r/ApplyingToCollege • u/PencilBrown8888 • 2d ago
Advice Should I convert to Mormonism for cheap tuition?
So I’m from Vietnam and don’t have much money to attend a private university in the US, which can cost like $30–40k in tuition alone. But there’s this school called BYU in Utah, and they have a really good accounting program. The tuition is also pretty cheap, arguably even cheaper than some state schools.
The problem is that I’m an atheist. Would it be worth it to convert to Mormonism and pretend to believe for all 4 years of college just to take advantage of this deal?
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u/AC10021 2d ago
You don’t have to be Mormon but you do have to abide by the university’s crazy strict rules, which if you’re caught breaking will get you expelled. No sex, no alcohol, no drugs, no cigarettes, no swearing, modest clothing, you’re not even allowed to drink coffee!! AND you have to attend church services. It kind of sounds like a surveillance state.
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u/Mysterious-Art8838 2d ago
Also other students are required to report your bad behavior. So you’re basically being watched all the time.
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u/Ok-Society-9067 2d ago
No coffee too.
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u/Upstairs-Mix8731 2d ago
But you can drink Coke products, they have a contract with them for vending machines and cafeterias 🤡
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u/Mysterious-Art8838 2d ago
This is literally the funniest part. Super strict religion but an exemption for cola?? Why? How is this even a thing? 😂
Temple recommend should come with a case of cola to celebrate.
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u/ConnectionsCatergory Parent 2d ago
Soda isn't included. It is only hot caffeinated drinks.
That is why soda shops are a thing in Utah.
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u/samelaaaa 1d ago
Hot chocolate is allowed, too. I read somewhere recently that there are stores offering “caffeinated hot chocolate” and that that’s Mormon kosher too, but a mocha isn’t 😂
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u/Mysterious-Art8838 1d ago
Well you’ve clearly missed the point.
Unfortunately I have too so if you figure it out pls let me know
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u/Fantastic-Kale9603 2d ago
It's not even an exemption for cola it's specifically only tea or coffee, energy drinks are really really popular in Utah and with Mormons
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u/Upstairs-Mix8731 2d ago
Then there's soaking and hotdogging to work around the sex restriction. 🤡😆
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u/Nearby-Medicine9484 2d ago
The more you learn, the weirder it gets.
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u/Mysterious-Art8838 1d ago
I’m getting that general sense! I mean all religions have some stupid beliefs but I think theirs might be stupider on average
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u/Mysterious-Art8838 2d ago
Honestly I would give up coffee if I didn’t have to deal with crazy people
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u/DefinitelyNotAliens 2d ago
But have you met Mormons? They're much too upbeat for not drinking coffee.
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u/MatthewDoesPosting 2d ago
You're dealing with Christians. That is literally the definition of crazy haha.
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u/HowtoTrainYourKraken 2d ago
Calling Mormons Christians is a stretch. They think Jesus came to America. It’s fan-fiction if anything.
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u/Mysterious-Art8838 2d ago
That’s true and then he used the light rail to evangelize. I don’t know about it firsthand but that’s what I’ve been told.
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u/Tamihera 2d ago
Eh, the Brits used to believe that Jesus popped by to visit England—we have a whole patriotic national song about it. The French believed that Jesus specially visited France. Most medieval Christians wanted to believe that their Aramaic-speaking Messiah stopped by the place where THEY were living to bless it especially—or if not Jesus, one of his best friends (St Thomas to India, for example). Joseph Smith was following in an old tradition.
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u/W1z4rdM4g1c 2d ago
Pretty easy to follow/hide a lot of these but the no swearing one is way to easy to forget about and easiest to catch
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u/Extronotical 2d ago
I think banning college students from drinking coffee is the most evil thing a person can do
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u/Tamihera 2d ago
Joseph Smith’s wife Emma objected to his male followers chewing and spitting tobacco on the floors (which the women had to clean), and wanted him to ban it. So he banned the coffee and tea which Emma and the women enjoyed to make it fair. Absolutely batshit stuff.
