Marriott School programs are notorious for having limited enrollment and low acceptance rates. Every summer, hopeful Marriott School applicants anxiously await the news of whether they’ve been accepted into their prospective majors.
With school just around the corner, take a look at three students who made the cut and are ready to start their new programs.
From interning in Hawaii to volunteering in Rio de Janeiro for the United States Olympic Committee, Casey Nixon has had quite the adventure-filled summer. But though summer is coming to a close, he doesn’t have any intention of slowing down. Nixon is looking forward to his new adventure this fall—starting the junior core of business management with an emphasis in strategy.
“I’ve known I wanted to apply to the Marriott School of Management for a long time,” Nixon says. “However, it took some time and testing out different majors to realize that strategy was where I belonged.”
His advice to prospective applicants? “It is important to take the time to do your research,” he says. “Look into potential jobs and majors; attend different clubs; and reach out to friends, relatives, and even strangers to learn more about a specific job market. Taking the time to do that helped me find something that I love and that I am good at.”
His efforts certainly paid off. Aside from a sense of gratification, being accepted into the Marriott School meant two things to Nixon: celebratory pie and making his mother proud.
After graduation, he plans to work in management consulting for a few years and then continue his education by earning an MBA.
Friends of Laura Branham describe her with words such as confident, fun-loving, and social butterfly. But don’t let those terms fool you into thinking this BYU junior doesn’t know how to work hard and get down to business. Only 58 percent of the applicants to the information systems program will be entering its junior core this fall, and Branham is among the 13 percent of those students who are female.
“Being accepted into the Marriott School was a huge success for me,” Branham says. “Having done well enough to be admitted into my program of choice gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment.”
Branham says she came to BYU for its highly ranked academic programs and its proximity to her family.
“I am so grateful to be here,” she says. “My favorite thing about BYU is the opportunity to learn around every corner.”
Other than IS, Branham’s passions include enjoying the outdoors; discovering the music scene in Salt Lake City; and reading a good, sappy romance novel.
Branham plans to graduate in April 2019 with both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in information systems.
Playing tuba in the marching band, taking naps, and working with numbers are just some of Katherine Adams’s favorite pastimes. Since being at BYU, the Glendale, Arizona, native has had ample opportunity to exercise those hobbies. Though we can’t confirm the naps, Adams has been a member of the BYU Cougar Marching Band for three years and will start the junior core of the accounting program this fall.
“I had always thought I’d go to BYU,” Adam says. “Initially, I wanted to go for the social atmosphere. It was during my senior year of high school that I decided accounting would be something I would enjoy for a career. The Marriott School has one of the highest-ranked accounting programs in the nation; at that point, I knew BYU would be a good school for me.”
“Press forward calmly” is the advice Adams would give to her fellow classmates. “I think stress can be one of the biggest hindrances to success,” she says. “If you work hard and stay calm, everything will work out.”
Aside from being accepted into the accounting program, Adams’s favorite accomplishment this past summer was her marriage in the Provo City Center Temple to her best friend of eight years.
Adams is currently working as an associate auditor for BYU’s internal audit services. After she earns a MAcc, Adams plans to work toward becoming a certified fraud examiner or a certified internal auditor.