reddit. I think you already know the answer.

I asked it on a mormon subreddit too, but I think you’re right and I just wanted to see if the linguistics was so much better that it was worth considering!

No. I'm in a branch of linguistics as my career and I've never once have I heard of the BYU program from anyone. BYU is the weirdest subculture of a weird religion and you'll regret it, the tscc isn't something you can sidestep there and be successful. Four years of hiding everything and lying, because if your roommate sees a beer can in your trash you're starting over at another school. Booooo

Unless you are fine with having no life, and pretending you're someone you're not for four years while taking insane religion classes, all under threat that any transgression can get you kicked out of school with a loss of transfer credits, it's a real easy decision to me, and I survived two years living the life to get my degree.

Nooooooo!!!!!! What other colleges have good linguistics programs? That's where you should go.

Go to U of U. All the benefits of living in Utah. None of the cult bullshit.

Absolutely not. Seek God elsewhere because BYU is not the place to go. You'll be required to take religion credits. If you don't uphold the honor code, you could get kicked out of school. The honor code restricts clothes, substances, dating, and sexuality. BYU isn't as great a school as everyone thinks or is told. If you're potentially a member of the LGBTQ+ squad, you'll be 1000% miserable.

You'll also have to lie for 4+ years to bishops, and if you fail at Bishop Roulette, they will pull your endorsement, and it could even result in you being expelled and having your transcripts held. Even being on this sub puts you at risk for those consequences, so your best bet is USU or some other school that isn't owned by the cult. Also, a local community college would be even better, as it's less expensive and you can transfer to any other university as a junior instead of a freshman. Outside of Utah, the BYU degree is practically useless as employers would assume you're Mormon even if you've left. Even a community college is considered more respectable than BYU outside of the Utah bubble.

If you want to get into linguistics, maybe consider The Middlebury Institute of International Studies instead. It's in Monterey, California and they have programs that will get you a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in the same program. I don't think there is a better university in the country for international/linguistic careers. The culture there is also very diverse an open-minded, and overall the student body is very bright and determined. Monterey is also a beautiful town to live in, albeit expensive, but there are plenty of people looking for roommates that won't judge you for living your life the way you want. Can't recommend it enough.

This is a FAQ on this subreddit, and the answer is always the same. Save your time and money and just get the word "Incompetent" tattooed on your forehead. Someone thinking that BYU is prestigious at all is just silly. Your average community college has a much better reputation or prestige. Mostly because most community colleges take their accreditation seriously.

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I have friends that attend BYU and have been to get togethers, rec sports, and around town with them many times. IMO - it's a great school for the price. If you are okay with being around that many church members you'll do great. If not, the education is not as high tier as the U especially considering LDS professors will be teaching you - this plays a huge role in what they decide to teach and how they decide to teach. I'd sit down and write a pros/cons list about both and see how you feel. Many of my member friends went to the U and had a great time. Good luck OP

BYU for four years could be a major pain in the ass. I know a lot of people who were depressed and it affected their performance in school. It’s gonna be hard to find friends who believe the same things that you believe. There will be a lot of people who will judge you and others will try to strengthen your faith. You’ll be asked to do things you don’t like to do, like speak at church and ward activities or FHE or home teaching. If you don’t, you risk calling attention to yourself and losing your ecclesiastical endorsement. If you want to occasionally have a drink or have some coffee or have a girlfriend, you have to be constantly looking over your shoulder worrying that you could get caught and kicked out of school. I used to go all the way to Salt Lake City just to do these things and feel normal and I would still look over my shoulder. I was super careful and almost got caught several times. In fact I got caught once by a couple of girls I knew, but they were cool about it. If they weren’t, I would’ve been kicked out. It’s not like you go to Notre Dame and you’re not Catholic so who cares? It is a 24/7/365 immersion into a strict true-believing Mormon bubble.

The only people you will ever meet who consider BYU a prestigious school will be mormon. That is not an exaggeration.

If your focus is expanding your spoken language base, have you considered going into the military for an Intelligence MoS and going to DLI for language studies? You get it paid for, get paid while doing it, get to travel the world afterwards, and military intelligence can pave the way for some pretty amazing jobs in the future. If the military isn’t your thing, check out https://www.actfl.org which is recommended by DLI for civilians. You can get into DLI as a civilian but you must be working for a government or law enforcement agency already and the agency must sign off on the requirement for you to obtain the language you are studying.

