What's Baylor like? Anything info would be great!

<p>So it’s almost time to for all of us to choose the Universities where we will be spending the next four years of our lives at. Baylor is one of my top choices for Universities, but the thing is that it is slightly expensive lol. I am just wondering what it’s like so I can feel confident about making a decision to go there and having my parents spend all that money.</p>

<p>Bump! It doesn’t seem like people post on Baylor’s board much… I would like to know more about the school too.</p>

<p>Any specific questions? It’s a bit hard (for me, anyway) to answer a question so broad.</p>

<p>Okay um…
Are the students there generally friendly?
How is the food there? Are the workout facilities nice? How are the dorms??
Is it easy to meet new people? What is the best way to meet new people? clubs?
Are there a lot of parties?
Is there a lot of support for the sports teams?
Are there any particular things or places to go to have fun?
Just HOW conservative is it there? There’s no way it’s worse than A&M right?</p>

<p>And here’s a financial aid question… So i sent my Fafsa in last night, which is JUST after the priority deadline, and I’m scared that I won’t get any money at all. Is it generally that big of a deal to not send it in before the priority deadline? or will there surely still be a lot of money left over?</p>

<p>Lots of questions, I know, sorry!</p>

<p>Are the students there generally friendly?
I guess? I guess it depends on what you’re used to. I’ve found them quite friendly, but I’m not originally from the South.</p>

<p>How is the food there?
Cafeteria food isn’t bad at all, and you have plenty of options. It all starts to taste the same after awhile, though.</p>

<p>Are the workout facilities nice?
The SLC is very nice! There are even raquetball courts, a pool with a waterslide, and a rock-climbing structure. I’m sad that I’m gone and no longer able to use these facilities.</p>

<p>How are the dorms?
I suppose it depends on which dorm, but they’re not bad overall. I lived in the honors dorms, which were quite spacious and had community bathrooms. Rather old, so occasionally there were problems, but not too many. My second year I lived in on-campus apartments. Mine was set up rather strangely, but it was really nice and new.</p>

<p>Is it easy to meet new people? What is the best way to meet new people? clubs?
I suppose at any school its easy to meet new people, whether through classes or clubs or Greek life. I met my closest friends through volunteering, a club, and just randomly talking to people.</p>

<p>Are there a lot of parties?
There are if you’re looking for them, but it’s also quite easy to find other ways of having fun if you’re not. Baylor is a dry campus, so you have to be careful about that, but off campus, there are plenty of parties.</p>

<p>Is there a lot of support for the sports teams?
Not nearly as much as at A&M or Texas. In fact, many Baylor students are more fans of another team than Baylor. Still, Baylor’s not completely lacking in school pride (especially when are sports teams are doing well!).</p>

<p>Are there any particular things or places to go to have fun?
There are parties and movie theaters and clubs/bars and such. Waco doesn’t have as much going on as larger cities, perhaps, but there’s tons to do if you look. Plus, we’re nicely situated between Dallas and Austin and such, so you can easily make trips on the weekends to larger cities.</p>

<p>Just HOW conservative is it there? There’s no way it’s worse than A&M right?
Can’t really compare it to A&M. Speaking as someone who came from a public high school in California, it is pretty conservative. However, it’s not quite as conservative as you’d think, particularly among the honors students. A lot of the students self-identify as Christians in one shape or form, and there are a good number of conservatives, but if you’re liberal, you’ll find a good number of like-minded folks.</p>

<p>And here’s a financial aid question… So i sent my Fafsa in last night, which is JUST after the priority deadline, and I’m scared that I won’t get any money at all. Is it generally that big of a deal to not send it in before the priority deadline? or will there surely still be a lot of money left over?
Honestly, I can’t answer this question, since I know nothing about FAFSA or financial aid. I’m lucky enough to be able to survive on scholarships.</p>

<p>Lots of questions, I know, sorry!
Not too many questions at all! Let me know if you have more, or want clarification/more detail on anything I’ve said.</p>

<p>wow thank you, that was really informative.
Just a few more =)
Was it worth the money, in your experience?
Good educational quality? like are there any professors that are just horrible?
Did you love your time there? Was it something that you would never take back?</p>

<p>Glad that helped! :)</p>

<p>Was it worth the money, in your experience?
Well, as I said, I got a very nice scholarship, so it was definitely worth it. But I will also say that I’m quite glad I chose Baylor. </p>

<p>Good educational quality? like are there any professors that are just horrible?
I’ve loved most of my profs, particularly those in my honors program, the Baylor Interdisciplinary core. There were some that I didn’t care for, but there were far more that I really liked, both personally and as a professor. It’s also nice because Baylor is smaller than a lot of public schools, so you get to know your profs better and are very rarely taught by grad students/TAs. I feel like I’ve learned and grown a ton through Baylor, and I definitely recommend you look into the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core.</p>

<p>**Did you love your time there? Was it something that you would never take back? **
I am very glad I chose Baylor. I didn’t love it all the time, and I will say that I didn’t make extremely close friends at Baylor itself. Still, it enabled me to study abroad twice (I’m doing it for the second time now, before I graduate in May), which has been an incredible experience. I’ve had some amazing professors, I really liked my honors program overall, and I found a couple of organizations that fit me really well. It’s a pretty campus, too, and let me experience a place outside of California – and an atmosphere quite different than that of my public high school. Baylor may not be for everyone, but I think it was a good fit for me.</p>

