Social environment at University of Utah

[Audrey Patterson]

Hi! I have recently been accepted to the speech language pathology masters program at the University of Utah. I am very interested in attending, however I want to know more about the environment at the school. Are most students in the masters program from in state? I will be coming from Kentucky, so it'll be a big change. What do people do for fun? What's life like in Salt Lake? I want to make sure I'll fit in. 

Is anyone in this specific cohort? I'd love to chat!

 

[plume]

I am not in the program, but I lived in SLC for a few years. My ex went to law school there and my good friend just finished the nursing program.

PROS: Salt Lake is a cool city. I know we will all be busy in grad school, but are you outdoorsy? I loved Salt Lake for the access to the desert, mountains, and skiing. SLC is beautiful! I am a western lady, and I will be back to the west after school. The landscape is very different from the south (obviously), and very special in its own way. Campus is in a good location at the edge of the city. I lived near campus and enjoyed it, and then lived in the Avenues and LOVED it. It is a super clean city.... almost weirdly clean..... but nice. There are great restaurants in the city. There are fun things to do, like a free outdoor concert in the summer with amazing bands usually.

CONS: SLC is about 50/50 LDS/non-LDS. I am not Mormon, and I found it harder than other places I have lived to make friends. This is not because people are unfriendly there (its totally the opposite) but the LDS community is so tight and my friends who were Mormon were busy with church, etc. on the weekends. I don't think this would matter to you, though, because you will probably be hanging out with your cohort  The culture and politics are really interesting and odd to a non-LDS person. There are odd laws.... like happy hour is outlawed, and the drinking laws are strict. I am just bringing this up because it adds to the culture. Also, Sundays are eerily quiet.

The biggest con ever is the pollution there. SLC suffers from inversions and you can see and taste the air pollution on really bad days. Every year varies—some years it is manageable, and other winters it feels like it never goes away and is depressing. I don't think it would be a big deal for 2 years, though.

Also, I have heard their program is more medically-focused, but I have no idea if that's accurate.

Overall, I think it would be an awesome experience! I have fond memories of SLC and have thought about moving there again (but living above the pollution)!

[Audrey Patterson]

13 minutes ago, plume said:

I am not in the program, but I lived in SLC for a few years. My ex went to law school there and my good friend just finished the nursing program.

PROS: Salt Lake is a cool city. I know we will all be busy in grad school, but are you outdoorsy? I loved Salt Lake for the access to the desert, mountains, and skiing. SLC is beautiful! I am a western lady, and I will be back to the west after school. The landscape is very different from the south (obviously), and very special in its own way. Campus is in a good location at the edge of the city. I lived near campus and enjoyed it, and then lived in the Avenues and LOVED it. It is a super clean city.... almost weirdly clean..... but nice. There are great restaurants in the city. There are fun things to do, like a free outdoor concert in the summer with amazing bands usually.

CONS: SLC is about 50/50 LDS/non-LDS. I am not Mormon, and I found it harder than other places I have lived to make friends. This is not because people are unfriendly there (its totally the opposite) but the LDS community is so tight and my friends who were Mormon were busy with church, etc. on the weekends. I don't think this would matter to you, though, because you will probably be hanging out with your cohort  The culture and politics are really interesting and odd to a non-LDS person. There are odd laws.... like happy hour is outlawed, and the drinking laws are strict. I am just bringing this up because it adds to the culture. Also, Sundays are eerily quiet.

The biggest con ever is the pollution there. SLC suffers from inversions and you can see and taste the air pollution on really bad days. Every year varies—some years it is manageable, and other winters it feels like it never goes away and is depressing. I don't think it would be a big deal for 2 years, though.

Also, I have heard their program is more medically-focused, but I have no idea if that's accurate.

Overall, I think it would be an awesome experience! I have fond memories of SLC and have thought about moving there again (but living above the pollution)!

Thanks for the reply!! That's all good to know  do you know if the program/school in general attracts many out of state students? 

[Amanda Brady]

I have also been accepted to the University of Utah and have the exact concerns you do. I loved the program and all the students I met on a recent visit. I had several concerns about not fitting in with the Utah population in general (not Mormon), and the school suggested finding housing in areas that were about 20 to 25 minutes from campus (without snow).  It seems as though there will be a lot of commute time. The curriculum also seemed much more geared towards pediatrics, and I am hoping to work with adults/geriatrics. These concerns are making me question if it is a good fit for me. I was also accepted to Northern Arizona which is a great location and fits me very well . The negative I see there is that students don't begin their practicums until the end of their first year, pus I am concerned about getting medical externships in such a small city. Plus, they only require 1 externship (don't know if this is okay in the eyes of employers). I feel like I'm so stressed out about making the wrong decision. If anyone can give me additional input, it would be greatly appreciated.

