Welcoming New Baylor Bears

Campus visits play key role in recruiting prospective students

When it comes to the campus visit experience for prospective students and their families, Baylor University stands in a class all its own. Last year, more than 29,000 young men and women considering Baylor as their college destination crossed the  threshold of Wiethorn Visitors Center, the hub for Baylor campus visits.

Upon entering the center, guests notice the smell of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies, coffee brewing, brightly upholstered sofas and throw pillows — a space more like home than a lobby.

“Our goal is not to provide tours, but to provide an experience — the idea being that prospective students are able to envision what it would be like to be a Baylor Bear,” said Ross VanDyke, director of admissions recruitment at Baylor. “The reality is that not every student who experiences a campus visit will enroll, but one out of every three does. We want to help prospective students make that decision.”

A persuasive experience

Quite often, the campus visit is the deciding factor for prospective students and student-athletes who are on the fence about where to commit the next several years of their lives. The experience can even change a student’s mind completely.

“Originally, I only visited Baylor to appease a friend who had enrolled the year before me,” admitted sophomore biology major and Spanish minor Christopher Wilhelm. “I’m from Amarillo, and I had every intention of leaving the state for school. But when I visited Baylor, the thing that impressed me was that when our tour guide was speaking, at least four separate times, people walking by would say ‘hello’ to my tour guide because they knew him personally, so the campus just felt so friendly. Later, Baylor sent me a t-shirt and all kinds of mail and I realized, ‘Wow, Baylor is a family, and it’s a family I want to be a part of.’”

A personal touch

A team of Baylor students and Undergraduate Admissions staff work together behind the scenes to customize each visit and  maximize each student’s time on campus.

Visitors may elect to include a variety of experiences to personalize their itinerary:

  • A 90-minute student-led campus tour
  • Visiting with a professor
  • Tour of select residence halls
  • Meeting with an admissions counselor
  • Discussing options with a financial aid counselor
  • Lunch in one of the residential restaurants
  • Special events on campus, such as tailgating, depending on the time of year

Student leaders

While the campus visit can include much more than a tour, selecting tour guides is something admissions recruitment takes very seriously. After advancing through a three-stage audition process, tour guide hopefuls must complete a rigorous training program. The end result? Within an expertly paced 90 minutes, tour guides ignite the prospective student’s imagination, bringing to life the rich history of the campus, the unique traditions that set Baylor apart and countless opportunities for
academic, spiritual and social growth.

For high school seniors and prospective student-athletes, admissions recruitment staff work to tailor the campus tour even more specifically to students’ interests, perhaps allowing more time for future finance majors to explore the Paul L.Foster Campus for Business and Innovation or additional time inside the Baylor Sciences Building for students like Wilhelm.
“My tour guide really emphasized that at Baylor, you’re not just a number,” Wilhelm said. “Instead, you’re here with a purpose, you’re cared for and you are loved.”