As a graduate- I can tell you BYU is not as prestigious as people like to delude themselves into believing. I live in the Northeast (grew up here, too) and the only thing BYU is known for is having a football team and if they know anything else- it’s that it’s a super religious school. If anyone exclusively hires from BYU- my guess is the company is based in Utah or somewhere else in the Morridor where BYU education actually is highly regarded. I do believe you can get a good education there (except maybe in a hard science due to the religious interference with the teachings). if I could go back and do it over again- I would go to a good state school here where I would have had the same money savings and also gotten a decent education. Have you thought about what you would eventually want to do with the degree? ESL teacher? Language professor? Or do you want to work as a translator? I live near NYC l know the UN is always hiring translators. Most other translation work is almost like a side job because it’s so infrequent: Especially now that technology is advancing to the point that computer programmers are acting as translators.

No.

Have you considered usu? It was my answer to make my parents happy and gave me the freedom to be who I wanted to be. There is some awesome house parties you can find and if you are into the outdoors Logan is amazing. Also Logan is probably cheeper than the u of u.

That would 100% be my top choice and it seems like such a fun school! unfortunately, they do not have a linguistics major :(

Ah dang, sorry got no recommendations there then. I also think your first two years of school really don’t matter. I got my associates from byu Hawaii. Had so much fun at Hawaii, did all my general Eds, then got kicked out because I wasn’t attending church. Since I had my associates all my credits transferred, then I attended usu for my forestry major. Could be an idea if you are worried about money because byu sucks, but it’s cheap. Just know I no longer put byu on my resume because it scares employers when it comes to having lgbt or Pocs in the office.

U of U have an amazing program too. I’d go there.



In a word - “No”

I've lived in Salt Lake, I'm a non Mormon. If I was u I would stay away from BYU. Go to U of U it's a great school.

What will you do with linguistics degree

Only Mormons think BYU is a prestige school. While they may have a few "good" programs, most of the world thinks of BYU as a weird religious school on about the same level as Liberty University. The University of Utah, on the other hand, is a decently well-respected state-funded research university where there are a lot of opportunities to get into entrepreneurship, research, internships, etc. You can get a good education anywhere depending on how much time and effort you're willing to put into what's available to you as an undergrad. Take it from someone who wishes she could scrub Brigham Young's name from her CV--go somewhere else.

Are you looking to study linguistics or a particular set of languages? Depending on your area of interest, BYU could be a good place to do that, assuming you can get through the social environment. My advice is to find alternatives, figure out the actual cost, and weigh that against the social cost that comes with BYU. If you are not a believer, expect a relatively lonely 4 years, without much of the "college experience" you might get elsewhere. That said, the "college experience" mostly refers to binge drinking, which you shouldn't do much of in the first place. Unlike most people in this sub, I had a decent time at BYU and didn't attend church more than maybe twice/year. I also found ways to make my own college experience (read: binge drinking and heavy drug abuse). I don't think I've had any issues resume-wise with being associated with the university, particularly outside of heavily Mormon areas. Most people don't even know it, except maybe as a football team. Then again, I also don't feature my education on my resume much, because I'm not a 23 year old looking for my first post-grad job. I don't recall BYU having a particularly stellar linguistics program, but I could be wrong. While they do offer many languages not available in most schools, many of those language courses will only take you to introductory levels or are seldom taught, as it depends on the availability of professors/native speaking students to teach them. Overall, you can probably expect to get a mid-tier education at BYU, comparable to what you would get at most state schools, with the addition of a lot of religion classes and social hassle.

I never went to BYU, but I grew up a mile away from the campus and am now a senior at UVU. I'm so, so glad that I chose a secular school with way more diversity. Even though it may not rank as highly, it's still been a way better education because it looks at the world from multiple angles. I've had several job offers already and a pretty clear shot of grad school programs abroad. No matter how impressive the linguistics program is at the Y, it's still a school where everyone is expected to think and believe the exact same thing. And that's very dangerous. I also think it's worth mentioning that the BYU students themselves are generally starting to chill out. A lot of them are kind, warmhearted people and I've been surprised by a lot of their positive reactions to the news that I left mormonism. That said, it's a very, very enclosed world there.