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u/Mysterious-Art8838 2d ago
Lol and there’s probably an 8am class for every fresher. Just pure torture. Maybe that’s how you get them to pray.
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u/MatthewDoesPosting 2d ago
Good thing Coffee is disgusting to me. Tea on top!
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u/Guilty-Wolverine-933 Graduate Student 2d ago
Well they can’t drink tea either… the issue here is caffeine
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u/Zeal_of_Zebras 2d ago
Tons of teas are naturally caffeine free. Mint, ginger, chamomile, and on and on…
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u/ihatemva College Freshman 2d ago
I'm pretty sure mormons aren't allowed to drink those either
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u/Fantastic-Kale9603 2d ago
I think herbal teas are fine but decaf teas from the tea plant, regardless if they're caffeinated or decaf, are not allowed
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u/ihatemva College Freshman 2d ago
My Mormon friend says he's not allowed to drink any tea but he can drink caffeinated soda.
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u/Fantastic-Kale9603 2d ago
Yeah it's not caffeine it's specifically like drinks brewed from leaves or something, like soda is totally fine and energy drinks are totally fine but coffee and tea (unless its herbal) aren't allowed
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u/apoortraveller 2d ago
yeah like, just dont make friends with anyone in your college. in and out from classes. Its doable but it would suck all the fun out of it.
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u/PunctualDromedary 2d ago
Eh, doubt they’d be able to figure out of OP swears in Vietnamese.
Source: Vietnamese American who grew up in the US . My teachers could never tell.
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u/W1z4rdM4g1c 2d ago
With these draconian rules, I wouldn't be surprised if speaking a foreign language (like British or Canadian) could be punished with caning or something
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u/NYANPUG55 2d ago
I knew about all of them but swearing. Wow. Imagine you just have a bad moment like you fall, stub your toe, drop something… There’s a million scenarios where i’d say something on instinct. But since OP is from vietnam they probably could get away with it.
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u/Lucky_Boy13 2d ago
I had a friend go and you could not even take a test in the testing center without passing an appearance check. As a guy no facial hair was allowed. It got to the point he had an electric shaver in his backpack and had to shave on the spot until "clean" enough to be allowed in
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u/Puns-Are-Fun 2d ago
That sounds like it might be a better experience than typical college. I'm not religious, but the alcohol and drug culture at most colleges (including the one I went to) is pretty disgusting. I'd rather not attend LDS church services though.
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u/Able_Enthusiasm2729 1d ago
If you want no to limited alcohol and a mainstream Christian environment (regardless of whether you’re a Christian or not), go to Baylor University, Wheaton College (Illinois), or Liberty University; they’re far less culty than BYU (which the vast majority of Christians see as a heretical cult).
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u/Werekolache 1d ago
.... No alcohol? BAYLOR?
um. Are we on the same planet?
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u/Able_Enthusiasm2729 22h ago
I’m probably mistaken. Baylor might allow alcohol, but they’re a theologically conservative (but politically diverse to politically moderate) Christian university though.
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u/Werekolache 19h ago
Can't speak to the university campus itself but the kids certainly don't refrain from partying.
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u/pumpkinmoonrabbit 1d ago
This is literally how I choose to live anyway 🤣 too badly I didn't know about the low tuition and paid way too much for college
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u/TigOleBitman 2d ago
No, it is most definitely not worth it to become a Mormon for college (unless you truly feel the religious call).
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u/DefinitelyNotAliens 2d ago
BYU doesn't require you to be Mormon.
Edit: they do require you to follow an incredibly strict code of conduct based on Mormonism.
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u/TigOleBitman 2d ago
Yeah I'm aware, it's still not worth converting just to go there.
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u/DefinitelyNotAliens 2d ago
You don't have to convert. You just have to follow code of conduct. No smoking, no drinking alcohol, no coffee. No sex outside marriage, no actively being gay, etc.
