Alumni connections factor into admission
When it comes to getting into the most selective universities in the country, close family ties can advantage prospective students, according to a recent Harvard study.
Admissions Office representatives said the same criteria do not apply at USU, the Alumni Association works to attract students whose parents or grandparents graduated from USU and create lasting relationships with future alumni.
There are several programs intended to help legacy students or students whose parents or grandparents graduated from USU.
“President Albrecht instated the Legacy Waiver in 2009,” said Craig Whyte, USU alumni program director. It waives the non-resident portion of tuition for any out-of-state (legacy) students. But that only applies to students who are first admitted.”
Whyte said prospective students often have a strong connection to USU alumni, and few students don’t have relatives who graduated from USU.
“I would say that connection is greater at USU than other universities I’ve encountered,” Whyte said.
Steve Godfrey and Seth Hilton are both USU students who have relatives who are alumni.
“I come from a whole generation of Aggies,” Godfrey, a sophomore majoring in English education, said. “Both of my grandparents worked at USU, and my dad and all his brothers came here, so I’ve always been surrounded by the awesomeness of USU. It’s not that they forced me to come here, but they loved it so much that it really rubbed off on me.”
Hilton, a freshman majoring in exercise science, said, “My parents both came here and they let me discover USU’s greatness for myself as I was deciding which college to come to.”
Whyte said the devotion of some alumni to USU is discovered through the recruiting process.
“With the terrific student experience we offer here and what alumni have experienced, many of them want their kids and others they interact with to attend USU,” Whyte said.
One such recruit is Courtney McCann, a senior majoring in accounting.
“I was recruited initially by an alum who was teaching history in my high school,” McCann said. “Since attending USU, I’ve recruited my sister and several of my cousins. I’m just converting the whole family from BYU.”
Some students, like Karla Mora, still manage to find USU on their own. Mora is a senior majoring in psychology from Idaho Falls, Idaho.
“I attended an event in Idaho called Hispanic Youth Symposium,” Mora said, “and spoke to USU representatives there my junior year in high school. After that, I came on a campus tour at USU, worked hard and qualified for a scholarship by the time I graduated high school.”
Having seen several students finish their time at USU, Whyte said he hopes they’ll remain engaged once they move on.
“I would encourage all graduates to join the Alumni Association,” Whyte said. “Some have the perception that all we want from alumni is their money, but that’s not true. Our three most important goals are to create lifetime relations between Aggies, help facilitate networking with other alumni and discover opportunities.”
McCann said after she graduates she plans to remain involved through the Alumni Association and even spread the word about USU in places such as Las Vegas where she said few people know about the university.
“I love USU and I feel like it changed my life, not just for me but my whole family. It’s opened doors and changed our mindset about college and our opportunities,” Mora said.
“You invest a lot in school and they invest a lot in you. I want to continue that relationship,” Godfrey said.
– timothyjbarber@gmail.com