This is the time of year when seniors are graduating from high school and preparing to go to college. In the church there are a lot of people who have a strong desire for their children to attend church schools (BYU, BYU Idaho, BYU Hawaii or the LDS Business College). These are good schools and difficult to get into. The majority of the applicants are not accepted.
I am admittedly among those who definitely want my kids to go to BYU—my husband and I both did—in fact I have already told my five year old that is where she should go. (I believe in starting young.) In reality I know that this may not happen, my children may want to go to another school or may not get accepted into BYU.
So is it the end of the world if you don’t get into BYU? My answer is no. It can difficult to attend a school when there is a low percentage of members if you are struggling with your testimony, but the church has set up a great support system, the Institute program, for college age members. In fact you do not even need to be attending college to take advantage of the program. You simply need to be the right age.
Each Institute of Religion will have a building near a campus. They will offer religion classes at several different times during the day. They often sponsor social activities as well. If you are not living in a college town, your stake may offer an Institute class one night a week. This program works in conjunction with the single adult program in your area.
Singles wards serve as another great support. These wards are set up to offer support and friendship to young single adults. They usually have a lot more activities than a regular ward. They will also have family home evening groups, to provide an added amount of support.
Related Articles:
A Website to Learn More About Church Schools
The Advantages of Participating in Institute Classes