baylor university essay topics

Baylor University

• Cost & scholarships
• Essay prompt

Want to see your chances of admission at Baylor University?

We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.

Baylor University’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Why this college short response.

What are you looking for in a university, why do you want to attend Baylor, and how do you see yourself contributing to the Baylor community?

Common App Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

Baylor University Essay Example by an Accepted Student

With over 15,000 undergrads, Baylor University is the largest Baptist university in the US. The Texas school is known for its top-tier athletics, quality academics, and strong religious values. Its vibrant campus life and stunning location in the heart of Waco, Texas make it a desirable place for many students to pursue a degree.

Getting into Baylor is no easy task. With tens of thousands of highly qualified candidates applying each year, you will need strong essays to make your application stand out. In this post, we will share a real essay an accepted student submitted to Baylor and go over what the essay did well, as well as where there is room for improvement.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Want to know your chances at Baylor? Calculate your odds of acceptance for free right now!

Baylor Essay Example – Why Baylor?

Prompt: What are you looking for in a university, why do you want to attend Baylor, and how do you see yourself contributing to the Baylor community? (250-450 words)

At a university, I’m looking for more than the “top” or the “best” school; I’m looking for a school that is established and has opportunities for its students to grow in and out of the classroom. In addition, I want a school that supports its students during their time there; I want them to uplift their students and push them to do great things. For me, Baylor does that.

I want to attend Baylor because of the vast number of opportunities for a business-oriented student like me. The sheer number of classes, as well as the number of programs available to students, is immense. For business, classes like international business to management information systems have caught my attention; even classes like risk management and insurance and professional selling have caught my eye.

I plan to major in management information systems and minor in business administration or entrepreneurship. I want to attend Baylor for the expansive club selection. I intend to join clubs like the American Marketing Association at Baylor University, Association for Information Systems, and as a sophomore, have the opportunity to join the Investment and Advisory Network. These clubs can not only help me prepare for life after college but also help me grow during my time at Baylor. 

I see myself contributing at Baylor in many different ways, from contributing inside the classroom and outside. Inside the classroom, I plan to participate in group work, communicate with other students, participate in class discussions, and provide insight on topics I know well. Outside of classes, I plan to join several clubs that spark my interest, clubs to which I can contribute. For example, the Asian Student Association, the Association of Information Technology Professionals, Baylor Buddies, and even the Badminton club. At these clubs, I plan to contribute time and spirit and provide insight into things I can share with others, such as Asian culture and Asian cuisines, my interest in technology, and even my friendliness to others.

What the Essay Did Well

This “Why This College?” essay gives a comprehensive overview of why this student wants to go to Baylor, including academic, extracurricular, and personal enrichment opportunities. Each paragraph is focused on a specific aspect of the college experience—classes, academic extracurriculars, or more personal, hobby-like extracurriculars—which makes it easy to grasp what the student wants from Baylor.

The inclusion of school-specific details also contributes to the reader’s clear understanding of what this student wants from a Baylor education. They name particular classes (although they should have capitalized or italicized the names of these classes, as that provides a level of formality that’s currently missing), discuss various business associations at Baylor and when they plan to join them, and list four additional extracurriculars they want to be a part of that give us extra insight into their personality.

Between the structured presentation of ideas and the naming of nearly a dozen Baylor-specific opportunities, it’s apparent that this student has spent a significant amount of time thinking through what they want their life at Baylor to look like, and done extensive research on how to make that dream a reality. 

What Could Be Improved

There are three major points of improvement for this essay. The first is that we don’t learn much about this student’s personality. Yes, we know what they want to study and what clubs they want to be a part of, but we’re left wondering: why? What sets this student apart from any other applicant who wants to study business, or join these clubs?

This essay would be much stronger if it revealed what this student’s motivations are for pursuing business, how they think joining marketing and investing associations will help them grow or achieve a specific goal of theirs, and what excites them about being part of affinity groups like the Asian Student Association or Baylor Buddies. 

For example, instead of just saying “These clubs can not only help me prepare for life after college but also help me grow during my time at Baylor,” about the business-related extracurriculars they hope to be a part of, the student could say something like the following: 

“I’ve always wondered how the most well-known brands in the world, like Coca-Cola, Nike, and Rolex stay on top, and discussions with my peers in the American Marketing Association will help me start planning how I can one day build a renowned business of my own.”

In contrast to the current line, which is very surface-level, this change shows readers why the student is interested in marketing, and also provides some information about what specific business-related goals they have. The world of business is huge, and includes everything from graphic design to human relations. With more lines like the above example, admissions officers would get a better sense of how the student sees themselves fitting into that world, which would make the essay even stronger.

The other aspect of this essay that could use improvement is the language. Many sentences begin with “I” (i.e. “I want,” “I plan,” “I intend”), which gets repetitive and makes the reader slowly start to lose interest. If the writer had a better mix of sentence openers, the essay would have a smoother rhythm. 

For example, instead of saying “I plan to major in management information systems and minor in business administration or entrepreneurship,” the student could say “Baylor’s major in Management Information Systems, and minors in Business Administration and Entrepreneurship, provide me with an ideal academic structure.” The same information is communicated, but mixing up the presentation of that information helps the reader stay engaged.

Finally, the introductory paragraph doesn’t contribute much to the essay, as it mostly just restates the prompt. Being mindful of maximizing the limited words you have is especially important in supplemental essays, which are almost always shorter than the personal statement, as is immediately grabbing your reader’s attention, as you don’t have much room to get into the swing of things.

The student could make better use of their first paragraph by including an anecdote, ideally with strong sensory details, that shows why they love business so much. For example, they could say something like: 

“Ever since I was a kid, sweating under the summer sun and burning my skin lobster red as I sold lemonade while my friends played in the pool, I have been driven to build my own business. Baylor’s academic and extracurricular opportunities will push me to grow my business acumen, so that I can finally make my childhood dream a reality.”

Where to Get Feedback on Your Essay

Want feedback on your Baylor essay before you submit? That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Baylor University 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide  

Regular Decision Deadline: Feb 1

You Have: 

Baylor University 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 1 essay of 450 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s):   Why , Community

Baylor’s super sized supplemental essay combines two of the most classic prompts out there. After reading through our quickie breakdown below, be sure to check out our tips for writing killer Why and Community essays.

What are you looking for in a university, why do you want to attend Baylor, and how do you see yourself contributing to the Baylor community? (450 word limit)

If you’re scratching your head over the unprecedented 450 word limit, we’ll give you a hint: this one’s a twofer. In this question, Baylor has managed to serve up two classic prompts: the Why essay and the Community essay. Your task, then, is to create a unified response that covers both what Baylor can do for you and what you can do for Baylor – in other words, your fit. When reading this prompt, you should see the first two clauses as different angles on the same question. In other words, your reasons for attending Baylor should align with the overall experience you envision for yourself in College. If you’re looking for a snowy New England campus, Baylor’s not going to cut it. On the other hand if you’ve been searching for a world-class nursing program, you’ve probably found your ideal match in Baylor. Whatever your criteria, you’ll need to spend some time digging through the school website for details that will breathe life into your vision and reasons for applying. By that same token, you’ll want to spend some time reflecting on the personal qualities that would make you an excellent nurse or help you take your a cappella group to the next level. Again, be concrete. Try to draw a bridge between your past experiences and achievements and the new heights you hope to reach as a Baylor student.

About Kat Stubing

View all posts by Kat Stubing »

This year is likely to be as competitive as ever!

Contact us for information on rates and more!

• I am a * Student Parent Potential Partner School Counselor Private College Counselor
• Name * First Last
• Phone Type Mobile Landline
• Street Address
• Address City State / Province / Region Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czechia Côte d'Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Sweden Switzerland Syria Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania, the United Republic of Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Türkiye US Minor Outlying Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands Country
• Which best describes you (or your child)? High school senior High school junior College student College grad Other
• How did you find CEA? Internet Search New York Times Guidance counselor/school Social Media YouTube Friend Special Event Delehey College Consulting Other
• Common App and Coalition Essays
• Supplemental Essays
• University of California Essays
• University of Texas Essays
• Resume Review
• Post-Grad Essays
• Specialized Services
• Waitlist Letters
• Private School Essays
• General College Counseling
• School list with priorities noted:
• Anything else we should know?
• Email This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

School Stats:

• Agnes Scott College
• Alvernia University
• American University
• Amherst College
• Babson College
• Bard College
• Barnard College
• Baylor University
• Bennington College
• Bentley University
• Berry College
• Bethany College
• Bishop’s University
• Boston College
• Boston University (BU)
• Bowdoin College
• Brandeis University
• Brown University
• Bryn Mawr College
• Bucknell University
• Butler University
• California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
• California Lutheran University
• Capitol Technology University
• Carleton College
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Catawba College
• Centre College
• Chapman University
• Claremont McKenna College
• Clark University
• College of Mount Saint Vincent
• College of William and Mary
• College of Wooster
• Colorado College
• Colorado School of Mines
• Columbia University
• Cornell University
• Culver-Stockton College
• D'Youville University
• Dartmouth College
• Davidson College
• Drexel University
• Duke University
• Earlham College
• Elon University
• Emerson College
• Emory University
• Flagler College
• Fordham University
• George Mason University
• Georgetown University
• Georgia State University
• Georgia Tech
• Gonzaga University
• Harvard University
• Harvey Mudd College
• Haverford College
• Hillsdale College
• Hofstra University
• Illinois Institute of Technology
• Illinois Wesleyan University
• Indiana University Bloomington
• Ithaca College
• Johns Hopkins University
• Kalamazoo College
• Lafayette College
• Lehigh University
• Lewis and Clark College
• Linfield University
• Loyola Marymount University (LMU)
• Lynn University
• Macalester College
• Malone University
• Manchester University
• Marist College
• Mary Baldwin University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Meredith College
• Monmouth College
• Moravian University
• Morehouse College
• Mount Holyoke College
• New York University (NYU)
• North Park University
• Northwestern University
• Occidental College
• Oklahoma City University
• Olin College of Engineering
• Pepperdine University
• Pitzer College
• Pomona College
• Princeton University
• Providence College
• Purdue University
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Rice University
• Saint Elizabeth University
• Santa Clara University
• Sarah Lawrence College
• Scripps College
• Seattle Pacific University
• Smith College
• Soka University of America
• Southern Methodist University
• St. John’s College
• Stanford University
• Stonehill College
• Swarthmore College
• Syracuse University
• Texas A&M University
• Texas Christian University
• The College of Idaho
• The George Washington University
• The New School
• Trinity College
• Tufts University
• Tulane University
• University of California
• University of Central Florida (UCF)
• University of Chicago
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Colorado Boulder
• University of Florida
• University of Georgia
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• University of Maryland
• University of Massachusetts Amherst
• University of Miami
• University of Michigan
• University of Minnesota
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Oklahoma
• University of Oregon
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of Richmond
• University of San Diego
• University of San Francisco
• University of Southern California (USC)
• University of Texas at Austin
• University of Tulsa
• University of Vermont
• University of Virginia (UVA)
• University of Washington
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Vanderbilt University
• Vassar College
• Villanova University
• Virginia Tech
• Wake Forest University
• Washington and Lee University
• Washington University in St. Louis
• Wellesley College
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
• Yale University

Want free stuff?

We thought so. Sign up for free instructional videos, guides, worksheets and more!

One-On-One Advising

Common App Essay Prompt Guide

Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

• YouTube Tutorials
• Our Approach & Team
• Undergraduate Testimonials
• Postgraduate Testimonials
• Where Our Students Get In
• CEA Gives Back
• Undergraduate Admissions
• Graduate Admissions
• Private School Admissions
• International Student Admissions
• Common App Essay Guide
• Supplemental Essay Guides
• Coalition App Guide
• The CEA Podcast
• Admissions Stats
• Notification Trackers
• Deadline Databases
• College Essay Examples
• Academy and Worksheets
• Waitlist Guides
• Get Started

Baylor University Supplemental Essays Guide: 2021-2022

Not sure how to approach the Baylor University essay? CollegeAdvisor.com ’s guide to the Baylor application essay will break down the Baylor essay prompts, showing you how to write an engaging Baylor essay and maximize your chances of admission.

If you need help answering the Baylor essay prompts, create your free account or schedule a complimentary advising consultation by calling (844) 343-6272.

Baylor Essay Guide Quick Facts:

• The Baylor University acceptance rate is 68.0%— U.S. News ranks Baylor University as a more selective school. 
• Students can submit their Why Baylor essay through the Baylor Online Application , ApplyTexas or The Common App .
• The Baylor essay prompts include the prompts for your Personal Statement and the Why Baylor essay.

Does Baylor University require a supplemental essay?

In addition to your Common App Personal Statement, Baylor asks their applicants to write an additional Baylor application essay. If you are applying Early Decision, the Baylor University essay is required . For all other applicants, the Baylor University essay is optional . The deadlines vary by application time, so give yourself plenty of time to think about the Baylor essay prompts.

Although the Baylor application essay is not required for Regular Decision applicants, it is recommended that every student complete the Baylor essay prompts. Your Why Baylor essay is your opportunity to set yourself apart from other applicants. Your Baylor essay, therefore, should show your reader why you love Baylor—and why Baylor should love you.

How many essays does Baylor University have?

Baylor University has two essays. Whether you apply through the Baylor Online Application, ApplyTexas, or The Common App, you’ll be able to find the Baylor essay prompts within your application. 

On Baylor’s website, both the Application Process page and the Parents of Applicants page list the Baylor University essay prompt under “Recommended Items.” With this in mind, we encourage you to submit a Why Baylor essay to strengthen your application.

What are Baylor University’s essays?

Your Baylor essays include both your Personal Statement and one school-specific Baylor essay. In essence, your Baylor essay is simply a Why Baylor essay. Admissions are looking for students who will thrive at Baylor and can articulate exactly why they want to become a Baylor Bear. 

While your GPA, test scores, and academic courses are all important, the Baylor essay prompts are Baylor’s way of learning who you are beyond the numbers. If you take your time with the Baylor essay prompts, you’ll be sure to write a Baylor application essay that will capture exactly who you are.

How do I write my Baylor University supplemental essay?

If the Baylor University acceptance rate or the Baylor essay prompts seem intimidating, don’t worry. Your Baylor application essay lets you share parts of you not found elsewhere in your application. Although the Baylor essay prompts include both the Common App Personal Statement and the Baylor University essay, this guide will focus on the Why Baylor essay.

Need some help writing your Common App essay? Get great tips from our Common App essay guide .

We have provided the 2021-2022 Baylor essay prompts below. In this guide, you’ll find a breakdown of how to approach the Why Baylor essay. We’ve also included extra tips for writing a Baylor application essay that will help you stand out in admissions. 

Baylor University Essay – Why Baylor Essay (Optional)

What are you looking for in a university, why do you want to attend Baylor, and how do you see yourself contributing to the Baylor community? (250-450 words)

Since this prompt has multiple questions, you can break down this Baylor essay prompt into three smaller Baylor essay prompts. Your Baylor application essay should answer the questions of “What,” “Why,” and “How.” 

What are you looking for in a university? 

Start by brainstorming all the things Baylor ticks off your college wish list. These might include size, location, student culture, academic programs, or other features. 

The more specific you can be, the better. For example, if you hope to go into nursing, what exactly about the Louise Herrington School of Nursing attracts you? Consider the size of the program, specific curriculum, relationships with local hospitals, research opportunities, and more. 

Regardless of your major, visit Baylor’s Student Life and Academics pages to find details to include in your Baylor application essay. This will help you answer the next part of the Baylor essay prompts.

Why do you want to attend Baylor? 

Now that you’ve discussed your interests, you need to talk about why these features matter to you. 

Do you think Baylor’s community can best support you and your beliefs? Do you see Baylor as the best place to prepare you for the type of career you hope to pursue? Are you passionate about the teaching styles and classes Baylor offers? Whatever the reason, show why Baylor will give you what you need to succeed.

How do you see yourself contributing to the Baylor community? 

The final part of the Baylor essay prompts lets you inspire your reader. Your Why Baylor essay should show both why Baylor is right for you and why you are right for Baylor. 

Again, be specific. Is there something about your background, experience, or beliefs that you think will enrich the campus culture? Are you hoping to join a student group or even start a new one? Is there a way you imagine using your work outside the classroom to positively impact the Baylor community?

Drafting Your Essay

As you brainstorm and begin writing, don’t be surprised if your answer for one of these questions inspires the next. These Baylor essay prompts are all connected, so don’t worry about answering each question individually or writing your Baylor essay in three separate parts. You can organize your essay however you think tells your story best. 

Remember, the Baylor essay prompts do have a limited word count. This means you should stay direct and focused in your Baylor essay. Finally, make sure you address all three parts of the prompt in your Baylor application essay. This shows your reader that you can pay attention to detail. After all, every part of your Baylor University essay helps the admissions team better understand why you’d be a good fit for Baylor. 

If you are having trouble coming up with what to write about, ask yourself these questions inspired by Baylor’s “What We’re Looking For” list for Freshman applicants:

• What intellectual topics or pursuits excite you?
• What are your values and beliefs surrounding faith and your personal calling?
• How have you challenged yourself academically?
• What opportunities have you embraced outside of the classroom?
• How do learning and service intersect in your life?

What is the acceptance rate for Baylor University?

According to U.S. News, the Baylor University acceptance rate is 68%. The Baylor University acceptance rate is a ratio of how many students applied to how many students got accepted. You can also use the Baylor University acceptance rate to help you consider your own admissions odds. 

The latest Entering Class Profile shows a medium ACT range of 26-32 and SAT range of 1210-1370. Additionally, over three-quarters of Baylor’s 2020 entering class were in the top 25% of their high school classes.

The Baylor University acceptance rate is higher for students who apply Early Decision. So, if Baylor is your top choice, you might want to apply Early Decision. Remember, if you apply ED, you are required to respond to the Baylor essay prompts and write the Why Baylor essay. 

Rather than focusing on the Baylor University acceptance rate, think about whether Baylor is the right school for you. If it is, take a look at Baylor’s 2021-2022 Application Process page for step-by-step guidance on all deadlines, application materials, the Baylor essay requirements, and the Baylor essay prompts. 