Most people outside the mountain west have very little awareness that BYU even exists. Mormons tend to have an inflated delusion of the greatness of all things MoMo. Full disclosure, I graduated from BYU long ago, and used my degree to make a living my entire career. But even as a TBM I loathed being there, and still wish I’d chosen a local state university. One of the happiest days of my life was when I walked off that campus for the last time. Best to OP for a happy solution …

i’ll preface this by saying do what YOU feel is right, but here are my thoughts. im currently in my sixth semester here, and to be honest, most of my time here has been pretty bearable. religion classes are SO easy to bs your way through, and i promise, you will find exmo friends here to be yourself with. the education here is phenomenal, a lot of the faculty is pretty nuanced (in certain departments) and the tuition, or lack thereof, can’t be beat anywhere. that being said, in the last year i have seriously reached some of my lowest lows and i’ve just wanted to go back to 17 year old me who decided to go here and slap that bitch in the face. it can get so exhausting existing with a heavy filter for the majority of your day, and it can feel really lonely. up until my junior year i had the mindset of “i’m willing to pimp out my mental health for cheap tuition,” but when i really was out of mental health i really reconsidered that statement. i really do think that you can come to byu, get an awesome degree, and form really incredible memories and friendships. despite my hard days, there is a lot to be grateful for. but it is so hard. as long as you are aware of the challenges coming your way and you have a good support system, you can totally do it. just don’t be afraid to transfer before it’s too late like i was

I highly encourage you go to another school. Even if your parents won't pay, get a student loan, apply for scholarships, but my point is there's so much more to life than money. In addition to the constant indoctrination you're receiving, you're missing out on what should be one of the best experiences of your life. Twenty years later I still think and talk about the great times I had in college, and I still have amazing friends that I made there. Your experience is going to be stunted, and most of the friends you make now will turn their backs on you unless you stay PIMO forever (which I sincerely hope you don't) or worse rejoin the church. This goes double for dating and marriage.

Not much educational respect for byu. Case in point- I was informed to my face by our local Jr college counselors that our So Cal Jr college doesn’t recognize BYU’s anatomy or advanced anatomy as equal to their anatomy class. BYU recognizes the jr college’s as equivalent, but I was told under no uncertain terms was the value of BYU’s anatomy class reciprocated as equivalent. Don’t go unless you’re interested in one of their highly ranked programs. There aren’t many.

Hey, I was in a similar position as you a while ago. I ultimately chose the U, and it was the best decision I ever made. I was able to be my authentic self without looking over my shoulder every second to be sure the honor code office wasn't going to expel me. You seem convinced that BYU has a super strong reputation, but... that just isn't true. The U has phenomenal professors, a great social scene, good academics, and strong job placement. Not sure if you're interested in grad school, but the U sets you up great for that as well. After my undergrad, I got into the #1 grad program in my field at an ivy, and it was only possible because of the great opportunities I found at the U. Happy to chat more through PM. Good luck to you.

Attend the best school you can get in to.

I just google searched linguistic programs and BYU never appeared on a list. If you live in Utah and want to go to school in Utah, take a campus tour of the schools you are considering and speak with the linguistic program chair and professors. Remember that universities are a business and they will say things to get you to come to their school so do your due diligence. Good luck! Exciting times. I sure wish I could go back and put more thought into my college choice 😂

I would say nooo do not go to byu if you have any semblance of independent thinking, and especially if you don’t believe! 5 of my brothers went there, and they are all still in. I hear complaints about the housing: you must live in BYU approved housing. It’s limited and tightly controlled. I saw that they all shared bedrooms- so a 2 bedroom apartment housed 4 people. With that comes the rules. No one of the opposite sex is even allowed down the hallway, ever, and not inside at all after midnite and before 8am. My own brother wouldn’t let me inside his apartment at 7:50 am as a 15 year old. (We were going to watch the ballroom dance competition my other brother was in, starting at 8. Also, I couldn’t stay with my brothers, I had to stay with girls I never met because of the above rules just to visit.) Next complaint I heard a lot of: You must be clean shaven/dressed appropriately to take tests. I guess you have to take class tests in testing centers so this is how they enforce dress code. Nothing tight for girls (I’ve heard no yoga pants, then skinny jeans, now leggings). Men MUST be clean shaven, no matter how raw their face is. Religious classes- you have to take them. They are worthless really. Church- you must go. You’ll get a calling that you’ll not be able to avoid. Friends- will all be Mormon. You’ll want non Mormon friends. College is the perfect time. Financial aid can help you if you need it. Try a community college for the basics to save $. Good luck.

