I have been accepted to TCU and baylor and had been planning to go to TCU for about a month, but then I received a nice scholarship from baylor.
I visited baylor and loved the campus and school but walked away feeling that it was very religious and after research it honestly seems boring. I was looking forward to being in Fort Worth and got a much more college feel from TCU, but I’ve been under a lot of pressure now to choose baylor.
I am worried that I am going to be bored at Waco because it doesn’t seem like there’s much of a party scene at all. I don’t want to go to an out of control party school but I planned on drinking and enjoying college and fraternity life. I was not exposed to anyone who could give me the real answers on the tour and am worried that it could be the wrong decision for me because I am not religious and wanted to party at least a little.
Admittedly I am biased since I have a son (alumni) and daughter (junior) at TCU. My daughter faced the same decision (Baylor and TCU). They are very different schools. Both have solid academics. Both have great school spirit. Though Baylor is suffering from the rape/athlete issue.Both campuses are beautiful. Fort Worth is a great city. Waco not so much. One of the high points for both my kids was/is Fort Worth. They love it and both plan to reside there after graduation (from CA!). TCU has a fair amount of partying and Greek life is pretty big. I actually believe there is a “code of conduct” at Baylor about no drinking. So, social life is different. I really think it comes down more to the other students you have met and where you feel you’d fit the best. If you are asking about partying and that side of college life is important (no judgement), Baylor probably isn’t your best option.
Baylor is not overly religious but it is a religious school. There is no doubt that there is more to do in Fort Worth than there is in Waco. Fort Worth simply has more of a social scene than Baylor. I know a few students at both schools and all of them are happy with their choices. Based on your criteria, TCU is going to be the better choice.
Agree with the comments above - if you want to party, TCU would be a better choice. My son is at Baylor and loves the school / academic opportunities. Fraternities are pretty good. He accepts chapel and Waco as part of the package but I hear grumbles from time to time. If you have these questions now, I doubt chapel and the Waco environment will appeal to you. Personally, I love the Hotel Indigo and the Magnolia Silos / Spice Village along with the parks, so visiting Waco is a plus for me. Congrats tho on your scholarship to Baylor. It’s a solid school and has been a great choice for my son.