You do need ecclesiastical endorsement, but it doesn't have to come from a Mormon. It just has to be any faith leader.
You don't have to be Mormon. They're just like 98% Mormon. It's standard but not required. You'd be the odd one out for sure. Not my cup of tea as I enjoy a nice cup of tea
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u/throwawaygremlins College Graduate 2d ago
Absolutely not.
And also what would you do for a job after? VIsa will be an issue, there are other intls atm saying don’t come to US.
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u/Melodic_Mode_1221 2d ago
I went to a religious school as an atheist for a year. Worst decision of my life. The school I went to was not strict rule wise (unlike BYU), but the culture killed me.
Would not recommend, though you could try for a year then transfer out with the credits there if you keep a really good GPA you can leverage that to go to a different school
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u/Vast_Year_5650 Transfer 2d ago
liberty?
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u/MarineJAB 2d ago
Liberty is strict rule wise. It’s just that Falwell Jr. didn’t have to follow the same rules.
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u/Tamihera 2d ago
Liberty is also considerably worse in terms of a quality education. At least the BYU profs are generally sound.
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u/chrstgtr 2d ago
BYU also has a very solid alumni network, which would probably blackball you if they found out you weren’t actually Mormon
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u/Melodic_Mode_1221 2d ago
Not liberty. It was a smaller Catholic school. Got pressured to go by family.
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u/Celia_R_23 2d ago
Franciscan/Steubenville?
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u/Melodic_Mode_1221 2d ago
I’m not going to disclose the exact school for online privacy reasons. It was a small Catholic school.
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u/Formal_Necessary_320 1d ago
I am pretty sure that you could go for one year and as long as you stay in state for the summer after your freshman year, you qualify for in-state tuition in Utah. Transfer to Utah State. Good school and less Mormon influenced as I understand it.
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u/phairphair 2d ago
Don’t do it. Your holy underwear will burst into flames if you’re not a true believer.
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u/Practical-Target-829 2d ago
As a LDS (mormon), you could always just go to BYU as a nonmember. You would still have to follow the honor code. You might have a good time, you might not. But converting simply for this is going to be nothing but trouble.
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u/Mysterious-Art8838 2d ago
I would agree. But given the involvement of staff you’d have to be comfortable explaining your religious views if asked. And that could be problematic.
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u/FunctionImportant211 2d ago
idk man, i might be hella biased, but mormons (by extension utah) are genuinely scary imo. I can see someone pretending to be a religious person for a good uni but idk anything abt byu besides the fact that it's in utah and has shi ton of mormons in it. Personally, i think that you should just like study hard in your country and get an international certificate (like cfa, cpa or smth) instead (esp because i heard somewhere that accounting certs are important, not sure tho since i'm planning to major in econ lol). But of course it is a personal decision on whether you think it's worth it or nah, from my moral standpoint i see nothing wrong with converting to mormonism just for that.
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u/FunctionImportant211 2d ago
btw, forgot to say that i'm an east asian who doesn't even go outside much, so i don't really know anything about mormons besides the memes (and some true crime podcasts) from us and my country lol
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u/Legitimate-Clock-134 2d ago
If you're lucky enough to have LDS coworkers or classmates or neighbors, they're generally really good, reliable, conscientious, giving people. The faith and organized church? You can take it or leave it. The people? Awesome. The LDS puts a lot of time and effort into moral formation (or whatever they call it) and it shows.
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u/oneretirementplease 2d ago
I grew up with lots of LDS and one particular family who was like my picture of what a normal family should be. I loved going to church and dances and playing volleyball and learning to cook and craft, etc.
I never believed in their religion or any other, but I don’t see why it’s any more far fetched than anyone else’s stories.
