myUface Blog

Moving to the state neighboring Colorado, let’s investigate the very much under-appreciated state of Utah (full disclosure:  I was born in Vernal, Utah, so I am a little biased).

Activities

Like Colorado, Utah has a very diverse array of activities, many of which are based in the outdoors.    It is a hiker’s paradise, with several national parks and thousands and thousands of miles of trails.  There are also opportunities to ski, mountain-bike, fish, kayak . . . the list goes on and on and on.  For more information, visit the Utah travel site.

Extracurricular activities

You can expect to find many clubs providing opportunities to explore Utah’s wonderful wilderness.  Because of Utah’s unique religious heritage, many extracurricular activities exist to serve local communities, and for public service and volunteerism in general.  Sports are also a key interest for many students.  Aside from the “normal” sports, Utah’s universities might offer some additional opportunities, like horseback riding, rock climbing, and so on.

Social Activities

The majority of Utah’s population is made up of adherents to the Mormon religion, which frowns on the use of certain substances, such as alcohol.  As a result, the social atmosphere on Utah’s campuses is a little different form that on most U.S. university campuses (NOT better or worse – just different!).  Salt Lake City is the only “major” city in the State, and it has all the major amenities.  Again, though, the level of what we might call “hard-core” partying is lower than in most cities because of the religious tradition of the state.

Tourist Sites

Utah has no less than six major national parks or monuments, all of which are unbelievably beautiful.  In fact, I’ll come right out and say it:  in terms of natural beauty, Utah is the best state in the union.  Don’t believe me?  Just go to the websites for Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon, or Capitol Reef National Parks or Dinosaur National Monument.  If you want to experience natural beauty, you can’t go wrong with Utah.

Utah also has a number of wonderful ski resorts.  If you’re interested in dinosaurs or biology in general, Dinosaur National Monument is one of the world’s greatest repositories of prehistoric fossils.  Finally, Salt Lake City’s Mormon temple is a monument to one of the world’s fastest-growing religions.

Weather

Utah has two main climates:  it’s dry, desert climate, which covers most of the state; and a cooler, very unpredictable climate in Utah’s various mountain ranges.  Temperatures are extreme, with very cold winters and very hot summers.

Here’s a long, very detailed summary from Utah’s state climatologists.

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Salt Lake City, Utah is 44% less than in New York; salaries are 29% less than in New York.  Source is here.

Notable Universities

Here is Wikipedia’s list of Utah’s universities.

Posts in this Series

1. Choosing a University in the U.S.: North Dakota - 12 Sep
2. Choosing a University in the U.S.: Minnesota - 12 Aug
3. Choosing a University in the U.S.: Alaska - 31 Jul
4. Choosing a University in the U.S.: Utah (This post)
5. Choosing a University in the U.S.: Colorado - 21 Jul
6. New myUface Guide and New Series - 20 Jul