They have distinctive personalities. I just returned from visiting four wonderful universities in and around Austin, Tx….each is a great school for the right fit student, but these four colleges have very different personalities. Colleges and universities are not “one size fits all”.
My trip included St. Edward’s University in Austin, the University of Texas Austin, Southwestern University in Georgetown, and Baylor University in Waco. Seeing these lovely university settings and chatting with students reminded me of how very important it is for students to visit the campuses they are interested in. The differences in the institutions are so apparent when you set foot on the campuses. I have already blogged about St. Edward’s University, and I certainly plan to blog about the other three, but here is a basic overview of how these schools “feel”:
St. Edward’s University is a medium/small campus situated on a hilltop above Austin. It has about 3500 undergraduates. It is a friendly, pretty campus with students walking, sitting, chatting, eating, and milling about. The student body appears to be diverse, and enjoyment of the great views and lovely treed campus was apparent. Go Hightoppers!
UT Austin is a busy, busy, hectic place! The campus is urban with distinctive landmarks: the Longhorn stadium, the Bell Tower, the view down the mall of the Capitol building. People are on the move here, in herds of Longhorns! The campus is well landscaped and students are everywhere! Famous 6th Street is not far away, and there is always something going on in Austin. Hook em Horns.
Southwestern University is 30 minutes north of Austin in historic Georgetown, Tx. The campus is lovely with huge live oaks providing shade almost anywhere you need to go. It is another world from sprawling UT Austin… people are friendly on this quiet, tree lined campus. Go Pirates!
Baylor is another beautiful campus, and while not as busy as UT Austin, Baylor Bears are seen everywhere. The buildings on this campus are almost opulent, and everywhere are reminders that Baylor is a Christian university. Enthusiasm for the Bears is evident, and many students are wearing Baylor Bear sweatshirts or tees. Go Bears!
As I said, four great Texas universities, each one with a tremendous history and reputation, but very different. Is one of them right for you?