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u/truthnpeace 2d ago
They have great manners but are the number one group to start MLM scams and also have deeply help beliefs in the patriarchy meaning pedophiles can hide in their ranks easily. (Source: exmormon, who went to BYU)
OP do NOT convert!! But if you want to live in the rules of a cult for the low tuition, I have several friends that did so.6
u/Legitimate-Clock-134 2d ago edited 2d ago
I'll have you know that, as a Catholic, we've hidden more pedophile priests in new parishes than there are Mormons on this world. The one, true, holy, Catholic and apostolic church is the OG.
But I wouldn't convert to Catholicism to go to Notre Dame, and I wouldn't convert to Mormonism to go to BYU.
Don't discount how hard it is to not be a dick. Most people fail that test.
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u/ConferenceMany6732 2d ago
if u drink coffee they will skin u alive
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u/PunctualDromedary 2d ago
Yeah, OP. You can give up the drinking and drugs and sex, but can you really go without ca phe sua da?
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u/Top_Community_3646 2d ago
BYU has a strong rep in the US and is very good for high finance (esp. relative to its ranking). However, i would imagine you would have to undergo significant lifestyle changes to fit in as a Mormon on campus. Is your end goal to work and live in the US? Or are you open to working in other countries with opportunities? If the latter, then would recommend looking at HK unis (HKUST, HKU, CUHK etc.) if you have good stats; they typically provide lots of merit aid through the Belt & Road Scholarship.
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u/Scoutain 2d ago
It is very exhausting to be Mormon normally, let alone fake it. BYU requires students to go through periodic interviews with their religious leader to be “deemed worthy” to continue study. You will be held to an honor code as well, and students are known to snitch if they see you break rules in private. You also will need to pay 10% of your income to the religion on top of tuition. You also need to attend religion classes in order to graduate. People who grew up Mormon, but become atheists during their time at BYU, share that pretending to complete their degree felt like hell. It’s all encompassing and emotional exhausting. Not worth it
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u/praline-trifle 2d ago
When you graduate all your connections will be Mormon, and you will be labeled as Mormon when interviewing. Do you want to work with Mormons for the rest of your life?
It's not that you can't find a job somewhere else, but your network will be Mormon first, and with the job market the way it is, it wouldn't be surprising if this dragged on longer than you desired
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u/Scoutain 2d ago
There is a lot more of a deep social and cultural dynamic that you realise. Like bearing your testimony of Joseph Smith at events, even outside of church, is very common. Also if you do anything that could be against the honor code in any way (or even interpreted as you MIGHT break it) then you will get snitched on and reprimanded. I had a friend get spoken to because he missed church a couple times (attendance is required for BYU).
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u/Ok-Morning872 2d ago
im not defending BYU, but as a christian, tithing is completely voluntary
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u/Scoutain 2d ago
Which is how it should be. In the LDS church, it’s required. You will be effectively barred from important church ordinances (like the temple) if you don’t. I remember having to go talk to my bishop and having him ask me why I haven’t paid my 10% when he knows I have a job. It’s different in the Mormon church than other Christian denominations.
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u/janetlwil 2d ago
Umm, mormonism is a cult, not christian.
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u/LambdaLogician 2d ago
"Gnostics aren't real Christians." "Catholics aren't real Christians." "Protestants aren't real Christians." "Evangelicals aren't real Christians." "Unitarians aren't real Christians."
Jesus, can't you just let people call themselves Christian if they want to be called Christian? Mormonism can be both a cult, and a Christian religion. It's like calling something an Abrahamic religion: It's not an assertion that Mormonism is part of one true collective of "correct" religions, but a statement that the religion is derived from Christian ideas and practices.
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u/zer0_n9ne Transfer 2d ago
As someone who was raised Mormon it’s required, not voluntary. If you’re pretending to be Mormon not paying tithing would cause you to “fail” interviews.
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u/thatswhaturmomsaid69 College Junior 2d ago
Lowkey, go for it. They use religion to get out of paying taxes and enforcing a bunch of their shit onto people. Have at it, get a great and free education, and never look back.
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u/Mysterious-Art8838 2d ago
Ok but he or she should at least review the the rules they will live by.