<p>ETA: I just noticed I said earlier that the honors dorms had community bathrooms. Actually, they had SUITE bathrooms, which was nice. Most dorms do have the community bathrooms, though.</p>

<p>Wow, thanks a lot! What you said will have a pretty big impact on whether or not I choose to go to Baylor. Thanks again!</p>

<p>Here’s another Baylor perspective:</p>

<p>THE STUDENTS THERE GENERALLY FRIENDLY?
I’d say so. I agree that it depends on what you’re used to though. My freshman year I got a lot of random folks walking up to me saying “Hi!” Had no trouble meeting new people. </p>

<p>How is the food there? Are the workout facilities nice? How are the dorms??
The food is alright. Nothing to write home about, but does include a variety. There are 3 or 4 dining halls (can’t remember) and they pretty much offer the same things. Some dining halls are known for having something extra or just a little better than the other… but in general, the food is okay. There is a Chick Fil A, Quiznos, Chili’s Too, Sbarro (however you spell it), Ninfas, and Starbucks directly on the campus. I lived in the Honor’s Dorm and it was great being around people that were in the same program in case I had questions about a particular assignment or wanted to vent about a particular professor. My dorm (Memorial) had a suite bath so I only shared it will 3 other people (my roommate, and next door neighbors). Some dorms are definitely nicer looking than others… but in general, they are fine. </p>

<p>Is it easy to meet new people? What is the best way to meet new people? clubs?
You’ll meet alot of people during welcome week. Your dorm will sometimes have random events where you can meet people. Baylor has a ton of clubs so look some up that you’re interested in and give them a shot. The key to meeting people is to be willing to put yourself out there. What I mean is, you can’t stay in your dorm room and expect to meet people lol. </p>

<p>Are there a lot of parties?
Join facebook, if you’re not on there already. You’ll get tons of off campus party invites that way. There are a ton of word of mouth parties and stuff going on too. That’s definitely something you won’t have trouble finding if you’re looking for it. But Baylor isn’t “Party Central”</p>

<p>Is there a lot of support for the sports teams?
I can’t speak on this one. I know they have special tutoring for athletes and you’ll get your textbooks free… but that’s all I know. </p>

<p>Are there any particular things or places to go to have fun?
Waco sucks. PERIOD. Unless someone is throwing something off campus, or an organization is having an event, there isn’t much to do in Waco. </p>

<p>Was it worth the money, in your experience?
I definitely think that it was worth the money. My experiences at Baylor were amazing. I met some awesome people and Baylor definitely opened up some wonderful opportunities for me. I wouldn’t change going there for one minute. Also, once you’re a student, there are tons of scholarship opportunities to offset some costs (departmental and school-wide)</p>

<p>Good educational quality? like are there any professors that are just horrible?
I think every department has their professors that students think are horrible. It just depends on the class and what your major is. But overall, most of the professors i’ve encountered have been amazing. Some of them will open their homes to you for dinners, discussion sessions, etc. As a science student, the professors definitely know their stuff… but it’s definitely up to you to do well. Don’t hesitate to talk to them during their office hours because most of the time they are sitting there waiting for a student to come in and ask them something lol. When you’re registering check out [Bubooks.com</a> - Textbook trading and Professor ratings for Baylor University students!](<a href=“http://www.bubooks.com%5DBubooks.com”>http://www.bubooks.com) for professor ratings (everyone uses it lol)</p>

<p>Did you love your time there? Was it something that you would never take back?
LOVED IT. Your college experience, no matter where you go, is what you make of it. Just remember though, that you came to college in order to get an education. There will be a ton of fun things to do, but make sure you take care of the reason you came to college in the first place. You’ll meet alot of folks that get caught up in the college hype and lose their scholarships and have to leave Baylor after freshman year. Don’t be one of those people.</p>

<p>thanks genu9ine for the informative answer!
Lol I feel like I’m the only person posting anything on this forum
I have one last question though, and it’s probably the most important question lol
In your experience, was it easy to maintain a relatively high GPA? I’m looking towards a 3.7+?
I really want to graduate Cum Laude, and I will work my butt off for it, but just how hard is it to do so? also I’m on majoring in biochem/pre-pharmacy if that makes a difference</p>

<p>How’s the Pre-Med program at Baylor?</p>

<p>Wow, reading this was very helpful! :)</p>

<p>Baylor is really my first choice school. I think Waco might be different from Houston, but I am really willing to try something different.</p>

<p>Do you have any advice for incoming freshman? (I wasn’t accepted, I’m just wondering)</p>

<p>Outstanding. Expecially if you manage to get into the university scholars program. Very good pre med program though. Should have no promblems getting in med school. Many graduates go to BCM.</p>

Baylor’s pre-med program is often regarded as one of the best in the nation. Come to Baylor for the pre-med program. I frequently often hear of people turning down colleges like Texas, U of Wash, and Creighton for Baylor. I would do the spring premiere if this interests you!

@MarathonMan97 what is the spring premiere?

The spring premiere is an event that Baylor invites interested high school students to go to Baylor and walk around the campus, meet professors, talk with academic advisors etc. Look on the Baylor website for more info!