University of Utah vs. Western Washington University..
- Thread starter neiche
- Start date
PeterWojnar
Active member
...and the winner is... UBC. But of those two, Utah has better snow, closer, and WWU has Baker (on which you can go touring pretty much all year) and a shit ton of awesome mountain biking all year round.
Billiards.
Active member
Utah>WWU academically I reckon
MaryO
Active member
I can't speak for WWU, but we did a campus tour of the UofU with our son in Feb. (he is currently a Jr in H.S.), and we were very impressed with the campus and the acedemics. He wants to go into pre-med or pre-dental(undecided yet), and the Uof U appears to have a very strong science program, as well as pre-med.
Outside of school, seems you can't beat the array of outdoor activities, every season of the year.
Outside of school, seems you can't beat the array of outdoor activities, every season of the year.
shocker611
Active member
yeah another vote for utah here. Fun all seasons, great med/business programs, SL is real nice. What are you going into? thatll be a big decider as well
WWU was my second choice school. It has a good science program, and one of my friends is doing really well in the biochemistry track. Baker is fucking sick. As a rule, Washingtonians aren't supposed to tell people how good the snow is here, but I'm an Alaskan, so I'll tell you straight up.
I got to take a trip to Baker with some of my friends, and we had the chance to ski about 20 inches of fresh. The locals rip, and everyone was pretty down to earth (compared to the rest of Washington, or CO for that matter), it reminded me a lot of Aleyeska, and I can't wait to go back. If you are at all interested in living in one of the chillest towns in the US, Bellingham is where it's at. Very 420 friendly, and the WWU kids like to party (Western Wednesdays?). They might not throw down as hard as some other schools, but they kick back and have a good time. In retrospect, I would have fit in there a lot better than at the smaller private school I chose.
I wouldn't go to Utah. Utah is one of the most uptight and restrictive states in the USA. The skiing might be good, but you aren't going to find the awesome Pacific Northwest atmosphere.
Go to WWU, live out my dream! Smoke a lot of weed, study hard, and ski harder; graduate with a good degree, stay clean for the summer, and get a good job. You really can't beat that.
I got to take a trip to Baker with some of my friends, and we had the chance to ski about 20 inches of fresh. The locals rip, and everyone was pretty down to earth (compared to the rest of Washington, or CO for that matter), it reminded me a lot of Aleyeska, and I can't wait to go back. If you are at all interested in living in one of the chillest towns in the US, Bellingham is where it's at. Very 420 friendly, and the WWU kids like to party (Western Wednesdays?). They might not throw down as hard as some other schools, but they kick back and have a good time. In retrospect, I would have fit in there a lot better than at the smaller private school I chose.
I wouldn't go to Utah. Utah is one of the most uptight and restrictive states in the USA. The skiing might be good, but you aren't going to find the awesome Pacific Northwest atmosphere.
Go to WWU, live out my dream! Smoke a lot of weed, study hard, and ski harder; graduate with a good degree, stay clean for the summer, and get a good job. You really can't beat that.
special_k10101
Active member
western is pretty cool. i have a lot of fun when i head up there and i've sat in on a few classes and i was pretty impressed. granted, i'm from seattle, but i could never see myself going to school in utah.
Bellingham is a WAY cooler town, and Baker is obviously really sick, however, the drive from B-Ham to Baker is shitty, 1.5 - 2 hours, that sucks.
U of U is in very close proximity to several resorts, 30 - 45 mins to Snowbird or Brighton or PC, and there are lots of skiers there, but SLC SUCKS.
i'd go to B-Ham just based on the vibe of the town. But if you are trying to ski 5 days a week, U of U
U of U is in very close proximity to several resorts, 30 - 45 mins to Snowbird or Brighton or PC, and there are lots of skiers there, but SLC SUCKS.
i'd go to B-Ham just based on the vibe of the town. But if you are trying to ski 5 days a week, U of U
Baker is good when its good, but it's annoying when it pisses rain for a month or more at a time. Also, driving 1.5 hours to the mountain sucks.
Bellingham is nice but it's boring as hell. WWU campus is awesome because it's embedded into a mossy forest, but the rest of Bellingham is typical Generica. The landscape around here is pretty flat, all the nature zones have paved trails with signposts, and it's hard to do anything outdoorsy without having to pay $10 for parking or risk getting a ticket.