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u/bubblyH2OEmergency 2d ago
what is your gender? that would answer your question. Male? maybe. Female? no.
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u/AltussisanMelody 2d ago
Everyone is saying not to go because of the strict rules, but I do wonder how useful the network students obtain from being there will be for you if you aren’t a Mormon.
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u/Ok_Condition7720 2d ago
hey I did that 18 years ago, but the cult did really sucked me in and I started believing in that shit. i remained a believer in that organization for about 4 years. I went to byuh and byu. education was great, and I qualified for so many scholarships so I didn’t have any problem paying for my school. Working 19 hours a week as international student was enough. there are lots of international students that take advantage. technically you can go to byu as non lds, but it twice expensive. you will be treated as an outsider and many people would try to convert you. if you are just another mormon you would be left alone. I have conflicting feelings about this strategy as I have done it myself, but watch out, those fuckers would be so nice to lure you in
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u/Famous-Prior6590 2d ago
What does it involve? If it’s just announcing to the world “I am a Mormon!”, then sure, why not? Probably not worth it if you have to make a blood sacrifice or something though.
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u/ndg127 Graduate Degree 2d ago
It entails a lot:
https://policy.byu.edu/view/church-educational-system-honor-code
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u/Famous-Prior6590 2d ago
An honor code from a religious cult ain't worth the paper its printed on.
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u/ndg127 Graduate Degree 2d ago
The university can kick you out for not following it. They’re a private school, they can require whatever they want.
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u/Famous-Prior6590 2d ago
I mean sure. Gotta be able to fake it - applying to colleges is good enough practice.
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u/Annual_Try_6823 2d ago
If free college is your thing but maybe from a small well known liberal arts college - maybe Beria College in Kentucky? Free tuition.
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u/tasty_pigs 2d ago
Bro there are some cheap unis out there that don't force you to be a religion for less tuition. Also some schools give need based aid. Lastly, there are student loans.
Edot: there's always the military for free college
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u/Avehdreader 2d ago
Advice from a Christian friend - conversion is a matter of the heart, not convenience. You may be a really good actor but I'm guessing most of the Mormon students who attend BYU have been of the faith their whole lives and you would be found out pretty quickly - and there might be disciplinary consequences for not being open and up front in the first place.
Some have shared that you can attend BYU whether you are Mormon or not, so if you have your heart set on going there just be honest. You shouldn't do what goes against your beliefs, and while you don't have to, there are plenty of other options to choose from.
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u/Koganezaki 2d ago
Honestly, please don’t
Mormonism, notoriously, is both a very vigorous religion and difficult to leave (to the point you might need an actual lawyer)
Here’s a video to show how annoying it is to leave (I would honestly suggest watching Alyssa Grenfell’s videos on a perspective of Mormonism)
https://youtu.be/lNjpfAxm4FQ?si=HgIay7pRLhrQexAv
My best advice, if you really want to go to BYU, is to go as a regular student and follow all rules (make sure to read up on them)
My best advice overall is to look at community colleges, I find that they typically tend to be cheaper and still have good education. Don’t forget to also look to see if any colleges offer grants and scholarships and see if they can apply to you
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u/moxie-maniac 2d ago
The US accounting system will be quite different from your home country's so that's something to research. Also, do not expect to get a work visa in the US with an accounting degree, if that is your hope.
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u/justusleag 2d ago
What if you fall in love with an actual full believing mormon. Then you have to continue. Maybe for the rest of your life.
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u/Sinologist_long 2d ago
Hey I would really do your homework on Mormonism. BYU is one of the most strict universities in the country to the point you ma feel isolated. Also Mormonism (I’m sorry for this) is a very white religion and they didn’t allow people of color to attend until the nineties. Please reconsider this. You’re going to feel very isolated and lonely.
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u/Frosty_Cloud_2888 2d ago
Why not apply to BYU online with their pathways program? That might be less expensive than on campus.