Additionally, spend some time on the Why Baylor essay. Writing a strong Why Baylor essay is one of the best ways to maximize your admissions odds.

Baylor University Essay: Final Thoughts

As you begin your application, don’t let the Baylor University acceptance rate, your test scores, or any other statistics affect your writing process. While your GPA and test scores tell the story of your high school career, your Baylor essay is a blank page for you to express the person you have become. 

Every applicant responds to the same Baylor essay prompts, so the most important factor in writing a standout Baylor University essay is you! Focus on writing about the things that truly matter to you. If you feel strongly about what you want and why you want it, just put that passion into words. 

The second most important factor, though, is time. Great essays don’t happen overnight, so start thinking about the Baylor essay prompts well ahead of the deadline. That means taking the time to brainstorm, write, edit, rewrite, and proofread your Why Baylor essay. Double-check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation. The clearer your final draft is, the easier your voice and personality will shine through.

This 2021-2022 essay guide on Baylor was written by Stefanie Tedards. For more CollegeAdvisor.com resources on Baylor, click here . Want help crafting your Baylor essay? Create your free account or schedule a complimentary advising consultation by calling (844) 343-6272.

Personalized and effective college advising for high school students.

• Advisor Application
• Popular Colleges
• Privacy Policy and Cookie Notice
• Student Login
• California Privacy Notice
• Terms and Conditions
• Your Privacy Choices

By using the College Advisor site and/or working with College Advisor, you agree to our updated Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy , including an arbitration clause that covers any disputes relating to our policies and your use of our products and services.

• Search All Scholarships
• Exclusive Scholarships
• Easy Scholarships to Apply For
• No Essay Scholarships
• Scholarships for HS Juniors
• Scholarships for HS Seniors
• Scholarships for College Students
• Scholarships for Grad Students
• Scholarships for Women
• Scholarships for Black Students
• Scholarships
• Student Loans
• College Admissions
• Financial Aid
• Scholarship Winners
• Scholarship Providers

Student-centric advice and objective recommendations

Higher education has never been more confusing or expensive. Our goal is to help you navigate the very big decisions related to higher ed with objective information and expert advice. Each piece of content on the site is original, based on extensive research, and reviewed by multiple editors, including a subject matter expert. This ensures that all of our content is up-to-date, useful, accurate, and thorough.

Our reviews and recommendations are based on extensive research, testing, and feedback. We may receive commission from links on our website, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our marketing partners don’t review, approve or endorse our editorial content. It’s accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted. You can find a complete list of our partners here .

How to Respond to the 2023/2024 Baylor University Supplemental Essay Prompt

Karla Ibarra is a content writer at Scholarships 360. She has worked as an English teacher and writing tutor. As a writing tutor, she has experience editing scholarships and college application essays. Karla graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Communication and a minor in English.

Learn about our editorial policies

Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

Baylor University is a private university located in Waco, Texas. If you are a prospective applicant, you might have come across the Baylor supplemental application requirement. A stellar essay will definitely boost your application, so keep reading to learn how to use your voice to stand out!

The Baylor University supplemental essay prompt

Baylor University has only one essay prompt with three components. With a 450-word limit, students have room for more detail than the traditional 250-limit allows, but it’s still important to focus your writing. In the following guide, we help break down the parts of the prompt and share a few questions to consider before and during your writing. 

See also: How to write a 500-word essay

Baylor University supplemental application prompt

What are you looking for in a university, why do you want to attend Baylor, and how do you see yourself contributing to the Baylor community? (450 word limit)

The supplemental essay prompt is essentially made up of three questions. If Baylor is a jigsaw puzzle, the prompt asks what kind of piece you will be! 

The first part of the question simply asks students to share what they are looking for in a university. This question seeks to know more about you, your goals, and your future through the kind of university you seek. Think about what you value in your college search. It could be anything from the location, a particular program, or a unique experience. State what holds the most weight for you as you connect that to Baylor University to transition the next part of the prompt.

The next part of the question asks why you want to attend Baylor in particular. Think about why Baylor stands out from other colleges in your search. Explain why Baylor is the college for you with specific points. This is an excellent question for you to get to know Baylor and create a connection between you and the school.

The final part of the prompt asks what you will bring to the Baylor table. Where do you see yourself fitting in at Baylor,  and how will you contribute to your campus home? State the abilities and skills you have, and how you will use them to uphold Baylor’s values.

A few writing tips to keep in mind

Keep the 450-word limit in mind but don’t worry about the word count in your first draft. Try to avoid going off topic, adding extra words, or unnecessary statements. For most students, it is best to start with an outline of main points you want to share. Use the word count to your advantage and add specific details that showcase your skills, desires, and ambitions. Overall, use the word count to fully answer the prompts while conveying more about you and what you will bring to Baylor University.

Questions to consider:

• What are some qualities you seek in a college, and how does Baylor fit them?
• What are some skills, talents, or past achievements that will help you succeed at Baylor?
• How do you hope to contribute to the Baylor campus community? 

Summing it up

Baylor University wants to admit students who want to be part of the community. Baylor University does not require admission test scores. So, if you choose not to submit them, your writing skills will carry even more weight in determining whether you gain admission. While your GPA is pretty much set by now as a senior, writing a stellar essay is the perfect way to stand out as an applicant, so get started on that draft. Best of luck with your application!

Additional resources

As you continue the road to college applications, you might have other decisions to consider. Check out our other guides to help you on that road:

• How many colleges should I apply to?
• How to write an essay about yourself
• Figure out the major that’s right for you
• 10 tips for successful college applications

Apply for all the scholarships you qualify for throughout your educational journey!

Start your scholarship search

• Vetted scholarships custom-matched to your profile
• Access exclusive scholarships only available to Scholarships360 members

Scholarships360 Recommended

10 Tips for Successful College Applications

Coalition vs. Common App: What is the difference?

College Application Deadlines 2023-2024: What You Need to Know

Trending now.

How to Convert Your GPA to a 4.0 Scale

PSAT to SAT Score Conversion: Predict Your Score

What Are Public Ivy League Schools?

3 reasons to join scholarships360.

• Automatic entry to our $10,000 No-Essay Scholarship
• Personalized matching to thousands of vetted scholarships
• Quick apply for scholarships exclusive to our platform

By the way...Scholarships360 is 100% free!

Baylor University Guide

The Ivy Scholars guide to Baylor University’s culture, admissions, and other essential information for prospective students and their families.

Location:  Waco, Texas

Mascot:  Bears

Type: Private Christian Research Institution

Population:  18,000 (14,000 undergrads)

About Baylor University

The oldest continuously operating university in Texas, Baylor’s 1,000-acre campus is on the banks of the Brazos River in Waco, Texas. Created by the last congress of the Republic of Texas,  the university sits between Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin and is the largest Baptist university in the world. In its own words, “Baylor provides a vibrant campus community for more than 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship.”

Baylor University Statistics

Year Founded:  1845

4 Year Graduation Rate:  54%

Gender Distribution: 58% male, 42% female

Acceptance Rate:  38.9%

Residency:  60% in state, 40% out of state or international

Location Type:  Urban

Schedule System: Semesters

Student/Faculty Ratio:  13:1

Average Class Size:  26

Demographics:  64% Caucasian, 14% Hispanic, 6% Asian, 6% Black, 11% Hispanic, 5% Other

National Rankings

US News Rankings:

• #20 Best Undergraduate Teaching
• #42 Most Innovative
• #75 Best Value
• #79 Overall Nationally

Independent Rankings:

• #6 Entrepreneurship Program per The Princeton Review
• #11 Best Christian Colleges per Niche
• #26 Best Colleges for Education per Niche
• #30 Best Colleges for Music per Niche
• #61 Best Value for a Private College per Kiplinger
• #89 Executive MBA program per The Financial Times

Baylor University Admissions Statistics

Application Deadlines:

• Early Decision: November 1st
• Early Action:  November 1st
• Regular Decision: February 1st
• Transfer Deadline: March 15th

Notification Dates:

• ED:  December 15th
• EA:  January 15th
• Regular Decision: April 10th

Acceptance Rates:

• Transfer: 84%

Average Applicant Pool:  34,500

Average Number of Applicants Accepted:  13,500

Average Number Enrolled:  3,800

Application Systems:  Common App, Apply Texas

Average GPA: 3.72  weighted

SAT Scores:  25th percentile – 1190, 75th percentile – 1360

ACT Scores:  25th percentile – 26, 75th percentile – 31

*Test mandatory. Writing sections optional.

Subject Test Requirements: No SAT Subject Tests are required.

Demonstrated Interest:  Baylor does consider demonstrated interest.

Click here for tips on demonstrating interest in a university.

Recommendation Letter Policies: Two letters of recommendation are recommended, but not required. Baylor states that if you have letters that have been written for other institutions, you may send those in.

Baylor University Essay Prompts for 2020:

• Common App Personal Statement (650 words)
• What are you looking for in a university, why do you want to attend Baylor, and how do you see yourself contributing to the Baylor community? (450 words)

Baylor Essay Writing Tips

Special Notes:

• When applying to certain majors , there are different or heightened requirements.
• The short essay response is only required for Early Decision applicants, although it is recommended for all applicants.

