<p>I'm considering applying to TCU, Baylor, and SMU, but I was wondering how religious these campuses are. I know they are all religiously affiliated, but to what degree does it show in campus life and curriculum? As someone who is not strongly religious, I would prefer to go to a college with no religious affiliation, but I'd like to know more about these schools before making a decision.</p>
<p>Baylor is extremely religious for a school in 2012… It was less than 20 years ago that dancing became allowed on campus. Baylor is just a weirdly religious place.
TCU is practically secular… The school is not even religiously oriented anymore…</p>
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<p>From most to least-Baylor, TCU, SMU.</p>
<p>Church Ties</p>
<p>•TCU is the largest of 14 colleges and universities associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a denomination committed to demonstrating true community, deep Christian spirituality and a passion for justice.
•With the full support of the Disciples, TCU is committed to the highest standards of scholarship, affording students the rigorous challenges that make higher education worthwhile.
•Reflection on questions of meaning and value is crucial to genuine learning. TCU’s covenant with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) supports an approach to education that brings together faith, reason and intellectual curiosity.
•Students come from more than 60 religious groups and participate in 22 recognized student religious organizations on campus, including groups for Christian, Jewish and Muslim students. </p>
<p>Don’t know how this really “plays in Peoria” but here’s the TCU company line.</p>
<p>The Methodists long ago set their colleges and universities free fo their Christian tethers. Not so the Baptists.</p>
<p>From a parents perspective (my son went there two years), Baylor is a religious university but nothing is shoved down your throat and there are many non-Christians who attend Baylor. There are also many non-practicing Christians who attend the university too (based on my son’s comments about the parties and drinking that go on off campus, just like any non-religious university). The only mandatory religious participation is that you must attend chapels and take a few religion classes your freshman year. SMU seems to have almost no religious affiliation whatsoever outside of the M(Methodist) in its name. I don’t know enough about TCU to make an observation.</p>
<p>TCU is a gorgeous campus and more secular. This would be my first choice. Ft. Worth is an awesome town also. Not near as big as Dallas and tons to do. You need to check it out. I’m trying to get my 15 yr old son interested. SMU is smack in the middle of Dallas- the area is just too crowded.</p>
<p>I currently attend Baylor and I have to say that there are strong religious themes throughout the campus but it is not shoved down your throat. It has provided me a fantastic education so far but I have to admit that throughout freshman year, the religious attitude is pretty much everywhere. After the first year, it died down. My roommate who is not Christian nor affiliated in any way tells me that she enjoys it here because it has helped her opened her perspectives to other cultures and the education has been quite stellar.</p>
<p>SMU has no religious affiliation.</p>
<p>^^ ummmm Southern METHODIST University</p>
<p>I visited all three schools and I can tell you that Baylor requires you to take two religious classes, TCU only requires one religious class (supposedly there is a really chill one where you can watch a movie and write a paper on the religious aspects of the movie) and SMU does not require any religion classes, the only thing that makes them “religious” is that they have a church on campus.</p>
<p>Baylor = religious, mandatory chapel, etc
TCU = not religious. Only one world religions class required. But if you want to be religious there are many religious groups with a big presence on campus
SMU = an even less religious version of TCU</p>