As far as people, there's a cool ski community. But the majority of the people you'll encounter are a bunch of "420 bro" trustafarians, which is a deal breaker for me. Honestly, I'm less annoyed by Mormons than I am by white people with dreadlocks.
While it's stupid to choose a school based on skiing, just know that you'll be skiing at most twice a week if you're taking a full schedule with basic classes. Once you start taking harder courses, there will be times when you go a month without skiing simply because getting up to the mountain takes an entire day.
Bellingham is nice but it's boring as hell. WWU campus is awesome because it's embedded into a mossy forest, but the rest of Bellingham is typical Generica. The landscape around here is pretty flat, all the nature zones have paved trails with signposts, and it's hard to do anything outdoorsy without having to pay $10 for parking or risk getting a ticket.
As far as people, there's a cool ski community. But the majority of the people you'll encounter are a bunch of "420 bro" trustafarians, which is a deal breaker for me. Honestly, I'm less annoyed by Mormons than I am by white people with dreadlocks.
While it's stupid to choose a school based on skiing, just know that you'll be skiing at most twice a week if you're taking a full schedule with basic classes. Once you start taking harder courses, there will be times when you go a month without skiing simply because getting up to the mountain takes an entire day.
hella.sick.skier
Member
utah has the greatest snow on earth. and tom wallisch lives here!
but i'm in logan btwfruitstick
Member
Go Utah cause Tom Wallisch goes there
shocker611
Active member
your hopes are probably too high.. logan is not where you want to be in utah
STAUSS
Active member
"utah is one of the most uptight and restrictive states in the USA"
thats bullshit. SLC has two rad schools and there is an epic party scene, as there is anywhere with universities. in terms of awesome skiing, Baker is fucking sick, I've skied there. But if you want to be able to balance skiing and school equally you can't beat Utah. The mountains are 40 minutes away compared to an hour and 40. and the terrain, snowfall, and parks are some of the best in the world.
thats bullshit. SLC has two rad schools and there is an epic party scene, as there is anywhere with universities. in terms of awesome skiing, Baker is fucking sick, I've skied there. But if you want to be able to balance skiing and school equally you can't beat Utah. The mountains are 40 minutes away compared to an hour and 40. and the terrain, snowfall, and parks are some of the best in the world.
tinkytwinky
Active member
Plus it rains like no other.
neiche
Member
yeah this is kind of how i feel with balancing school and skiing. I feel like at western i wouldn't be skiing very much...I don't know. 3-4 days of skiing is what I'm aiming for, but I want to be able to really focus on school and i feel like at utah I could study as much as I needed to and ski when I have time since it's so close.
Only issue is utah would cost about $7000 more for my family a year, so I need to decide if it's worth that.
And I'm from Eugene, OR, so Bellingham wouldn't be too much of a change. Classic pacific northwest rain, with mountains 1-2 hours away. Utah is appealing because it would be totally different from that, for better or for worse but I think that's part of the college experience
Only issue is utah would cost about $7000 more for my family a year, so I need to decide if it's worth that.
And I'm from Eugene, OR, so Bellingham wouldn't be too much of a change. Classic pacific northwest rain, with mountains 1-2 hours away. Utah is appealing because it would be totally different from that, for better or for worse but I think that's part of the college experience
buddychaps
Active member
Western is so sick man, i love it here. I could not have picked a better school. So much scenery and activities to do; the people here have been super welcoming and it's a tight community. I definitely couldn't have picked a better area to live. Live on the ridge your first year if you come, you'll meet a ton of people, and it's really easy to meet other skiers and get a crew going.
Not to mention baker is not far away at all. If you don't mind skiing in the rain and sog every so often its an awesome place to be, I'd say do it! However if you want low alcohol percentage in your beer then go to Utah.
Not to mention baker is not far away at all. If you don't mind skiing in the rain and sog every so often its an awesome place to be, I'd say do it! However if you want low alcohol percentage in your beer then go to Utah.
terraclot
Member
This was my dilemma last year, except uw was also an option. I chose uw, left after a quarter because I realized they didn't have the field of study I was interested in, and in the fall I will be going to U of U and working plenty down there. Skiing is much more accessible and you have more options as well. Sure, Bellingham has Baker but it gets so packed and its about a 2 hour drive. Even if you have to take some classes at slcc then transfer to get in state at u of u, then go for that man.