Baylor University Academics

• Diana R Garland School of Social Work
• Louise Herrington School of Nursing
• School of Music (separate application process)
• Robbins College of Health and Human Services
• College of Arts and Sciences
• School of Education
• Hankamer School of Business
• School of Engineering and Computer Science
• Other than the School of Music, when students apply, they apply to Baylor in general, not a specific college or major.

Core Requirements:

• College of Arts and Sciences Core Requirements
• Honors College Core Curriculum

What Majors and Minors Does Baylor University Offer?

• 140 Majors and Minors Offered
• Option to double major, or to declare a secondary major. A secondary major only grants  a single degree but allows for double-counting of courses within one major towards another. The student’s transcript reflects this secondary major.

Baylor University AP Credit Policy:

• Baylor awards credit for courses by exam and department, with different programs accepting different scores. Most accept AP scores and IB scores, and some accept SAT II scores.  
• Comprehensive Credit Information

Honors Programs:

• Baylor Honors College (includes optional residency, two unique majors, and the option to take classes outside the honors program)
• Dean’s List
• Graduation Awards List
• Honors Societies

Research Availability:

• Baylor’s Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Achievement ( URSA ) initiative encourages undergraduates to get involved in research.

Study Abroad: 

• Study Abroad Options

Business Options: 

• List of Business Majors and Minors   
• Baylor’s Hanmaker School of Business offers undergraduate programs and degrees, as well as graduate degrees. Students must first be accepted to and enroll in Baylor before enrolling as a pre-business student. Students wishing to continue as a Business major must maintain a 3.0 GPA, complete the prerequisite courses, and take at least 24 credit hours their first year.

Pre-Med Options:

• Baylor offers pre-medicine and pre-dentistry programs, but neither has its own major. Students must take the required preparatory classes for admission to medical school but can major in anything.

Rice/Baylor Medical Scholars Program

Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Advisors Program

Baylor Pre-Med in Dublin

Joint Admissions Medical Program

• Baylor Squared BS/MD Program

Pre-Law Options:

• Baylor has a pre-law program , which can serve as a complement to any major.

Additional Specialty Programs: 

• Pre-Optometry
• Pre-Veterinary Medicine
• Aviation Science
• University Scholars Program
• Additional Specialty Programs

Student Life at Baylor University

School Motto:   For Church, For Texas

Mission and Values:

• Mission: The mission of Baylor University is to educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service by integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment within a caring community. 
• Additional Information

Student Testimonials ( Niche , Unigo , Cappex )

As a faith-focused university, chapel and associated religious activities are a major part of the student experience. To quote Baylor on the subject: “Baylor continues to hold firm to the conviction that the world needs a preeminent research university that is unambiguously Christian, where such a commitment does not imply a lack of scholarly inquiry, but rather requires scholarship and creative endeavors at the highest levels of quality to complement and inform its teaching and service.” In spite of this, attendance at chapel is not required, and students from all faith backgrounds can find a place at Baylor. 

Housing Statistics:

• 36% of students live on campus or in affiliated housing
• 64% of students live off-campus

Campus & Surrounding Area:  

• Spread out in its own neighborhood on the South-side of Waco;  the campus boasts a variety of sports facilities, dining options, and museums and libraries. Baylor University and its denizens are the primary feature of this neighborhood, which is almost a college town within Waco proper.
• Right next to the Brazos River, the campus is directly adjacent to downtown Waco, which is currently experiencing a revitalization. Located on the riverfront is a series of green spaces and parks, including the Turner Riverfront Complex . 
• Take the virtual tour to experience the campus for yourself. 
• Baylor has a Department of Public Safety to keep its campus secure.

Transportation:

• The Baylor University Shuttle program is offered to all students free of charge and runs on all class days from 7:25 AM through 5:25 PM.
• Member of Zipcar Program
• Parking Information

Traditions:

• Dr. Pepper Hour – A weekly gathering of students and faculty drinking Dr. Pepper floats. This tradition began in 1953 when a faculty member started hosting students for “frosted cokes” informally once a week.
• The Baylor Line , where freshmen storm the field during football games. 
• Family Weekend

F ull List of Game Day Traditions .

Student-Run Organizations: 

• Organization Database
• Sample Organizations ( The Golden Wave Band , The NoZe Brotherhood , The Baylor Chamber of Commerce , Baylor Buddies )
• D1 Athletics – Baylor is in the Big 12 Conference and has won several NCAA titles, including Men’s Tennis in 2004, and Women’s Basketball in 2005 and 2012.
• Intramural Sports
• Club Sports
• Main Rival: Texas Christian University

Greek Life: Baylor has 40+ societies , both national and international, encompassing social and academic fraternities and sororities. Around 14% of males and 21% of female undergraduates are involved in Greek life at Baylor.

• Greek parties
• Tailgating and after-parties on game days
• Apartment parties are common on and off-campus
• Bars and restaurants in downtown Waco

Financial Information

Yearly Cost of Attending Baylor University in 2020:

• Total: $67,320
• Tuition: $44,544
• Fees: $4,902
• Room & Board: $13,730
• Books: $1,444
• Personal Expenses: $2,700

For financial aid consideration, Baylor requires all students to complete the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). More than 90% of Baylor students receive at least some financial aid. Priority dates to apply: November 1st for ED/EA, February 1st for Regular Decision. Applications applying after these deadlines will have aid assigned based on a first-come-first-served basis.

Scholarships: 

All applicants are considered for academic scholarships. 86% of applicants receive an academic scholarship, and the median range of scholarships awarded is $64,000 over four years.

• Baylor University was founded before Texas was a state. 
• The live bear mascots named Joy and Lady live on campus. The first bear mascot came about when the 107th Engineers, an army troop, acquired a bear cub and gifted it to the Baylor University Chamber of Commerce. 
• The school’s costumed mascot is named Bruiser and is a separate entity from the live bears. 
• Willie Nelson and Senator Rand Paul both attended Baylor, but neither received a degree from the university.
• The Baylor University Chamber of Commerce is the university’s oldest student-run organization, and sponsored the writing and composing of Baylor’s fight song.

Ivy Scholars is the leading educational consultant in Sugar Land, Texas, providing admissions coaching, test prep, and more to help students enroll at top tier schools.

Get In Touch

Call us now: (281) 215-5148

Houston: 4265 San Felipe St, Suite 1100, Houston, TX 77027

Get Started

Subscribe for updates, © all rights reserved.

Five Tips to Make Your Essay “Flow”

Photo by “Maksym Yymchyk” on Unsplash.

This post was written by Sydney Nicholson, a second-year master’s student in the English Department.

Dear writer,

Have you ever wondered what it takes to make an essay “flow”? In my time as a writing center tutor, I’ve noticed that this is one of the most common questions our clients ask. It is my hope that this blog post will not only provide some clarity on what writers mean when they talk about flow but also provide you with a few tips and tricks that you can use to address this concern.

When we talk about flow, what we are really asking is whether the individual ideas in our essay come together to create a coherent whole. In other words, we want to know if our ideas “hang together” in a way that makes logical sense to the reader. In order to address our concerns about flow, it can be helpful to break this question down further and ask:

• Does my essay have one clear goal?
• Does each sentence in my paragraph support the point I want to make in that paragraph?
• Does the paragraph that expresses those ideas support the point I am making in my essay as a whole?

Since you are familiar with the subject you are writing about, it can be challenging to address the flow of your essay. When you read through your essay, your brain knows why you are making each of your points and why those points are connected. Unfortunately, because those connections are apparent to you, you can forget to explain those connections to your reader. Effective writers use a number of tools to see their paper with new eyes and put themselves in the reader’s shoes. Here are five of my favorites:

• Think of your thesis as a kind of itinerary for your paper

Tour guides give their clients an itinerary that tells them where the tour will end and what they will see along the way. An effective thesis is like an itinerary; it not only tells the reader what you are going to say but it also gives the reader a sense of how you are going to arrive at that conclusion. When you write a thesis that tells the writer how you will arrive at your end goal, you become a guide for your reader. You prepare them for each of your main topics so that they aren’t surprised or caught off guard when they come to a new section of your paper. Just as no one wants their tour guide to take them to The Haunted Mansion when they were expecting to visit Splash Mountain, no one wants to be caught off guard by a paper that took a turn they didn’t expect!

Here is an example of a thesis that only tells the reader where a paper will go: This paper argues that John Williams was inspired by Gustav Holst’s orchestral suit The Planets.

Here is an example of a thesis that tells the reader where the paper will go AND how the author will get there: This paper argues that John Williams was inspired by Gustav Holst’s orchestral suit The Planets by comparing the tonal patterns in “Mars: The Bringer of War” to the Imperial March.

• Write topic sentences that are “mini-theses”

Pay particular attention to the first sentence of each of your paragraphs. These sentences are key to guiding your reading through your ideas and they can make or break the flow of your essay. When you write a topic sentence, you want it to do three things:

• Tell the writer what they will know after reading that paragraph
• Explain how that paragraph is related to the one that came before it
• Use key words from the prompt to reassure your reader that this paragraph is responding to the central question of the paper

Here’s an example topic sentence: In addition to using religion as an active tool against nature, the four survivors also utilized religion to wield power over their inner conscience.