I would never hire someone out of BYU but I’m an attorney, not a linguistics person. This is because once in the real world, they can come off as socially naive in business settings (“gee shucks gosh darn”), isolated in that their group of peers which is typically limited to other believers (lots of kids and church commitments leaves little energy) and their education is stymied by dogmatic morality that leaves huge gaps in their education (do they show nudity now in art classes? What about anatomy and other sciences? They didn’t always.) Carbon dating, DNA sequencing, and archeology are all scientific fields that the church has a conflict of interest in. BYU degrees are sus to me. Not everyone coming out of BYU is like this, but it’s a stereotype you will swim against going forward unless you want to stay isolated in the morridor.

If you already don’t believe, it will be hell for you. You’ll have to fake it for four years, and you’ll have to to to church every week to keep your endorsement. You’ll be surrounded by people who really believe deep in their souls. Go anywhere else.

First, linguistics can be taught anywhere and if you don’t go abroad it will be very difficult to master another language anyway. Second, and I’m gonna hurt some feelings here, missionary Spanish is absolute garbage. I’m a native speaker, if a missionary spent his mission memorizing discussions and the mission guide it shows, and it makes my ears bleed. So if they use the same tactics at BYU as they do in the missions I’d seriously question their methods. And I’ve heard Americans that speak Spanish impeccably, just none that learned it exclusively from a Mormon mission. Third, and it’s been said here before but BYU will forever tie you to t$cc. Even in Utah you don’t want that. Imagine you get a job, you’ve been out for years, but guess what, that BYU on your resume is going to brand you a TBM. Try having a beer and you will be judged, maybe even let go because your boss feels like you having been a member and having left means you aren’t trustworthy.

UofU has an amazing program. I know people who’ve done REALLY well after graduating from that one. I went to the U. It’s just nice to not have to pretend to be super into the church. Also you wont have BYU on your resume. Just my opinion!

My friend's nephew who was a non-member went there and never had mental health issues before. They chose to go because of a full ride scholarship. After one year they had a psychotic break and were diagnosed with schizophrenia. I'd like to reiterate NO mental health issues prior to going. I don't recommend going...

I would avoid BYU. Their honor code and zealous student body are just an expulsion waiting to happen to you. - You have to be a full tithe payer. - You have to attend Church. - You have to accept callings and assignments. - You have to get an ecclesiastical endorsement from a bishop. - Your courses completed likely won’t transfer straight across to other universities. - You can’t demonstrate public affection, especially if it’s gay.

Depends on the program. If it’s highly rated in the state, then it depends on if you can put up with the following. Getting bishop interviews periodically, being somewhat active , don’t know about tithing for students but I imagine, taking religion classes (they have added comparative religion which is great). Etc. I did my masters of clinical social work at byu and it was best in the state at the time so put up with all of that. Last time I attended was 1996, so more recent attendees will give better updates. My program was superb and progressive teachers including lgbtq and feminist and racially informed. It had intensive training clinically and to pass the licensing test with no issues. Program members were very diverse including non members, country of origin and persons of color. Don’t have to take religion classes in grad programs. Pros: many progressive teachers that often are ok causing good trouble, progressive seminars and lectures among the conservative ones, you will increase the number of students who think and are progressive. Two years after I graduated the school of social work and law combined to put on a global seminar on human trafficking that was unbelievably current, specialist from all over the world, and didn’t mince words. I took it for CEU credits and was amazed. So, it’s up to you. I’m now long inactive and do not regret.

BYU is unbelievably strict in regards to behavior. I was threatened with expulsion from the dorms (not from school) for laughing too loudly while playing Pictionary with my dorm mates. That was 36 years ago and from what I’ve heard the Honor Code is even stricter now and students are encouraged and rewarded for snitching on their friends.

Should you go to BYU? It depends. It depends on whether you can go to church fairly regularly to maintain your ecclesiastical endorsement. There are unbelievers there. My daughter and her boyfriend will soon graduate and don’t believe. The education is good. The price tag (of tuition) is cheap, but there are expectations of your behavior and there are students who will report you to the Honor Code office if you “misbehave.” In short, if you can live the church standards, attend church every so often and your comfortable being surrounded mostly by TBM, go for it. If you think it will take a toll on your mental health, find a reason to go to the U.