Jamie_Baril
Active member
if you have any disposition to hipsters you should avoid western.
Dude... Usually I think you're hilarious, and I like your edits a lot, but at Taylor Swift puts it, "Why u gotta be so mean????!"
I told the kid that going to WWU was MY dream, not necessarily "the college dream life" I also told him that the PNW atmosphere is probably a bit chiller than Utah, which ranks as one of the most conservative states in the US. To say that one area is chiller than the other is a subjective opinion, but it's based on census demographics, Gallup polls, and other solid sources of information. To say that UofU is a cooler school with better skiing, and to make a good argument for that, is perfectly acceptable and what the OP wants; however, to call me ignorant as fuck because you didn't agree with my argument is just fucking petty. Take shots at me in another thread, I'm about to post pics of the FT's I'm attempting to dye, there should be lots of troll potential there.
To the OP:
I'm sure if I did it all again, and I went to WWU or UofU, I'd have an amazing experience at either school. Would I rather live in a city with a bunch of "white kids with dreads" over a city with a huge Mormon influence? Yes. Do location and ideology make a huge difference when picking a school? For me, not really. It boiled down to academics and scholarships. I skipped out on the party scene and good skiing to be at a small school with a good biology/premed program, but if skiing is really important to you, put that first. You can get educated anywhere if you focus and study.
Since the skiing is good near both schools, I'd suggest the you pick the school that lightens the financial load the most. If WWU is 7000 less a year, you might want to go there.
If you are afraid that Bellingham will be too much like home, don't be, college will make everything different anyway. I like Bellingham more than Eugene (cool city too though). You're right
on the Puget sound, and there are some awesome state parks around there.
Larrabee is amazing, you can climb on all the boulders by the water,
drink some beers, and watch a good sunset (if the sun ever shows). You can also get to Canada in about 15 minutes, which can be pretty fun (expensive) if you're looking to hit the bar scene before you turn 21.
You should also check out this article.
http://unofficialnetworks.com/20-deepest-ski-resort-snowpacks-north-america-ii-71028/
With the 7000 you save, you can get a fat pair of ON3Ps, a Subaru, and a metric ton of Granola. You will fit right in at WWU.
...And my Adderol makes me write a super long post instead of correcting my calc homework. I hope at least some of my advice is useful.
I told the kid that going to WWU was MY dream, not necessarily "the college dream life" I also told him that the PNW atmosphere is probably a bit chiller than Utah, which ranks as one of the most conservative states in the US. To say that one area is chiller than the other is a subjective opinion, but it's based on census demographics, Gallup polls, and other solid sources of information. To say that UofU is a cooler school with better skiing, and to make a good argument for that, is perfectly acceptable and what the OP wants; however, to call me ignorant as fuck because you didn't agree with my argument is just fucking petty. Take shots at me in another thread, I'm about to post pics of the FT's I'm attempting to dye, there should be lots of troll potential there.
To the OP:
I'm sure if I did it all again, and I went to WWU or UofU, I'd have an amazing experience at either school. Would I rather live in a city with a bunch of "white kids with dreads" over a city with a huge Mormon influence? Yes. Do location and ideology make a huge difference when picking a school? For me, not really. It boiled down to academics and scholarships. I skipped out on the party scene and good skiing to be at a small school with a good biology/premed program, but if skiing is really important to you, put that first. You can get educated anywhere if you focus and study.
Since the skiing is good near both schools, I'd suggest the you pick the school that lightens the financial load the most. If WWU is 7000 less a year, you might want to go there.
If you are afraid that Bellingham will be too much like home, don't be, college will make everything different anyway. I like Bellingham more than Eugene (cool city too though). You're right
on the Puget sound, and there are some awesome state parks around there.
Larrabee is amazing, you can climb on all the boulders by the water,
drink some beers, and watch a good sunset (if the sun ever shows). You can also get to Canada in about 15 minutes, which can be pretty fun (expensive) if you're looking to hit the bar scene before you turn 21.
You should also check out this article.
http://unofficialnetworks.com/20-deepest-ski-resort-snowpacks-north-america-ii-71028/
With the 7000 you save, you can get a fat pair of ON3Ps, a Subaru, and a metric ton of Granola. You will fit right in at WWU.
