College Visits are a great way to check out a college for yourself, and see how you feel on the campus. Summer visits don’t give you the usual hustle and bustle feel, but there will usually be some students there, and a quiet, subdued visit is better than no visit at all!

If you are a sophomore or junior in high school right now, it’s definitely time to start thinking about your college visits – a perfect time to see what a school you might be considering is really like without solely relying on their website or brochure. Seniors might choose to make a visit before they send off their applications, or wait until they have been accepted instead. With all of the colleges out there, how do you begin to narrow your college search? Check back with our blog frequently (or better yet-sign up to get our blog sent straight to your email), as we will be posting things we have observed on our most recent college visits.

Today, the KaMi Spotlight is on Baylor University, located in Waco, Texas. The pictures are from our visit there in June of 2015.

5 Things You Might Know:

• A 1,000 acre campus steeped in traditions that go back to 1909.

• NCAA Division 1, Bears, and part of the Big 12 Conference that offers 19 sports.

• Enrollment for 2015-2016 was approximately 16,787 students (undergrad and graduate).

• Cost to attend (2016-2017) is $59,252 a year.

• The student to faculty ratio is 14:1, with an average class size of 27, though the largest class size is around 150.

5 Things You Might Not Know About Baylor:

• The Moody Memorial Library has a stoplight system inside for noise (with zones like Red=No talking allowed.) The largest collegiate Starbucks in the nation can be found inside.

• Students can choose to live in traditional halls or apartments, or can choose to be a part of the Living-Learning Programs (LLPs) that are organized by academic disciplines or programs. (Some choices are Entrepreneurship, Fine Arts, Outdoor Adventure, or Global Community.)

• Baylor University was founded in Independence, TX in 1845, but moved to the current location in Waco in 1886.

•Each student is required to complete two semesters of Chapel, along with two religion courses.

• The Bear was established as the mascot in 1914, and you will hear students call out “Sic ’em!” as you walk around campus. Your tour guide will probably teach you the proper way to act this out too!

Baylor University is highly ranked for both the school and many of its departments. If you ever find yourself in Texas, make sure to check it out!