As a current sophomore at the Y, I am here to tell you the good, the bad, the ugly, and the divine of attending the most sober university in the nation.

Number one pro - The cost! You can get great scholarships based on your GPA and ACT, and if not, tuition is dirt cheap compared to other big name schools.

Number one con - This isn't everyone's con, but sometimes BYU is called "YBU" (why be you, get it?) - and the phrase has truth. Often it feels like you're walking in an American Eagle ad. It's hard to complain about clothing, though, because at least people are dressed modestly. It is wonderful to be surrounded by students with standards like yours.

More Pros: Academics! I was a little bit stuck up about where I wanted to go, and because it was so easy for me to get into BYU I thought it would be easy at school. Not true. I work hard and learn a lot. It's cool saying prayers before class starts, like some teachers do, and many professors even integrate the Gospel into their classes (other than the religion teachers).
Exercise science classes! Those are only half of a credit, but I like taking one every semester just to get a break. BYU has repelling, snowboarding, ice skating, dancing, intramurals, ballroom, scuba diving, skiing, and the list goes on. SUPER fun.
Beautiful! BYU has seriously one of the most beautiful campuses you will find. Provo has a lot of great places for hiking and doing outdoor stuff.
Involvement! It's really easy to be involved and busy, and there is something for everyone. I was on the Model United Nations team, and BYU seems to always dominate the competition. It's not just in MUN either - there are so many successful and completely random clubs and teams.
The library! It's awesome. Really. One of the top college libraries in the country. I hear the periodicals section is where people most often get dates in the library.

More cons: Walking on ice sucks in the winter time.
This con could be good and bad, but BYU is like its own little universe - being on campus is like being in a bubble. if you don't live on campus, however, it's not as much like that. I lived on campus in Helaman Halls, and the meal plan was great, but you are always there.
Enormous. There are so many people who go to BYU so you have to find creative ways to be unique, which is quite different than high school.
RMs. Many are on the hunt. You get used to doing the ring check for everyone, seeing their ring finger on the left hand to figure out if they're married. I made a really convenient rule - no second dates with Return Missionaries, so if any I didn't like tried to take me on another date, I could just give them that rule and hopefully not hurt their feelings. and, since it's my rule, if I want to go on another date with one because he's handsome or really funny or nice, I can!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. I hope you enjoy your college selection process - I know it's such a huge deal, but really I think it would be hard to go wrong wherever you attend as long as you are studying what you love .

This informal letter was written in response to a Dad's request for me to talk to his daughter about BYU, because he couldn't convince her to attend. I didn't attempt to convince her one way or another, but tried to give her a picture of my experience and let her decide for herself.