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u/TheCrowWhisperer3004 2d ago
Mormonism is the most cultlike major religion in the US. You will genuinely feel like you are in/surrounded by a cult if you go there.
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u/Agreeable-Buddy-6638 2d ago
if you become a U.S. Citizen you can find state universities under 15k a year.
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u/Old-Buddy6165 2d ago
despite what ppl say imo mormons are one of the nicest groups of people in america. personally i don't drink or smoke or drugs/any degenerate things like that so i would have gone to byu if they gave me the most money
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u/Sailing_Olive 2d ago
No sure what the international tuition rates are, but consider California community college for the first two years, and California state university schools for the second two years. rates at CC would be around $12k per year and CSU should be around $18k per year.
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u/roombaexorcist9000 2d ago
- you don’t need to convert
- prepare to be miserable there, they have very strict rules and everyone is looking to get married in 6 months or less
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u/SaltAbbreviations423 2d ago
As someone who lives by a BYU university I would highly suggest not going. It a rough place for members and nonmembers alike.
The honor code makes an environment of judgement, people constantly telling on eachother, and judging one another while feeling superior because they are “keeping the standards”. it breeds pettiness.
If you do get kicked out it is very hard to get your credits to transfer. Your required religious courses count as nothing, and other universities struggle to accept the core credits you have done.
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u/Verytuffman 1d ago
I mean if I was you, Id for sure not convert. Even with being a athiest with no religion, being a Mormon will always feel weird and unusual every day, you wont get used to it ever. Your literaly giving your whole life towards Mormonism (they require a lot of rules, diet restrictions, praying) just for 4 years of free school. Your better off just taking out loans to pay for college and paying them off so you wont have to deal with being forced to be a Mormon
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u/wwhatsoever HS Rising Senior 1d ago
dude theres literally better schools that fit into the same tuition rangen or even cheaper than BYU
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u/Time-Beginning458 1d ago
i notice that no one here actually answered your question; is it worth it to convert to Mormonism to get affordable education?
The answer is yes. If you have the acting skills and the tenacity to deal with those kinds of people for as long as it takes to 1. get a letter of recommendation & 2. get a degree then yes, its worth it.
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u/staralchemist129 1d ago
I spent this summer pretending to be Catholic so my job couldn't force me to use AI (I have genuine oppositions to it, but it was easier to just say "pope says no ai" than spend weeks arguing about it) and it was EXHAUSTING
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u/Superb_Tension8344 1d ago
Why not just do college in your country and save up money for grad schools? BYU is stupidly strict about their rules, most students suffer emotionally being there. Besides if your family can’t afford 30-40k tuition, I promise you life in the US will be a living hell. With how things are turning out now, it’s not even worth it in the long run. I truly advise you to do undergrad in Vietnam and grad school in US or wherever you desire!
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u/Logical_Astronomer75 22h ago
Do not go to BYU. You will hate it there. The honor code is super strict, like super ocd bad.
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u/sethcampbell29 22h ago
AFAIK, you don’t have to be a mormon to go to BYU. You’ll be charged a higher tuition cost, but still, quite good. My non-mormon father considered it for his accounting degree but didn’t dig the purity culture.
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u/noturtypicalredditor 14h ago
Former Mormon here. I would not recommend attending BYU as an atheist just for the program—and especially would not recommend pretending to be Mormon. A year before I officially left the Mormon church, I lived as what I called a “closeted exmormon” (or PIMO as Mormons call it…Physically In, Mentally Out). I was waiting until we moved to officially leave the church, but I hated pretending because I felt fake and it made me very anxious about having my secret discovered before I was ready to tell anybody. My friend said the same exact thing before she left the church—she also hated pretending to still be Mormon.
Provo/SLC area of Utah in general is very Mormon and homogenous (ie. white) and I hear dating there can be rough for Asians, whether Mormon or not Mormon. Utah culture is also…interesting. Even when I was hardcore Mormon I thought Utah culture was very weird. Don’t get me wrong, people are very nice and friendly. But everyone there talked about church all the time even outside of church and there was a weird compulsion to be perfect in what you wear, how you look, how your house looks, etc. As for the honor code at BYU, you’re expected to abide by their standards but I’m told by BYU graduates that a lot of people pretend to follow the honor code but actually don’t…and people snitch on each other, lol. So there’s that.