This topic sentence uses the key words “religion” and “power” to prove that this paragraph relates back to the essay prompt which asked the writer to explain how Vasco da Gama and his crew used religion as a tool of power in the New World. Its first phrase briefly sums up the main idea of the previous paragraph and explains that this paragraph provides an additional example of how the four survivors used religious as a tool of power. Finally, the topic sentence clearly tells the reader what this paragraph is about when it states that four survivors utilized religion to wield power over their inner conscience.

• Use a graphing activity to see how your sentences relate to one another

Photo by “Andre Taissin” on Unsplash.

In an essay that has a coherent flow, each paragraph will have one central point. Within that paragraph, the individual sentences will work together to develop that idea. To see whether your sentences are working together to develop one concept, use this graphing activity. Here’s how it works:

• Copy and paste your paragraph onto a blank page
• Put each sentence on its own line.
• Read through your paragraph sentence by sentence
• When you see a sentence that further explains the sentence that came before it, press tab and indent it. When you see a sentence that isn’t connected to the idea that came before it, do not indent that sentence at all.

In a paragraph where all of the sentences hang together to form a coherent whole, you should notice that each sentence is indented a bit further than the last one. Here’s an example of a graphed paragraph from an advertisement analysis essay:

The last sentence in your paragraph should “zoom out” and restate the main claim of the paragraph. Thus, it should be similar to your topic sentence. You can represent this similarity by keeping your concluding sentence flush to the left edge of the page.

• Never assume that your reader will understand why you are connecting two thoughts together without your help.

If you make your reader guess why you include a quote or a particular piece of information they might guess incorrectly. You are the expert on this topic and it is your job to show the reader why the quote that you include or that really interesting piece of information about the Trojan Horse is actually connected to your main topic about the way that technology can become a tool for deception.

• Read your paper aloud to a friend or schedule an appointment at the UWC:

Reading your paper out loud to a friend or writing consultant is a great way to make sure that the order of your essay makes sense to someone who isn’t familiar with your topic. If you would like to make an appointment at the Baylor University Writing Center to work on the flow of your essay, please come visit us on the second floor of the Moody Library or make an appointment online at www.baylor.mywconline.com

yifan_zhang1

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Entries RSS
• Comments RSS
• Sites @ Baylor University

Baylor University Undergraduate College Application Essays

These Baylor University college application essays were written by students accepted at Baylor University. All of our sample college essays include the question prompt and the year written. Please use these sample admission essays responsibly.

Join Now to View Premium Content

GradeSaver provides access to 2360 study guide PDFs and quizzes, 11007 literature essays, 2767 sample college application essays, 926 lesson plans, and ad-free surfing in this premium content, “Members Only” section of the site! Membership includes a 10% discount on all editing orders.

• Browse College Application Essays
• Undergraduate

College Application Essays accepted by Baylor University

Watch jessica monk, baylor university.

There’s no way that it’s morning already. I hear footsteps running down the hall; eight hours ago this would have been considered typical, but now, it’s completely ludicrous. The door to my dorm room swings open with a nauseating kind of reality,...

Growing Up in an Interfaith Home Michael Wainwright

Although I do not affiliate myself with any particular religion, I have been a Buddhist nun at temples and an altar server at Christian churches. I can chant the meditations of Buddha in Thai and Sanskrit and recite Catholic prayers in English and...

Fact or Fiction? Joshua Lyon

If I had been asked a couple months ago to describe my dream job, I could have told you my dreams to the last detail. It would have started something like this: 'I walk into a hospital every day, greeted by friends and colleagues. I want to do...

A Modern Holocaust Anonymous

Countless books, documentaries, and museums recount the story of the Jewish Holocaust. Comparatively few people, however, have heard of the modern holocaust that took place in Indonesia twelve years ago in my hometown of Jakarta.

One particular...

Photography Anonymous

The shutter button is released, causing a chain reaction: the lens opens and closes in the span of microseconds, and, for a moment, the world stands still to allow genius or despair to be captured.

When I was eleven years old, fresh out of...

Everlasting experiences Anonymous

As dawn broke and the rays of sunlight shined through the tiny cracks in the cabin walls, I woke up to the sound of creaking doors and the smell of urine.With one eye open, I peeked below me, where my beautiful 27-year old Sarah was wide awake...

The Invisible Bully Anonymous

The screen glowed brightly in her face as she would check her Facebook, and wonder why people did this to her. “Who would be mean enough to treat a person like this?”, she would always ask me. The cruel, menacing, and terrifying words that some of...

Being A Detective in Life Anonymous

“When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth”. - Quote from The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle .

Addicted to detective fiction, I’m a fan of Sherlock Holmes, deeply absorbed in Sherlock’s...

The Arroyo Car Anonymous

Here in New Mexico, when a car is no longer wanted, it may not go to the junkyard. Instead, cars may end up in a place we call the “arroyo.” “What is an arroyo?” you ask. Some might call it a ditch, but to me it is closer to a car dealership...

Love on the Brain Anonymous

What was it about Claudia’s brain that made her forget our entire conversation? Is her inability to remember my response affected by a specific part of her brain? I pondered as she asked me, “What is your favorite subject in school, darling?” for...

Where the World Ends and Paradise Begins Brittany LaVergne

“Where the world ends and paradise begins” is what the founder called my little safe haven where I worked the past summer. Working was basically like Cheaper by the Dozen without the promise of financial stability and with the fact that the girls...

My Life Will Rule Fear Anonymous

My harness was tightened. My sweaty hands clutched onto the bar. My toes dangled off the edge of the platform. Every horrible outcome to this scenario raced through my mind. “Whenever you’re ready, Gabby.” All I had to do was lift my feet and I’d...

My House, My Beginnings of Adulthood Anonymous

In the fall of my freshman year, my father came home from work with the widest grin I had ever seen. He posed one of those life-altering questions that most would ponder for days instead of minutes. “Do you want to use some of that money you’ve...

Mississippi August Anonymous

“One more bucket of ears and you can go inside,” Momma said. Those days spent picking corn in midday Mississippi August heat are ones that I remember well. I vividly recall my toes digging into a mix of decomposing potato roots and freshly toiled...

Flipping Through Myself Anonymous

Momentary sadness descended on my face. The crescent moon in the night sky looks just as beautiful as ever, but today something is different. Is my smile mocking me, or does the moon look a little skeptical? Up until now, I’ve always thought that...

Augusta National Kelton Clearman

March 22nd, 1934. I arrive to the course, designed by Bobby Jones, in a 1933 silver Studebaker Dictator at 8am sharp. The wheels squeal in the hot gravel. The grass, still glazed with morning dew, smells fresher and more fragrant than a bouquet of...

Give Me More Emily Lanspa

The blazing summer heat wears away at my body. I stare at the children laughing and splashing each other in the cool pool water. Sweat drips down my back begging me to jump in. I sit there, letting my mind race with ideas of excuses to leave. I...

My Greatest Powers Naomi Hanna Walter

I had only taken a couple of steps when I heard the barking and growling and could see two, massive dogs sprinting towards me. I am a survivor, so I ran as fast as my little legs could go. The seven meters of cement ahead of me, stretched and...

A Book and a Bus Ride Mason Pettit

Dustin couldn’t read. He knew letters, but not words. I saw him throw his book on the floor, a tired copy of Little Critter , as I plopped down in bus 75 seat 11, the unforgiving Mississippi sun burning through the left-hand window. I looked over...

Recent Questions about Baylor University

The Question and Answer section for Baylor University is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

The warden is a real hypocrite. In what way?

Warden Samuel Norton claims he is a strict Christian but has no problem ordering Captain Byron Hadley to beat any inmate with a nightstick.

Red tries to convince the prison board that he is a “changed man”. They finally believe him. Why, do you think?

Red is my favourite character in the book. I think Red knows more about life than the people on the prison board. He certainly was not the same man that he was when he went into prison.

Red says: “At first these walls scare you and then you get used to them and finally you get dependent on them”. What does he mean?

Red means that sooner or later the prison walls become a comfort to the men. The walls insulate them from the real world. In prison, everything is predictable. Outside the walls, life is full of unpredictability and chaos.

Berkeley² Academy

Test Prep | Tutoring | College Admissions

• Ryan Murphy
• Oct 18, 2018

How to Write Baylor and Baylor2 BS/MD Essays

Can’t bear the idea of NOT becoming a Baylor Bear? Feeling embarrassed about your Baylor essays? Ready to bare it all in your writing so you can land a spot at one of the top universities in Texas?

I’m here to make the whole essay process for Baylor much more bearable.

(Whew! Bear puns are over!)

What does that mean? Well, let’s start with the basics . Baylor University allows you to use ApplyTexas, The Common Application, or its own website to apply. In addition to following the requirements in those application portals, Baylor also has a supplemental essay for all of its undergraduates and an additional one for students who plan to apply to the Baylor2 bs/md program.

You may be wondering if it's better to submit an application via ApplyTexas, Common App, or Baylor’s site. As is directly stated, it doesn’t matter what method of submission you choose. What matters, as always, is what you are submitting.

Let’s talk about that more.