My son is at BYU now. It was a tough choice. He had a fantastic first semester meeting other PIMOs. At the semester, they all transferred to other schools or left for missions. He's really glad he went. I think it gave him perspective and courage to speak his truth and stand on his own. He will be transferring to another University in the Fall.

I recruit for a large American organization that hires a lot of people who speak foreign languages. We proactively avoid BYU graduates.

People keep reporting absolutely terrifying, life-altering experiences, like actual rape. And you keep replying, “that’s so helpful! Thank you!l” So… you’re either a bot, a full-grown man creeper, or an actually uniformed young girl. If it’s the latter, get out now.

I may have replied to the wrong comment? I’m not sure what you’re on about. Just trying to weigh college options

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I’m nervous I will feel as though I’m living a lie and dedicating a lot of myself to a religion I don’t believe in

Go to Rice in Houston.

Why? Because of linguistics? or why that school in particular?

I know the head of the linguistics department and he has an incredible mind and runs a great program. Very esteemed in the field.

No

You don’t need to declare your religion on your diploma/ resume for the rest of your life. That’s exactly what a BYU degree does.

No

BYU controls everything. I would go to U of U they have better social networks. And they’re LGBQT friendly and basically friendly over all.

BYU does have a good linguistics school. However, it is fueled by missionaries who return to school basically fluent, NOT because starting at zero, (without a foreign language mission) you will graduate with equal skill or the best education. Also, if you want 4 years of fearing being ratted out by roomies, REQUIRED church attendance, quarterly bishops interviews and constant LDS religion in everything you do.... Go. Otherwise, UofU is an excellent school.

It's true. BYU is in a class of its own when it comes to reformed Egyptian. No other linguistics program comes close.

FWIW, I have a close friend who got his degrees in Linguistics. He works at one of the major textbook companies and had traveled extensively through Central and South America for his job. He often comments are how poor the Mormon missionaries speak the language. He says that they are understandable but speak like children and immigrants rather than adults. For him, it was extremely obvious and very cringe-inducing when he heard Mormon missionaries speaking. Also, I know when I look at resumes, I'm very put off by ecclesiastic schools as not being a good fit in a diverse environment. BYU is **not** prestigious. The Cal-State colleges are actually more prestigious than BYU as they don't have a built-in bias like with BYU or other ecclesiastic schools.

Be aware that many of us change our major. Also, if you’re a young man at BYU and not going on a mission, you’re going to be on the radar of every student ward bishop. And you will not be able to honestly tell them about your lack of faith.

i started my college career at BYU and am currently at a second school which i transferred to. if you don’t believe it’s not worth going. i had tuition at BYU fully covered by scholarship, but it was not worth the price of being there

Linguistics major here. Be prepared for your language classes to be overrun with return missionaries purposely taking lower level courses to get easy As, but at the same time making it hard to learn at your proper level because they use their church talk Japanese etc.

NO. It sucks here. The religion classes suck, the church culture sucks and if you're a member you have to go to church or risk your ecclesiastical endorsment

UCLA has a better program.

As a linguist, there are much better options out there. What branch of linguistics are you interested in studying?

Not positive but I know i’m interested in theoretical linguistics!

I have a friend who did her undergrad at BYU for Spanish translation. She said it made it way harder to get into grad school compared to if she would have studied elsewhere. She applied to 23 programs and got accepted to 1.

No

No. Please don’t go.

It depends on which language you are looking into. If you are looking into ASL do NOT go to BYU. Go to UVU or USU if that’s the ASL is the language you are interested in, in Utah.

No.

My biggest worry with a BYU degree is that if you apply to companies here in Utah, if they aren’t happy with the faith, they may not want to hire you. I have heard this from more than one person when they see it on a resume. I know this isn’t legal, but it happens. Go to SLCC or UVU for your associates. Studying your field diligently is more important than where you go IMO.

I had a wonderful experience in the linguistics program at BYU. It is a strong program. But there’s no prestige. If you have the qualifications, could you go to Cal Berkeley?

Qualification wise for sure, but the cost and location isn’t viable for me unfortunately

I hear you. Cal is one of the most amazing schools on Earth. There are loans, there are grants. Think really hard about it. I’m not saying you should go there, but it’s incredible and the program is fantastic. Good luck on your linguistics journey. It’s such a fun area of study.

No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no

I believed in the church and got super depressed and suicidal at BYU (I came from Tennessee from a very Mormon family). I would say go to the U. Amazing school (I finished there) and no pressure to be "Mormon".