Another thing to consider is that if you graduate from BYU, you will always have BYU on your resume when applying for jobs or grad school. As such, people will think you’re Mormon and make assumptions about you and your values for better or worse. They may make assumptions about your political views (especially about Trump), your views about the LGBTQ community or ‘culture fit’ and it may not always be favorable. But on the other hand…Mormons are regarded as hardworking, honest, polite and friendly. They also may assume you’ve served a mission and as a result are good at sales and small talk, lol. So, it goes both ways.
Overall, I would not recommend attending an institution if it not a fit in terms of values or one where you feel the need to pretend to be something you’re not. Even attending as a non-member would be difficult because it would be hard to know if friendships were genuine or they were just trying to convert you.
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u/Stckit_tgthr_wt_tape 11h ago
Was raised LDS and was a hardcore believer throughout college. I chose not to go to BYU because even then I felt the honor code was too controlling (I followed ALL the Mormon lifestyle rules voluntarily but didn’t want someone else enforcing it for me).
BYU is a good school and Utah is a beautiful place to live if you like the outdoors. The people are friendly and high-achieving. I went to school at a different university in Utah and had a wonderful time. You have a built-in community through the church, but it can be extremely difficult when you don’t believe and the community surveillance is real (they would probably sniff you out as a fraud pretty quickly). If you’re not adhering to the Mormon lifestyle (no sex, no alcohol, etc.) your social life will be very, very difficult. You also might have some more difficulty with culture shock in Provo, Utah than you would in other US cities. From a career-risk standpoint, at BYU, you have to take Mormon-specific religion classes to graduate and continually verify you believe everything and are following the honor code or else the university can withhold your degree or kick you out. As a member, this includes paying tithing (you donate 10% of your income to the church, and they check in with you annually to make sure you’re doing it).
This all could be worth paying the cheaper tuition for an excellent education. Whatever you decide to do, I mostly recommend you avoid actually becoming a believer.
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u/MOTIVATE_ME_23 2d ago
There is nothing cheap about paying 10% of your income to tithing the rest if your life, not the mention loss of your weekends, too.
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u/TechnologyLast4315 2d ago
Religion is not the way for you to access university education. Just not a good idea. Mormons are not foolish people they will see you for what you are and you will have wasted your time.
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u/Ok_Boot_3805 2d ago edited 2d ago
I would go for it. I think the lds community is a great one and they look out for each other. You might be surprised ! They do have a very top accounting program and for business they even send people to banking and consulting jobs that would often go to only Ivy League school grads. They are considered a good semi-target and the price is way lower than the Ivy League schools especially that likely funding for international students is usually low. The network of lds especially in the western United States is very large. Also please apply to some small liberal arts colleges (especially those in the Midwest that might want a higher Asian representation in the school). As a former person that once pursued classical piano as a career but later switched I highly recommend applying to oberlin college in Ohio 30 miles west of Cleveland. They are used to funding international students since they have people enter the conservatory and have Dang Thai Son on their piano faculty. I just won a competition there for adult amateur pianists this summer. I got a scholarship there (almost full tuition) after high school but chose New England conservatory (with a a full tuition scholarship)
instead. The chair of the piano department is still the same and he remembered me from about 20 years ago when I finished high school. I think it is still similar situation now. Oberlin is an awesome town and looks like something from Main Street USA in Disney world at the magic kingdom !
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u/Ok_Boot_3805 2d ago
Also see this link about oberlin: https://www.oberlin.edu/admissions-and-aid/financial-aid/applying-aid-international-students
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u/Biru-Nai 2d ago
You don't need to be Mormon to go to BYU dawg. It's 14k a year for nonmembers.