Let’s discuss how to approach the supplemental essays and even how to roughly outline them. If you haven’t started writing, or if you are stuck on how to revise, pay attention and think about how you can apply these ideas to your own writing and experiences!

BAYLOR GENERAL ESSAY:

What are you looking for in a university, why do you want to attend Baylor, and how do you see yourself contributing to the Baylor community? (750-word limit)

GENERAL STRATEGY:

This prompt has three questions, all of which should be adequately addressed in your answer. If you are recycling essays from another application that Baylor doesn’t already see (such as using ApplyTexas or UT Short Answers with a Common App Baylor submission), then you need to make sure that you are covering all the points as clearly as possible. Don’t make the reader assume that you are answering all of the questions.

That said, here is one way to think about the essay, considering the three questions. You can split it up into three parts:

Part 1: What are you looking for in a university?

Part 2: Why do you want to attend Baylor?

Part 3: How do you see yourself contributing to the Baylor community?

Parts 1-2 will take up the bulk of your essay, whereas Part 3 can be part of the conclusion.

General structure aside, you should think about experiences that you have had with education, including ones at school, through volunteering, and in extracurriculars. You want to highlight key aspects that you think are essential to effective education, whether it be, say, freedom of ideas, the collaboration of differently skilled peers, or a commitment to something morally greater.

To do this, you need to introduce your experiences, which will be not only crucial in shaping what you see as essential in education but also important for how you use resources at Baylor and how you influence the Baylor community.

Paragraph 1: Hook that is a scene related to your education experience Ex: You talk about a moment when running a coding camp for girls, how the students were behaving and “getting it” after you described something.

Paragraph 2: Introduction that explains hook and then transitions to answer the three questions of the prompt in the form of a thesis statement Ex: You explain the scene and the related details. You talk about how you see education as something that should inspire people to trust themselves to experiment and fail before succeeding. You want to go to a university that promotes this idea. You see yourself fitting into Baylor because its programs do just that, and you can inspire your peers to think this way.

Paragraph 3: Experience related to education that contributes to what you want out of a university Ex: You talk more about the coding camp for girls, first by going into why you made it and what challenges you saw in the beginning. You talk about how maybe you struggled to connect with the kids and wanted them to have all the answers immediately.

Paragraph 4: Experience related to education that contributes to what you want out of a university Ex: You expand on the coding camp experience and say how you solved your problem, how you became more willing to accept that the students would fail, and that you even designed the curriculum to give them a chance to experiment. Doing so, you were able to get them to truly learn.

Paragraph 5: How you will use Baylor’s resources based on that experience / definition of university Ex: Building off your lesson from the coding camp, you hope to take what you learned and now see as the important role that education can play and use Baylor’s resources to have a similar environment. You explain which specific programs would allow you to experiment, fail, and ultimately succeed.

Paragraph 6: How you will use Baylor’s resources based on that experience / definition of university Ex: You talk about even more resources from Baylor that fall in with this idea of experimentation and failing to succeed. Or you extend on a thought from the previous paragraph.

Paragraph 7: Conclusion and how you plan to contribute to Baylor community Ex: Finally, you say how you hope that from your experience in high school and by using the resources at Baylor, you hope to inspire others to see failure as something that is fundamental to learning and that you will give people support so that they don’t beat themselves up and demand perfection in damaging ways.

BAYLOR2 MEDICAL TRACK ESSAY:

Why do you want to pursue your career in medicine at Baylor University and Baylor College of Medicine? (500-word limit)

The strategy for this essay is similar to that of the previous essay. You have to start with your personal experience and then present how that has shaped your decision to apply to Baylor’s bs/md program. You have to explain, in your own way, for your own reasons, based on your own KEY experiences, what exactly it is about medicine that attracts you.

This isn’t the time to pull out the laundry list of medical school cliches or high school clinical experience generalities. Just think: you are using this essay as a way to get accepted to a MEDICAL SCHOOL PROGRAM. You have to submit an essay that shows you have thought deeply, maturely, and profoundly about this subject, not that you did a bunch of activities like countless other students and now should be rewarded with a spot in the program. It isn’t going to happen.

Paragraph 1: Hook of a scene volunteering or interning at hospital or clinic (or something related) Ex: You describe a scene when you volunteered at a hospital on the medical-surgical floor. You describe an experience when you observed a doctor working with a patient and how you interacted with the patient yourself. This was a meaningful moment during their recovery.

Paragraph 2: Introduction that explains scene and transitions to talking about your medical career goals (based on your life experiences) and how you will achieve them by going to Baylor bs/md program Ex: You explain the scene in the hospital -- where you were volunteering and why -- and then go into more generally what you have come to realize about yourself and what you love about medicine. In this case, you talk about how the small moments between doctors and patients are where you see yourself making the most difference. You then talk about how Baylor’s bs/md program is perfect for seeing the moral good of the medical field and getting a doctor to better understand patient psychology.

Paragraph 3: Description of medical experience (GO DEEP ON ONE) and how this has shaped your goals for a career in medicine (this paragraph builds context for the part the describes why Baylor) Ex: You talk about the details of your volunteering experience, how maybe you were initially interested in volunteering because you took classes or that you had a relative who needed to go to the hospital and get treatment. From this, you got your foot in the door, and you met patients you had never imagined meeting.

Paragraph 4: Description of medical experience (GO DEEP ON ONE) and how this has shaped your goals for a career in medicine (this paragraph builds context for the part that describes why Baylor) Ex: There was one patient in particular who you will never forget. This patient had just gotten back from surgery and nobody had come to visit him. The doctor made his rounds and stopped in the patient’s room, and they both sat quietly, and the doctor held the patient’s hand for what seemed like an hour, and you could see the patient crying but also smiling. That was the moment when you knew you wanted to be a doctor and the impact you could have on people. That’s what you hope to be the best at--connecting with people in their own individual ways.

Paragraph 5: Explanation of how you will use Baylor to promote your medical goals (as you just described in previous two paragraphs) Ex: You talk about Baylor’s bs/md program specifically and how it will build on your experience in the hospital and how you hope to gain a more personal medical touch from taking certain classes and participating in certain programs.

Paragraph 6: Conclusion that wraps up and ties together your ideas and reiterates why Baylor University and Baylor Medical School are the best places for you to build your medical career Ex: You conclude by reiterating what you hope to accomplish as a doctor and how Baylor’s bs/md program will make you reach your goals. You call back the image of the hospital from earlier.

Now you should be in the best position to write your Baylor supplemental essay(s). In other words, you have what it takes to grin and bear it!

Stuck on your Baylor essays or other bs/md program essays? Need help with college admissions essay writing in general? Check out our college admissions services and get your essays ready for the November 1st deadline!

Featured Posts

Declining Acceptance Rates for the Class of 2028

Junior Year Checklist: How to Prepare for Senior Year and College Applications

The Return of Required Testing and What it Means for You

Why the Digital SAT Proved Tougher Than Expected

The Ultimate Guide to Conquering AP/IB Exams

Waitlisted? What To Do Next

Carnegie Mellon University: Home of the Curious and Passionate

Your Network is Your Net Worth: 6 Tips to Help Grow Your Network

Big Changes at UT Austin: Testing Policies, Essays, and Deadlines

Artificial Intelligence and Admissions

Recent Posts

Search By Tags

Research Paper Planner: Guide

• 1: Understand Your Assignment
• 2: Select & Focus Your Topic
• 3: Explore a Research Question
• 4: Design Your Research Strategy
• 5: Finding Sources
• 6: Read, Note, and Compare Sources
• 7: Write Thesis Statement
• 8: Writing the First Draft
• 9: Evaluate Your First Draft
• 10: Revise & Rewrite
• 11: Put Your Paper in Final Form

Selection (Cameron Talley, from Flickr)

If you were going to write about one part of this picture which one would you choose?  The cars? The riverboat? The train tracks? the layers of rock in the mountainside?  Selecting a topic gives your paper a focus.

2: Select & Focus Topic

Now that you have carefully read and understood your assignment, you can concentrate on choosing a topic and focusing on what aspect(s) about this topic will be the basis of your assignment.

• Choosing a Topic Sometimes selecting a topic can be daunting. The section “Choosing a Topic” in the Introduction to Library Research Tutorial will prompt you with suggestions on possible topic ideas. If you’re still struggling with this step, help is always available from your professor or research librarian. Find a librarian by clicking on the next link.
• Contact a Librarian
• Focusing Your Topic The research guide, "Focusing Your Research Paper" will help you narrow the topic you are considering, develop questions your paper will answer about this topic, and find the sources to support what you have written.
• << Previous: 1: Understand Your Assignment
• Next: 3: Explore a Research Question >>
• Last Updated: Jan 16, 2024 10:55 AM
• URL: https://libguides.baylor.edu/planner

University Libraries

One Bear Place #97148 Waco, TX 76798-7148

(254) 710-6702

   Ask a Question

Copyright © Baylor® University . All rights reserved.

Report It | Title IX | Mental Health Resources | Anonymous Reporting | Legal Disclosures

Home — Application Essay — University — Baylor University

Baylor University Admission Essays

Why baylor university: a home for personal growth.