...And my Adderol makes me write a super long post instead of correcting my calc homework. I hope at least some of my advice is useful.
fruitstick
Member
Theres this thing called anger managament
Sorry if I hurt your feelings, but I hate people who dog on U of U and say that its not fun and not a real college and shit because the people who say that have NO IDEA what they are talking about. People like you assume you know what it's like in utah and you guys are always wrong. Ive only heard of one kid who didnt like utah on NS (Laxbro, but hes a fucking douche) ask any kid who has gone to the U or westmini and i guarantee 99% of them will say it was a great college experience. College is what you make of it, the location doesn't matter.
heFF
Active member
Utah's fuckin awesome..the school and campus is great ..I've certainly blacked out many more times than i can count..the beer gets you just as drunk..maybe have 2-3 more or if you're too cool for 3.2 go to the fucking liquor store..theres 3 within 3 miles from my house....Oh yeah the skiing...the best you can find..park city/brighton/canyons if you like park..little cottonwood canyon if ya dont'...not to mention snowbasin is an hour north sick ass mountain..and then you still have 3 awesome other seasons...which give you time to climb, mtn bike, hike, swim, etc
STAUSS
Active member
bong bong!
if your looking for a super different vibe than your home town def hit utah. i came from VT and they couldnt be more different in terms of landscape and culture. but i've also met a lot of kids who are from all over the country, and everyone is tryna ski and get outside as much as possible.
as well as hit some pretty fun party scene.
I got to westminster though so the school is a lot smaller but we kick it with a buncha kids from the u
if your looking for a super different vibe than your home town def hit utah. i came from VT and they couldnt be more different in terms of landscape and culture. but i've also met a lot of kids who are from all over the country, and everyone is tryna ski and get outside as much as possible.
as well as hit some pretty fun party scene.
I got to westminster though so the school is a lot smaller but we kick it with a buncha kids from the u
shocker611
Active member
Its pretty easy to get in state after your freshman year and then utah is cheap as hell, so dont worry about the money issue
I'm expecting an update today. Which school did you choose?
Interesting turn of events for me. One of my friends (who is originally from Utah) lost some financial aid and has to transfer to UofU next year. She did a year of school at Utah State before she came here, and got stuck with a bunch of
Mormon roomies who passive aggressively judged her on everything from
wearing tank tops to even thinking about drinking. She was pretty excited to get away.
So, third transfer in three years, and she's been trying to get herself pumped up about moving again. I've been passing along some of the things you guys have said.
But.. If you end up at UofU, one of the best chick snowboarders I know will be there as well.
Interesting turn of events for me. One of my friends (who is originally from Utah) lost some financial aid and has to transfer to UofU next year. She did a year of school at Utah State before she came here, and got stuck with a bunch of
Mormon roomies who passive aggressively judged her on everything from
wearing tank tops to even thinking about drinking. She was pretty excited to get away.
So, third transfer in three years, and she's been trying to get herself pumped up about moving again. I've been passing along some of the things you guys have said.
But.. If you end up at UofU, one of the best chick snowboarders I know will be there as well.
youRsmellA
Member
The U of U's penis inspection is really hard to pass, and cans of beer come only 3.2% full, but if you can get into one of the polygamist dorms then you should have fun.
neiche
Member
Probably gonna end up in Utah in a couple years, but I chose Western Washington mainly because I got good financial aid and it sounds like a great school/area. Thanks to all for the advice.
This thread is pretty relevant to many of you high school seniors/ future seniors who are making the decision, and some people have probably weighed the pros and cons of going to either of these schools.I'll leave this thread open for more people to leave advice but I'm stoked for Western Washington!!
This thread is pretty relevant to many of you high school seniors/ future seniors who are making the decision, and some people have probably weighed the pros and cons of going to either of these schools.I'll leave this thread open for more people to leave advice but I'm stoked for Western Washington!!
Keep in mind academics... what are you majoring in? I know western has a really good envi sci program (and other environmental based programs). Utah is generally ranked higher in other categories (business, enginerding, other sciences, humanities, etc...)
I was looking at both and chose Utah. Skiing is superb at both but I'm a fan of bigger schools and It also was the best at the program I was looking to go into (biology).
Keep in mind all it does in bellingham (this is relevant to all of washington and oregon) is rain
I was looking at both and chose Utah. Skiing is superb at both but I'm a fan of bigger schools and It also was the best at the program I was looking to go into (biology).
Keep in mind all it does in bellingham (this is relevant to all of washington and oregon) is rain