Last Thursday I hopped on a plane to embark on a journey very familiar to many high school seniors: a college visit. I flew to Dallas, Texas to begin one of the many trips of this kind I have taken this year.

From Dallas my dad and I drove to Waco, Texas where Baylor University is located. This 4 year, private university had previously been my first choice in colleges, and I was optimistic that I would leave Texas more confident in my choice than before.

On the first full day of my visit I went on a college tour of Baylor. My tour guide was funny and the presentation was lighthearted and fun. He was helpful and tried wholeheartedly to keep everyone on the tour engaged.

Later in the day I met with the head of the department of Athletic Training, as well as a representative for Pre-Physical Therapy. They were also pleasant and very informative, however my hopes to attend this college diminished when I heard more about the programs. Because they did not have a major for Pre-Physical Therapy students, I would have to add several extra science credit hours to my already busy schedule.

The next day, I attended Baylor Premiere. This was a preview day for high school students. The day began with an opening ceremony then three academic sessions of the students’ choice. After that everyone ate lunch and chose activities to get a better feel for the university such as dormitory tours, library tours, meetings with the student leaders of activities and self guided tours of the student life center.

This was a well organized event, and the campus was packed with Baylor students that were willing and enthusiastic to help people find their way. They even had students offering rides to a location of choice on golf carts because it was so hot.

Although I had fun and the campus was beautiful, I found on my trip that Baylor is probably not the college for me. It is a wonderful college, but the program and size does not fit what I want to do in college, and I would rather not live in Waco. I also simply didn’t feel at home. I will now continue my college search, and I recommend that any student seriously considering a university should go and visit. It is an important part of the decision making process and saved me the potential of regret in a college choice.