Choosing Baylor over "more prestigious" schools

Thisisnow
Thu, 27 May 2010 14:24:30 +0000

I was also given opportunities to choose where I wished to attend for college this year—namely Baylor vs. other more highly ranked universities (Honors Programs in… UIUC, Wisconsin, UW-Seattle, and other University of California programs). To me, I hold a high respect toward Baylor’s honors programs—namely the BIC, Honors, Great Texts, and University Scholars programs. I was offered admission to the BIC & Honors Program at Baylor for fall 2010, and honestly, I find it to be such a fantastic opportunity to have a focused, rigorous, and rewarding education. [The average test scores of students within the Baylor Honors programs (i.e. University Scholars) mirror that of students in universities like UCLA and UC Berkeley.] I consider the honors college opportunities at Baylor to be worth more than any honors program at Wisconsin/Madison or Washington/Seattle. Individualization (in education) is too powerful of a path to pass up in my mind.

Examples of personable education in Baylor’s Honors college:
Intimate, community interaction within Honors Residential College communities (Alexander & Memorial Halls): [Baylor University || Honors Residential College || Members’ Insights](Honors Residential College | Baylor University)

Honors College graduates & future paths they have taken (note the graduate schools that certain students have moved on to.):
[Baylor University || Honors College || Honors College Graduates](Honors College | Baylor University)

The Baylor Interdisciplinary Core (BIC)—examined (note the personable, intellectual community that this program provides):
[Baylor University || Baylor Interdisciplinary Core || More about the BIC](Baylor Interdisciplinary Core | Baylor University)

The University Scholars Program (Individualized study):
[Baylor University || University Scholars](University Scholars | Baylor University)

It’s like we, as high school seniors, are pocketed into this ebb and flow of “apply to this top university—it’s well known.” In my opinion, this pressure compromises the value of a personalized education, and namely, the education that I believe honors at Baylor can provide. I did not turn down top 5 programs lightly when I signed my intent to enroll at Baylor. I enrolled because I truly, truly believe that the honors programs at Baylor will prepare me for graduate school and beyond. I couldn’t stand the idea of being “just a number” at a more recognized public school elsewhere.

Questions to ask yourself: What kind of education appeals to you most? What kind of experience do you wish to have? Do you want to associate with faculty on a more personal level, or are you all right with being “just a number?”

I won’t directly tell you whether you should go to Baylor or not, but I will say that the college process is very subjective to where YOU feel you should go—that’s why it’s so important to continually ask questions of yourself through it all.