[plume]

@Audrey Patterson I think the university attracts people from all over. It is not one of the programs in that area that really only attracts Mormon students. It definitely has a different culture, and the high LDS population definitely affects the 'feel' of SLC, but it also has a strong counterculture. I would not worry about being the only person non-LDS at all! Especially for grad school! (I think there is a higher chance for diversity in grad programs!) I have very limited experience, but I knew LOTS of people in the law program who were not LDS. 

@Amanda Brady I have struggled with the same things with NAU! I just don't know. The one externship thing does bother me, that seems like a big deal but I don't know! I was also concerned about getting enough clinical opportunities there. At the same time, I'm sure they offer some unique opportunities due to their location (specifically on the reservation). The area is wonderful, but I don't want to just go to school for the location.... confused!!!! See above for my input on not fitting in at U of U. I would also contact some current grad students there and see if they really have more experience for peds. Good luck!

[jpiccolo]

I considered the U when I was applying a couple years ago. What I didn't like was the delay in starting clinic (second semester) and waiting until the end to do both externships. I have a friend there now and she seems to post lots of good things about it. My classmates interviewed for externships there and were surprised how the students there didn't know their whole cohort since it was so big. Mine is 25 and we relied on each other heavily. I heard some rumors about quality of the supervisors at the U, but I can't speak from experience. 

Salt lake is a good area if you aren't Mormon. More diversity since it's a big city in comparison to other parts of Utah where I'm finishing school. I know it was very different for some of my classmates who were unfamiliar to the lingo or lack of drinking/bars (in northern Utah anyway there aren't many bars) but all of us on both sides were open and friendly and respected our differences and it wasn't a big deal. Like already said, Utah is known for being outdoorsy but you can find other things to do as well. Museums, sports teams, malls, hiking, bar hopping (mostly salt lake according to my friends), concerts, etc. 

[Louly]

I'll be attending UofUtah and I'm from the midwest. So do not worry! =)

[jemooley]

I've also decided to attend UofU and I'm from out of state as well (CA). My biggest concern is the inversion layer that I've been hearing about. In addition, I've never lived in a place where it regularly snows in the winter so I'm wondering how my transition with the climate will be. But, overall, I'm excited about the program/location!

[limonchello]

Helped me a lot

[plume]

53 minutes ago, jemooley said:

I've also decided to attend UofU and I'm from out of state as well (CA). My biggest concern is the inversion layer that I've been hearing about. In addition, I've never lived in a place where it regularly snows in the winter so I'm wondering how my transition with the climate will be. But, overall, I'm excited about the program/location!

You will be cold, but the snow usually melts quickly there! The change in seasons can be really pretty in Utah.

The inversion layer is not ideal, but it is usually only a big deal in the winter and is not visible every day. I would personally find it manageable if I was only going to be there for 2 years. 

[ell012]

I attended the program at the U- I'm from out of state and not LDS. I'd say my cohort was mostly from Utah but there were a good portion of us that came from out of state. Most of my cohort is Mormon, but for the most part this was a non issue and no one made you feel uncomfortable if you weren't Mormon. I will say the non-Mormons in my cohort grew close, because at times it can feel challenging to live in Utah and be in the minority. SLC is half and half, but the all the politicians here are LDS and as a result the state is conservative. There are some ridiculous laws and there is a perception about Utah -most of my friends from out of state wondered why on earth I applied to go to the U, because the perception is that Utah is a weird and backwards place. The program will keep you very busy but there is plenty to do in Utah, especially if you enjoy the outdoors. There is fabulous hiking very close to the U, and there are fun bars in downtown SLC, and of course skiing. I can't speak to much else just because I didn't get out much while I was in the program, but there were plenty of people in my cohort who had booming social lives, I'm just an introvert/homebody. The inversion is gross but it doesn't last all winter long- just if it's really cold and there's very little moisture to clear it out.

Not sure if you have specific questions about the program but I'll share my experience. You don't have your own clients until the spring semester but you have a 2nd year who is your mentor the first semester and you work with their client. If you are really, really dying to have your own client the first semester, just lobby with your supervisor and it could possibly happen. There were some people in my cohort who had their own clients the first semester. The cohorts at the U are big, there were 40+ in mine, but don't let that discourage you. I liked and got along with just about everyone in my cohort and you get plenty of opportunities to collaborate and get to know each other better. The supervisors are for the most part good- some of them are a bit more strict than others as far as SOAP notes and lesson planning/documentation. 

Anyways, hope that helped and I'm happy to answer any other questions about the U! I remember when I was applying and I couldn't find any first-hand accounts or advice and it drove me crazy!!