Baylor University (BU)

Academics at Baylor are rigorous and highly personalized. Students attribute that in part to the "much much better student to professor ratio," where both parties hold their academics "to a high standard." Students note that those pursuing a competitive track should "be prepared to be tested to the limit." Despite these high stakes, Baylor's familiar campus vibe extends to the classroom. One sophomore attests, "The professors are there for you and actually care about your academics, and most even about your well-being. Most professors are willing to work with you and so are your classmates." Students also consider Baylor's Christian mission to be uplifting: "My professors are all passionate people and they do not push faith, but they do involve it in the classroom in an inspirational way."

Baylor's courses are also known for innovative approaches, including discussion-based learning and hands-on field trips. One student brags, "In my Introduction to Teaching course, we tutored students in a local elementary school. My environmental science class took field trips to the Waco wetlands." Practical research and volunteer opportunities are particularly useful to those in specialized fields: "I am in a laparoscopy lab that enables pre-med students to learn about the research process. There is also a surgical skills class that allows pre-health students to learn skills often used in the world of healthcare." Liberal arts students enjoy unique projects like the "UnEssay" that give them "a lot of freedom to incorporate things we like into an English class."

"Baylor feels more like a family than a school," raves one Baylor student. "My peers at Baylor University are the kindest and most loving group of people I have ever known," says another first-year student. "When I think of 'southern hospitality,' the way my peers treat one another comes immediately to mind." Baylor students also describe each other as goal-oriented, focused, and engaged with religious and social communities. "Everyone at Baylor is out and about doing things on campus and interacting with the people around them," describes one student. "They aren't walking around like zombies with their AirPods in, they are talking with friends, laughing, and having a good time." Another student boasts that, "Everyone here at Baylor is aiming for success in their own way." Further, many students cherish that "intellectual diversity and open mindedness are abundant" among professors and students. While around 35% of the 2022 first-year class identifies as a minority, and some cite diversity as an area for growth, many make note of the variety of identities celebrated on campus: "The student body at Baylor is generally Christian, but from a diverse selection of denominations. I also have many nonChristian friends. There is lots of ideological diversity as well, including a thriving LGBTQIA+ community that I myself am a part of."

Baylor's "beautiful" campus is home to a "very close-knit community where you feel accepted very easily" and offers lots of "opportunities to find groups of people to belong to." One student explains how "at the beginning of the fall semester we have this event called 'Late Night' where all the clubs, including, frats, sororities, and sporting clubs enable you to see all [that is] available on campus." As a NCAA Division I school, many students list football and basketball games among their favorite activities. As one first-year student describes it: "Everyone is excited to go to the football and basketball games, and the student section at Baylor is unlike any other." Baylor's "unapologetically Christian" ethos is also celebrated throughout campus life. "Every Monday night there is Vertical, which is an amazing worship and sermon. When I imagined what a Christian college would look like, Vertical is what I imagined," explains one student. Popular school-sponsored events abound throughout the academic year, including AllUniversity Thanksgiving, homecoming, Christmas on 5th Street, and Diadeloso. Students also rave about weekly Dr Pepper Hour, the rock-climbing wall in the student center, and gathering at coffee shops around Waco on the weekends. Finally, professional organizations, like those for the pre-med world, not only provide vital career opportunities but keep the school feeling "more like a community than a competition."