In the heart of Texas lies a university that embodies the true essence of academic excellence, spiritual growth, and a sense of community like no other. Baylor University, with its rich tradition and commitment to nurturing the mind, body, and soul, has always been my…

The Perfect Environment for Intellectual Growth

Introduction In a world filled with possibilities and ever-expanding frontiers of knowledge, the pursuit of intellectual curiosity becomes an imperative. It is this innate desire to explore and understand the world around us that has shaped me into the college student I am today. As…

Exploring the Intersections of Knowledge and Compassion

Baylor University, a bastion of academic excellence and community engagement, has always stood out to me as the ideal institution to pursue my higher education. As a college student eager to embark on a transformative academic journey, I am drawn to Baylor’s commitment to holistic…

What Makes Me a Successful UA Early College Student

I have always been college driven. When I discovered UA Early College at a college fair hosted by my school, Hewitt-Trussville High School, I was elated and eager to acquire more information and apply. I believe that UA Early College will give me a head…

Trustee Research Scholarship: My Academic Interests and Studies

Dear fellowship selection committee, I am a third year student from BITS PILANI, Pilani Campus writing to apply for ThinkSwiss Trustee research scholarship. If selected, I will be working with Professor Siegfried from University of Bern on uncoupling of invasive bacterial mucosal immunogenicity from pathogenicity….

My Interest To Pursue A PhD Chemistry Program At Alberta University

I have research interest in Analytical, Medicinal and Material Chemistry particularly nanofabrication of photonic materials suitable for advanced industrial applications. I am particularly enthralled by the interdisciplinary nature and scientific content of the research work in the faculty of science, department of Chemistry, University of…

Why I Want to Be a Surgeon: My Potential as a Future Doctor

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” was the question shot at me numerous times during my award interviews in my childhood days. “I want to be a surgeon” was always my reply. From a relatively young age, my parents had taught…

Healing Hands

As a child, I spent a lot of time in hospitals and clinics. I was often sick and had to see doctors regularly. At that time, I never thought about medicine as a career path; it was just a part of my life. However, as…

Application For MEd Psychology Of Education

My application for MEd psychology of education is done after careful deliberation. Firstly, my growth experience enabled me to realise the vital importance of education. I firmly believe that education can change a person’s destiny. In the junior high school, I was lucky to meet…

Where the World Ends and Paradise Begins: College Admission Essay Sample

“Where the world ends and paradise begins” is what the founder called my little safe haven where I worked the past summer. Working was basically like Cheaper by the Dozen without the promise of financial stability and with the fact that the girls weren’t my…

Get professional help in 5 minutes

— EST. 1845 —

17,059 Students

1301 S University Parks Dr, Waco, TX 76706

Selected filters

Universities

• American University
• University of Colorado - Boulder
• University of Michigan
• University of Miami
• University of Maryland, College Park
• University of San Diego
• Wesleyan University
• Rutgers University
• Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
• Rice University

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

What if I’m unsatisfied with an essay your paper service delivers?

Customer Reviews

Just News from Center X – April 26, 2024

Just News from Center X is a free weekly news blast about equitable public education. Please share and encourage colleagues and friends to subscribe.

Teaching, Leading, and Social Justice

The story of one child living in gaza [audio].

Rob Schmitz, Anas Baba, Greg Dixon, NPR

As Israel’s war against Hamas continues, children in Gaza are suffering. According to the United Nations, more than 25,000 children have been killed or injured since October. That’s one child every ten minutes. We hear about one of those children, a twelve year-old boy injured in Gaza.

Schools try to balance freedom of speech and security during student protests [AUDIO]

Sequoia Carrillo, NPR

Schools weigh freedom of speech and safety risks as nationwide protests pop up on college campuses over the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Biden Administration Releases Revised Title IX Rules

Zach Montague and Erica L. Green, New York Times

The Biden administration issued new rules on Friday cementing protections for L.G.B.T.Q. students under federal law and reversing a number of Trump-era policies that dictated how schools should respond to cases of alleged sexual misconduct in K-12 schools and college campuses. The new rules, which take effect on Aug. 1, effectively broadened the scope of Title IX, the 1972 law prohibiting sex discrimination in educational programs that receive federal funding. They extend the law’s reach to prohibit discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and widen the range of sexual harassment complaints that schools will be responsible for investigating.

Language, Culture, and Power

Without expanded daca protections, undocumented students are being left behind.

Lajward Zahra, The Nation

At age 15, Luis came to the United States from Veracruz, Mexico. Today, he’s a 22-year-old senior at Rice University, studying math and planning to go to graduate school next fall. His grandparents are US citizens, and his mom has applied for a green card. Since Luis was brought into the US as a minor, you might think he qualifies for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which shields young adults who arrived in the US as children from being deported, offering them work authorization along with temporary and renewable legal status. “I checked all the boxes, except for one,” said Luis, “which is that you have to have been here since 2007.”

Undocumented students at U.S. public schools targeted by efforts to overturn Supreme Court case [AUDIO]

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, is launching a strategy to overturn a landmark Supreme Court decision that protects the right of undocumented students to attend public school.

Norwalk 3rd grader wins national essay contest: ‘Being bilingual is my superpower’

Kalleen Rose Ozanic, The Hour

Just two years after immigrating to the United States with her family, a Silvermine Dual Language Magnet School third grader won a national essay contest — while writing in her second language. Reisli Sofia Maldonado Quintero, 8, submitted an essay to the National Association For Bilingual Education for its 2024 “Being Bilingual” Student Essay Contest last fall. She was among the younger students to enter in the contest’s third through fifth grade category. She was honored at a Board of Education meeting last month with her family, teachers and Silvermine Principal Yesenia Paredes in attendance.

Whole Children and Strong Communities

New guidelines limit added sugars in school meals for the first time.

Jonel Aleccia, Time Magazine

The nation’s school meals will get a makeover under new nutrition standards that limit added sugars for the first time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday. The final rule also trims sodium in kids’ meals, although not by the 30% first proposed in 2023. And it continues to allow flavored milks — such as chocolate milk — with less sugar, rather than adopting an option that would have offered only unflavored milk to the youngest kids. The aim is to improve nutrition and align with U.S. dietary guidelines in the program that provides breakfasts to more than 15 million students and lunches to nearly 30 million students every day at a cost of about $22.6 billion per year.

Spurred by Teen Girls, States Move to Ban Deepfake Nudes

Natasha Singer, NY Times

Caroline Mullet, a ninth grader at Issaquah High School near Seattle, went to her first homecoming dance last fall, a James Bond-themed bash with blackjack tables attended by hundreds of girls dressed up in party frocks. A few weeks later, she and other female students learned that a male classmate was circulating fake nude images of girls who had attended the dance, sexually explicit pictures that he had fabricated using an artificial intelligence app designed to automatically “strip” clothed photos of real girls and women. Ms. Mullet, 15, alerted her father, Mark, a Democratic Washington State senator.

Birdie’s Bookmobile spreads joy of reading to Detroit children

Eleanore Catolico, Chalkbeat Detroit

Inside classroom 148, a gleeful Alyce Hartman was telling the tale of three musicians: a squirrel cradling a guitar, a grizzly bear plucking a bass, and a chicken strumming a banjo. Hartman’s voice rippled like a wave as she read the picture book “I’m Sticking with You-and the Chicken Too!” by Smriti Prasadam-Halls, an author of South Indian heritage. Twenty-five second graders at Voyageur Academy sat on the floor listening, invested in the plot with every turn of the page. In the end, the talking animals formed a friendship. “We make our own music. We’ve nothing to prove. We do our own thing, and find our own groove,” read Hartman, like the storyteller her mother and the gauntlet of children’s theater taught her to be.

Access, Assessment, Advancement

California is rolling out free preschool. that hasn’t solved challenges around child care.

Cheyanne Mumphrey, AP News

A year before I-Ting Quinn’s son was old enough for kindergarten, she and her husband had the option to enroll him in “transitional kindergarten,” a program offered for free by California elementary schools for some 4-year-olds. Instead, they kept their son, Ethan, in a private day care center in Concord, California, at a cost of $400 a week. Transitional kindergarten’s academic emphasis was appealing, but Ethan would have been in a half-day program, and options for afterschool child care were limited. And for two parents with hectic work schedules in the hospitality industry, there was the convenience of having Ethan and his younger brother at the same day care, with a single stop for morning drop-off and evening pickup.

Paying for College: How Do Students’ Views Differ by Social Class?

Money means different things to different people in different contexts. A recent study explores this reality as it pertains to paying for higher education. An article about the study, which was conducted by Saralyn McKinnon-Crowley of Baylor University, Ashli Duncan-Buchanan of The University of Texas at Austin, Eliza Epstein of The University of Texas at Austin, NEPC Fellow Huriya Jabbar of the University of Southern California, and Lauren Schudde of The University of Texas at Austin, was published in October in the peer-reviewed journal, Education Policy Analysis Archives. The researchers drew upon interviews with 56 Texas community college students who had indicated they planned to transfer to a four-year school in the next 12 months. The students’ socioeconomic backgrounds varied, ranging from working-class and lower-middle-class students whose parents typically did not have college degrees to upper-middle-class students whose parents had typically graduated from four-year schools.

