Getting into BYU

[kccougar]

Several of you have had children go to BYU in recent years. What's the definitive word on what it takes to be admitted?

I have a very intelligent but relatively lazy 14-yr old son that started 9th grade this year. He says he wants to go to BYU, and I want him to go to BYU if he can get in. What's the best way to go in high school to maximize his chances?

Straight A's in regular classes?
Take honors classes?

How about IB? Right now he is on track to participate in the IB program but from what I've heard about the amount of work required, I'm not sure that IB is best for him. Are IB classes weighted more heavily?

[Babs]

Have him take the SAT or ACT (or at least the PSAT) this year so you have a benchmark start from.

[old_gregg]

gpa and act/sat (have him take both) are the number one and two considerations, respectively, by a wide margin. ib classes are weighed more heavily than regular classes, but if he is going to get <3.5 on a regular basis in an IB program and isn't going to score >30 on the ACT, go with the regular classes.

[Jeff Lebowski]

It all boils down to GPA and ACT. They used to look at what courses you take, ave GPA at your HS, etc. Not anymore.

The conventional wisdom is that he will need a GPA = ~3.6+ and ACT = ~26+ in order to be admitted.

[kccougar]

Have him take the SAT or ACT (or at least the PSAT) this year so you have a benchmark start from.

Not too early? I'd think he'd have a low score just because he hasn't really even been in high school yet.

[smokymountainrain]

It all boils down to GPA and ACT. They used to look at what courses you take, ave GPA at your HS, etc. Not anymore.

The conventional wisdom is that he will need a GPA = ~3.6+ and ACT = ~26+ in order to be admitted.

Does it make a difference whether one lives in or out of Utah? That seems low to me. I was thinking it was more in the 3.8/29+ range.

[filsdepac]

It all boils down to GPA and ACT. They used to look at what courses you take, ave GPA at your HS, etc. Not anymore.

The conventional wisdom is that he will need a GPA = ~3.6+ and ACT = ~26+ in order to be admitted.

I agree. A higher ACT with a lower GPA can also get one in (although I wouldn't risk any lower than 3.3). Ever the lazy person, I figured that a higher ACT would take less time investment than a higher GPA, so I studied hard (well, relative to my HS tests) and got a 31. I went through the motions in my HS classes and got like a 3.4, so straight A's aren't necessary if you have a decent ACT score.

FWIW, someone I knew got a 22 on the ACT and had a 3.7 GPA and got in. However, he was a very experienced MDT guy, which is almost as good as running a 4.3 40. He also got kicked out 2 years later for stereotypical MDT behaviors. But I digress.

[PaloAltoCougar]

Our youngest had a 29 ACT, but was decidedly unmotivated when it came to studying and had a 3.0 (all college prep courses, but big deal). The BYU Admissions office sent him an "Enjoy Rexburg!" notice, and now he is doing just that.

[smokymountainrain]

Our youngest had a 29 ACT, but was decidedly unmotivated when it came to studying and had a 3.0 (all college prep courses, but big deal). The BYU Admissions office sent him an "Enjoy Rexburg!" notice, and now he is doing just that.

FWIW, someone I knew got a 22 on the ACT and had a 3.7 GPA and got in. However, he was a very experienced MDT guy, which is almost as good as running a 4.3 40. He also got kicked out 2 years later for stereotypical MDT behaviors. But I digress.

La familia PAC is on a roll today folks!

[Jeff Lebowski]

I agree. A higher ACT with a lower GPA can also get one in (although I wouldn't risk any lower than 3.3). Ever the lazy person, I figured that a higher ACT would take less time investment than a higher GPA, so I studied hard (well, relative to my HS tests) and got a 31. I went through the motions in my HS classes and got like a 3.4, so straight A's aren't necessary if you have a decent ACT score.

Optimization. You would make a good engineer.

[Jeff Lebowski]

]Does it make a difference whether one lives in or out of Utah?[/B] That seems low to me. I was thinking it was more in the 3.8/29+ range.

Nope.

[New Mexican Disaster]

I know a number of folks who have gotten in with 3.1-3.4 gpa's with 26-29 act's. they let a lot of folks in for summer school like this.

[falafel]

Does it make a difference whether one lives in or out of Utah? That seems low to me. I was thinking it was more in the 3.8/29+ range.

Nope.

I remember hearing that BYU divided admissions into "zones," meaning if you were from a certain zone that typically had a lot of applicants, you had to have higher scores to get in. If you came from a zone with very few applicants, you could have lower scores. For example, its easier to get into BYU if you live on the east coast than if you live in Utah/Arizona/Nevada/California/Idaho. International zones were the easiest to get in from.

My info comes from my best friend and college roommate who applied to BYU from England. He says this is what BYU told him.

[smokymountainrain]

I remember hearing that BYU divided admissions into "zones," meaning if you were from a certain zone that typically had a lot of applicants, you had to have higher scores to get in. If you came from a zone with very few applicants, you could have lower scores. For example, its easier to get into BYU if you live on the east coast than if you live in Utah/Arizona/Nevada/California/Idaho. International zones were the easiest to get in from.

My info comes from my best friend and college roommate who applied to BYU from England. He says this is what BYU told him.

Interesting - that would make sense based on what I've heard.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Taking some of the honors classes might prepare him better for the ACT. I don't know.

But IMO, you don't have to study hard in high school to get something north of a 3.7. In my high school, an A- was the same as an A and they also didn't weight honors and AP classes for valedictorian purposes. I was the king of the A- and didn't get anything lower than an A- my first six semesters of high school. AP Calculus finally doomed me my senior year and I got a B+.