For some young adults, the decision of which university or college to attend is a decision that requires much thought and evaluation. There are many factors that go into the selection of the school that, for many, will be home for the next four-plus years.
According to the Weber State University homepage, Weber was the choice for more than 25,000 full and part-time students.
According to the U.S. News College Campuses website, Weber State University ranks 68th in the west region for attendance, programs and student involvement. The report stated that for 2014-15 school year, WSU had more than 5,000 in-state students and more than 13,000 out-of state students.
WSU’s campus is small in comparison to other Utah universities with its relatively low 21:1 student-faculty ratio. Its 500 acres and 300 classes per semester give students an atmosphere that has been called “cozy and accommodating” by those in the community.
Some students find the location of Weber to be ideal. Full-time student and local resident Trudie Ferrin said that the ability to live at home and commute to school made Weber State the best option for her education.
“I love that I can just jump on the bus and be on campus within half an hour,” Ferrin said.
Although Weber State has the advantages of its size and location, many students attend Weber State for its programs. Weber State’s nursing program has been a top institution for 60 years according to the school’s webpage, and the radiology programs were two of the institutions Ferrin was looking at because of their high report.
Communication major Geoff Canaan recently transferred from BYU to Weber State for the sake of his major saying that Weber was one of the few schools that offered his desired emphasis. He said that Weber was the best option for him and also was highly regarded in the communication department.
For foreign-exchange student Kozue Morishita, choosing Weber State was a serious decision that required time and deep consideration. Weber is one of 160 universities across America that affiliate with other nations such as Japan in a student foreign-exchange program.
“The first reason I chose Weber was because my major is communication studies,” Morishita said. Weber State was one of the few schools to offer the extensive communication courses she needed to fulfill her degree.
“I love the mountains. I wanted to come and see nature. Ogden is very pretty,” Morishita said. Then pointing to her bright purple Weber State hoodie, she said, “I love Weber!”
While living close to home is not the situation for all Weber State students, it would appear that most of the attributes that pull students to this campus are similar.
The availability of programs, the small-town community and the beauty of the mountains are some of Weber State’s most enticing features. While every student has individual stories and reasons as to why they are a Wildcat, it seems that most would attribute at least a part of that decision to these factors.