UC Pledged To Let Undocumented Students Get Jobs, Then Changed Course. What Happened, And What’s Next [Audio]

Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, LAist

State policymakers and the leaders of the state’s marquee public university system have each expressed support in recent months for opening campus jobs to students who are undocumented.

But conflict over how to create such a policy — and not end up in a legal battle with the federal government — has set the stage for a power struggle. It started when the University of California regents approved a groundbreaking proposal nearly a year ago to open campus jobs to their undocumented students. Then, in January, they voted against opening those jobs.

Inequality, Poverty, Segregation

Oral history offers a model for how schools can introduce students to complex topics.

Sarah D. Sparks, Education Week

As historian David McCullough said, history is the study of who we are and why we are the way we are. That’s why teachers in the Memphis-Shelby County public schools, as racially isolated now as they were when the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed school segregation, have launched a curriculum to introduce their students to the 13 children who helped integrate these Tennessee city schools in 1961. Memphis-Shelby County teachers, researchers from the University of Memphis, and the local Memphis 13 Foundation worked with seven of the 10 surviving members of the Memphis 13—a group of Black 1st graders who peacefully enrolled in four all-white schools at the height of the civil rights era—to develop teacher training, lesson plans, and oral history activities for elementary students.

Gifted and Talented Programs Benefit White Students Disproportionately

Tracie McMillan, Teen Vogue

I still remember the the first time I heard about “gifted” kids. I was fifteen, and taking part in a summer program for “gifted” Michigan high school students. Most of my classmates in the program had been “gifted” their whole lives. It was my first time, though. I went to school in a rural, low-income district without the funding to run gifted programs. Being gifted, I figured, usually took money—and I was proud to have earned that title without it. I thought about that a lot when I began reporting the story of two millennial sisters, who I call Lindsey and Maryann, from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. I went there to study how the re-segregation of America’s public schools, which began in the late 1980s, played out by the 2010s. I was shocked to find a holdover pattern of segregation alive and well: The school’s gifted and talented program.

Chicago’s low-income families of students with disabilities eligible for new $500 grants

Reema Amin, Chalkbeat Chicago

The city of Chicago is using pandemic relief money to offer $500 grants to students with disabilities who come from low-income families, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced Tuesday. Families need to apply for the one-time grants, which will be awarded to up to 8,000 people. The Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities is partnering with Ada S. McKinley Community Services to distribute $5 million through the new Diverse Learners Recovery Fund, supported by American Rescue Plan dollars, which the federal government distributed to help cities and states recover from the pandemic. Chicago received nearly $1.9 billion in those funds, which must be allocated for spending by December 2024, according to the city.

Democracy and the Public Interest

Chicago student group hosts ‘peace talk’ forums for conversations on israel and gaza.

Lyndsay Eanet, Chalkbeat Chicago

“When you think of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, what feelings come up?” A dozen Lincoln Park High School students, most of them Jewish or Arab American, pondered the questions and attempted to sum up months of intense emotion in just one word. The students wrote their answers on a piece of paper, which they crumpled into a ball and tossed into a bowl. Then they took turns reading each other’s emotions. Nearly all had written the same words. Angry. Frustrated. “We broke down those emotions,” said Intisar Alkhatib, a student organizer at Lincoln Park, describing the scene on March 22.

Schools and democracy, Art dependence, Right to repair [Audio]

Central Time, Wisconsin Public Radio

Schools and democracy, Art dependence, Right to repair

Wisconsin and the nation have seen heated confrontations at school board meetings over high-profile issues in recent years. The authors of a new book say there’s a better way for schools and their communities to interact–by bringing the public into the decision-making process more and earlier. They make the case for an “Open System” for schools.

Buenos Aires: Thousands protest against education cuts

Argentina’s President, Javier Milei, came to office in 2023 after vowing to take a chainsaw to public spending. He’s tried to justify the cuts by calling state-run universities centres of socialist indoctrination. But top universities are struggling, with one warning that it could be forced to shut down. Ricardo Gelpi, rector of the University of Buenos Aires, says that the institution may have to close within three months unless it receives more funding. The right-wing government has kept university funding this year at the same level as in 2023, despite inflation reducing the real value of the budget by as much as 80%.

Other News of Note

Columbia’s 1968 protests were also marked by arrests.

Maham Javaid, Washington Post

At first, the protest at Columbia University had a “carnivalesque quality,” with a student band playing music and balloons floating about as the university was brought to a shutdown. But as the week drew on, tensions rose. A dean was briefly taken hostage. Students protested the United States’ role in Vietnam and university policies they considered racist. They seized five buildings, according to the student publication Barnard Magazine. Water, electricity and telephone lines were cut off from the buildings. Early on the morning of April 30, 1968, about 1,000 officers from the New York City Tactical Patrol Force, called in by Columbia President Grayson L. Kirk, poured onto the campus.

Illusions of Safety:  On freedom from policing

Mariame Kaba, The Baffler

We’re in the midst of yet another bipartisan crime panic. Democratic mayors in San Francisco, Chicago, D.C., Atlanta, and New York City are loudly demanding “law and order” while President Joe Biden calls for one hundred thousand more police officers on the streets. On the right, Republicans stoke conspiracy theories about a border crisis in which immigrants are flooding the nation with drugs, diseases, and, of course, crime. Across the political spectrum, lawmakers urge us to be afraid of strangers, of our neighbors, and of each other. The drumbeat of fear is hyperbolic and manipulative. It’s effective, though, because most of the people who live in the United States do not feel safe most of the time. By all reasonable measures, ours is a violent and dangerous society.

Sign up to receive Just News, a free weekly email newsblast. It’s a great way to learn about issues of education and justice, and it will arrive every Friday in your inbox.

Email (required) *

Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from UCLA Center X. (You can unsubscribe anytime)

Just News from Center X is produced weekly by Cicely Bingener, Beth Happel, and John Rogers. Generous support from the Stuart Foundation allows Center X to provide this service free to the public.

NFL draft's best undrafted free agents: Who are top 10 players available?

With the 2024 NFL draft now complete, another scramble for talent begins.

Teams' efforts to sign the top available undrafted free agents are already underway. And while this year's draft class seems to be short on depth given that it had just 58 early entrants - the fewest since 2011 - franchises will still look to round out their rosters with role players, special teams contributors and potential developmental prospects. And the payoff can be considerable, as the Minnesota Vikings found this past fall when linebacker Ivan Pace - USA TODAY Sports' top undrafted free agent last year - rose to become a starter and trusted piece of the defense.

Here are the top 10 undrafted free agents after the 2024 NFL draft:

2024 NFL draft's best undrafted free agents

1. leonard taylor iii, dt, miami (fla.).

A former five-star recruit, Taylor never quite figured out to become a consistently dominant force for the Hurricanes. Still, the 6-3, 303-pounder has the frame and initial burst to disrupt plays from the interior, even if he only does so sporadically.

NFL DRAFT HUB: Latest NFL Draft mock drafts, news, live picks, grades and analysis.

2. Gabriel Murphy, DE, UCLA

No one will confuse the 6-2, 247-pound Murphy with Laiatu Latu, his former UCLA pass-rushing teammate who was the first defender selected in the draft (No. 15 to the Indianapolis Colts). But edge rushers with quickness, polish and production are hard to come by, and Murphy offers all three.

3. Dallin Holker, TE, Colorado State

His receiving chops should be readily apparent after a season in which he hauled in 64 catches for 767 yards and six scores. Holker might have to be utilized creatively given his athletic limitations, but he can be a steady contributor to an aerial attack

4. Ethan Driskell, OT, Marshall

A 6-8, 313-pound left tackle who can move comfortably should capture plenty of teams' interest. Driskell is perhaps too towering of a blocker for his own good, but his frame and overall athleticism give a shot at sticking on a roster.

5. Jalen Coker, WR, Holy Cross

Coker dominated his competition in 2023, hauling in 15 touchdown catches while averaging 17.6 yards per catch. The 6-1, 208-pounder likely will have a tough time learning how to consistently separate from much speedier defensive backs in the NFL, but he deserves a shot.

6. Willie Drew, CB, Virginia State

For the second time in four years, HBCU players were shut out in the draft . Drew was perhaps the best candidate to make the cut, as his length and ball skills (six interceptions, 22 passes defensed in 2023) could allow him to make his mark at the next level.

7. Cody Schrader, RB, Missouri

The former walk-on and transfer from Truman State was one of college football's best stories last season as he broke out for 1,627 rushing yards and 14 scores on the ground. The 5-8, 202-pound Schrader likely will be limited to spot work as a ball carrier and special teams contributor, but he should be up to the task.

8. Gabe Hall, DT, Baylor

Any team looking to make a big swing with their undrafted free agent class should take a long look at Hall. The 6-6, 294-pounder has massive upside as someone who can generate pressure from the interior, though he's hardly a finished product.

9. Beau Brade, S, Maryland

A savvy leader, Brade should be an asset for almost any secondary and special teams collective. He could contribute as a nickel who can make plays when allowed to work downhill.

10. Garret Greenfield, OT, South Dakota State

His teammate, offensive guard Mason McCormick, was taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round. Greenfield's experience at both left and right tackle should help position him to become a swing option if he can latch on with a team.