Brigham Young University Introduction
For students who are searching for an institution that has a mission to assist its students in their quest for accomplishment and eternal life, Brigham Young University is just the institution for them. Brigham Young University (BYU) is an institution that is established, guided and funded by The LDS Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).
Brigham Young University provides its students with a period of intensive education in an environment that is stimulating and where students are expected to commit to excellence and their full potential explored. All programs, services and training at this institution, which includes a large amount of extracurricular activities, should make its own contribution towards the balanced growth of the complete individual. Such a well prepared person will not only be able to successfully meet personal challenges and changes but will also be able to bring strength to those around him or her in the duties of family and home life, civic duties, service to mankind, social relationships and so on.
As mentioned earlier, Brigham Young University is funded by the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints and has satellite campuses in Rexburg, Idaho and Laie, Hawaii.
The things a student will learn at Brigham go way beyond what he or she will be taught in the classroom, and the other students that they will get to meet are also individuals who are unique. Being familiar with the institution’s rules and expectations of its students will make the transition of prospective students smoother and help them get the most of their Brigham Young University experience.
BYU’s total student enrollment is about 29,000.

History
BYU’s beginnings can be traced back to 1862 when Warren Dusenberry founded a Provo institution in a famous adobe building known as Cluff Hall. The school was situated in the 200 East & 200 North northeast corner.
The former Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ president, Brigham Young, personally bought the Lewis Building on October 16, 1875, after he previously hinted in 1862 that an institution should be constructed in Draper, Utah. October 16, 1875 is usually considered Brigham Young University’s founding date.
Brigham Young had a vision. He hoped to see an institution established in Provo, Utah where every child of the Latter-Day Saints could receive a quality education that was not mixed with the harmful atheistic influences that can be found in many of the higher institutions of learning across the nation.
The institution became known as Brigham Young Academy when it was broken-off from the University of Deseret, and classes began in January 3rd, 1876. Brigham Young Academy did not become a university until 1903, where it was dissolved and replaced by 2 institutions: Brigham Young University and Brigham Young High School.
Under the tenure of George H. Brimhall, BYU purchased seventeen acres of land from Provo known as Temple Hill. Although, there was some controversy over Brigham Young University’s purchase of this particular property among the locals, the construction of the institution’s first building on its present campus started in 1909.

Brigham Young University Academics
Colleges and Schools
BYU has 8 colleges and the following schools: David O. McKay School of Education, J. Willard & Alice S. Marriott School of Management, David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies and J. Reuben Clark Law School.

Programs Offered
Brigham Young University offers over 50 courses of study including Accounting, Psychology, Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry, Construction Management, Asian and Near Eastern Languages, English, Dance and so.
BYU offers master’s degree programs in most areas of study and students can earn doctoral degree in over 50 programs. Vital research facilities available at BYU include labs for atomic, condensed and plasma matter physics. Brigham Young University is also the location of the Center for Family History & Genealogy and the Ezra Taft Benson Agriculture & Food Institute.

Brigham Young University Admissions
The Admissions Committee members at BYU consider a variety of factors when making decisions concerning student admission. Every prospective student MUST be endorsed by his/her spiritual leader as an individual who is worthy to attend Brigham Young University and is also living in accord with the Honor Code and the Grooming and Dress Standards as well.
Prospective Students should also know that beyond the ecclesiastical endorsement, BYU’s Admissions Committee also takes each applicant’s academic record as the basic and core focus of their admission decisions into consideration. BYU is an institution that is searching for students who are achievers in several various areas, not only academics.
Every new Brigham Young University freshman applicant will go through a holistic evaluation procedure which will involve the following elements: seminary attendance, ecclesiastical endorsement, SAT or ACT scores, unweighted high school grade GPA, service, creativity, leadership, AP/IB classes taken, individual talents, special and unique circumstances, leadership and other factors that show an applicant’s ability to strengthen BYU’s community.
It is strongly recommended that freshmen applicants who wish to have a strong admissions chance to attend BYU have an unweightedGPA of B+ or better and have ACT scores in the mid 20s.

Financial Aid
Brigham Young University’s website is specially designed to assist students through the whole process of getting financial aid – the website will make sure that students do not miss a single thing while applying for financial assistance.
When the format is properly used, it will make sure that students know exactly how much money that they will need for school, what their resources are and how they can get their hands on those resources. Financial assistance at BYU is available in the form of BYU loans, federal loans, part-time work, federal grants and scholarships.

Brigham Young University Students
BYU offers on and off campus housing for its students. All unmarried undergraduates are required to stay in on or off campus accommodations that are approved by the institution.
Brigham Young University maintains 4 housing complexes where single students are housed and also maintains a housing complex where married students are housed. There are about 4,800 bed spaces within BYU’s four single student apartment complexes. The names of the 4 student residence halls are Wyview Park, Heritage Halls, the Foreign Language Student Residences and Helaman Halls. Wymount Terrace offers on-campus housing for BYU’s married students.
Students who desire to live off campus will be glad to know that Brigham Young University has also contracted with over 1,500 landlords and over 5,000 living units for its unmarried undergraduates to live in outside campus. Students should please note that the contracted rental units have agreed to exercise considerable efforts to sustain Brigham Young University’s residential living standards, satisfactorily separate unmarried men and women, not abuse standard tenant rights and make sure that all the facilities are in good repair.
The institution’s social and cultural atmosphere is truly unique. BYUSA (the official student association) organizes many of the on-campus student activities.

Athletics
Brigham Young University has 21 NCAA varsity teams, 19 of which have participated mostly in the Mountain West Conference since its commencement in 1999. Prior to 1999, BYU’s teams took part in the Western Athletic Conference. Every BYU team is known as the Cougars and since 1953 the school’s mascot has been Cosmo the Cougar.
BYU athletes are usually older than players from other colleges and universities. This is because a lot of BYU’s players serve on full-time missions for a period of 2 years. The NCAA permits students to serve missions for a period of 2 years without taking away that time from the student’s eligibility, a policy which has led to minor controversies. In the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, swimming and diving are the two sports that have joined the BYU’s Men’s Volleyball Program. The BYU Cougars will also contend in the MPSF for indoor track & field on both the male and female side.

Alumni
A lot of well known people have graduated from Brigham Young University and a few of them are:
•Stephenie Meyer – Best Selling Author
•  JaneClayson Johnson – Co-host of The Early Show on CBS
•  Orson Scott Card – Best Selling Author
•Sharlene Wells Hawkes – former Miss America and Sports caster for ESPN
•  Aaron Eckhart – Golden Globe nominated actor
•  JonHeder – Actor

Brigham Young University Additional School Information
Brigham Young University is an institution that exists to offer university education in an environment that is consistent with Church of Jesus Christ’s principles. This setting is preserved through student’s adherence of the school’s code of conduct known as the Honor Code which simply reflects those principles.
The Honor Code was initiated by BYU students in 1949. It places emphasis on being honest, living a virtuous and chaste life, not participating in tobacco and alcohol consumption, using non-filthy language, and following the other values that are included in the Church of Jesus Christ’s doctrines. The Honor Code is also supplemented by added guidelines on grooming, housing and dressing.
Brigham Young University athletic teams do not play games on Sunday, and players have also been expelled for violating the Honor Code.