Texas College Tours
 

We're planning on doing campus tours at Baylor, Rice, UT Austin, and A&M College Station in August. Will be flying in to Dallas on Aug. 17 (Fri.) and leaving on the 24th (Fri.) So really have about 4 days to accomplish this.
Any ideas as to which order would be best to visit the campuses or does it even matter? Basically, we'll be doing a big loop and would like to fit San Antonio in there too to visit friends.
Thanks as always!!

Trying to visit friends in SA AND visiting 4 colleges is really going to be pushing it. Visit 1) Baylor, 2) UT Austin, 3) A&M, then 4)Rice. If you think you can squeeze in the friends, go to SA after UT and before A&M.

Why don't you fly into Houston? I seems like that would make more sense. You could do Rice, A&M, Baylor, UT, and go through San Antonio on your way back to Houston. Do you have appointments already set up?

Fly into Houston on Friday the 17th and check out Rice. Take I 10 to San Antonio and spend the weekend with your frineds in SA. Monday drive 1 1/2 hours north to Austin on 35 to visit UT Austin. Tues. take 290 to 21 and in just under 2 hours you will be at College Station to explore A&M. Wed.take 6 an hour north to Waco and Baylor. Thursday drive another hour north on 35 and enjoy the Dallas area or fit in SMU and TCU. Then fly home Friday. Set up all tours in advance. If possible fly into Houston and out of Dallas. If you are already booked roundtrip to Dallas I would take a quick Southwest flight to Houston instead of driving the 4 hours. Have fun and be ready for some HOT weather in August. If I was going to spend the extra day (the one in Dalls) in one of the other cities it would be Austin.

Thanks all for your ideas. We already have flights into Dallas bcuz we have relatives there that we have to see. I don't have appts. set up yet bcuz my husband and I need to sit down and figure out what order we're going to visit the campuses. We may have to leave Rice out of the mix (don't know if we can afford it anyway).

Even if you cannot afford it, don't count Rice out. They offer great financial packages and their campus is beautiful, an oasis in the city of Houston.

Ditto. We know plenty of people who thought they couldn't afford Rice, and their scholarships and grants often make it very attractive.

Oh, ok thanks for that advise. Funny thing we lived in Houston for 10 yrs. and I beg my husband to move back so we could get "in-state" but 'sigh' it's not possible at this point in his career!! I hope we're not limiting ourselves too much bcuz we are really concentrating on these 4 schools.

I'm wondering how you narrowed it down to those four schools. Is Rice that much more expensive than Baylor? I don't know the qualifications of your student, but admission to UT and A&M is very difficult if you're not from Texas. You might as well check out SMU and TCU while you're in the Dallas area.

Hi Christine,

It sounds like a great trip! I went to Baylor and loved it! :)

Here's a thought on how to fit them all in:

Aug. 17-19/Dallas, visit with friends.

Monday, Aug. 20--Drive about 1.5 to 2 hours south of Dallas to Baylor (be sure to check out the beautiful Armstrong Browning Library if it's open). (If you like Dr Pepper, the Dr Pepper Museum in Waco is also a fun treat. Dan's BBQ is the place for ribs.) Then drive down to Austin (about 1.5 hrs from Baylor) and have dinner and stay night there. (If you don't care about Austin nightlife, hotels in Waco are probably cheaper. I suggest the Hilton on University Parks Drive.)

Tues, Aug. 21--U.T. drive to San Antonio afterward and have dinner on the RiverWalk/visit friends.

Wednesday, Aug. 22--Leave by 9 to drive to Houston (about 3 to 3.5 hours from San Antonio via I-10). Spend the afternoon touring Rice. Overnight in Houston.

Thursday, Aug. 23--Drive toward Dallas via I-45 but make a detour to stop at College Station to tour A&M. Continue onto Dallas afterward and stay there that night so you can catch your flight back on Friday.

It's a lot of driving, but it's possible. My dad took me on a similar trip when I was back in high school many years ago over my spring break, and we visited even more places.

You may want to check the individual schools' Web sites to see if the week you're going is welcome week for the freshman. It would be nice to see the student dynamics rather than an empty campus.

Have a great trip!

If your youngster is able to be accepted at Rice, why bother looking elsewhere?
I have/would forget Waco ex; inexpensive gas.
The undergrad hoards are overwhelming at UT and A&M.
FD: two of my three children have Master's degrees from UT/Austin and oldest cousin - 4 years younger than I - graduated from Rice and is a (full) Professor (Internal Med/Radiation Oncology) at the University of Pennsylvania.
Buen viaje.
M

Baylor has many famous grads: Football star Mike Singletary, Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson, movie director Kevin Reynolds, and former governor of Texas Ann Richards, among them.

The four schools are different in size and scope and have strengths in different areas (Baylor has an excellent business school, for example), so it really depends on what you're child is looking for.

FTH,
Speaks for itself, lol.
M

Hey, I really appreciate all the suggestions!!! Will probably sit down this wknd with a map and try to plot it all out. Have looked at the school websites and some have tours at specific times others don't.

maryanntex:narrowed these schools down by region mainly, and the fact that all are good schools based on academic scores. OUr daughter has the grades for highly selective/selective schools. Tuition may be the sticking point but I guess you really don't know what you'll pay until you get that acceptance letter?! We live in the Northeast at the moment but really want to get back to the South/Southwest!!

FTH: sounds like a pretty good itinerary: could we fit the Schlitterbaun in there somewhere?!;)

We visited NYU and she didn't like it at all!! I have to say this college business is making me nutty and we've only just begun....

< guess you really don't know what you'll pay until you get that acceptance letter >

Exactly. That's why I wouldn't write off Rice if she's interested. Very, very good school. Our daughter just finished her freshman year at a small liberal arts college in Ohio. When she got her acceptance letter, the school offered a scholarship that paid one-half of her tuition, which translated into big dollars. We weren't expecting that, so you really don't know until you apply.

The key to this itinerary is when do you have the most time (or desire) for driving? The order of schools I would think (assuming DFW round trip) is going to be Baylor-Ut-Rice-A&M or the reverse.

The longest parts of your driving are Dallas to A&M (never done it but would assume at least 3+ hours) and then Rice to San aNotnio/Austin (also about 3hours). This will either be the very beginning or very end of your trip. Where do you want to do the most driving? If it were me I'd hit the road right after landing and make a long day travelling longer just to get it out of the way. However, your visit with relatives in Dallas will likely dictate this choice.

The San ANtonio-Austin leg is about 75 minutes (Schlitterbahn is in between slightly closer to San Anotnio, but you're pushing it to include it---maybe do a tube ride on the Guadalupe?). The Austin-Baylor leg is likewise between 75-90 minutes depending on driving speed. Baylor to Dallas is also about 90 minutes. These last 3 are easy drives when broken up. Your choice if you want that at the beginning or the end.

Personal unsolicited commentary about to follow which you can readily ignore. You requested driving info but since this partially turned into a "endorse your alma mater thread" here goes:

As a UT grad (and frequent return visitor), I would HIGHLY recommend staying overnight in downtown Austin one night (if cost is an issue there's an extended stay on 6th). While all 4 schools have their benefits (some more than others), I think you would be missing out significantly on what Austin has to offer versus the other schools by hurrying through or staying off the highway. It really is a unique place.

That being said, a choice of school and place to live is entirely for each person to figure out for themselves. With regard to Rice ("often listed as a best value school") I am surprised it is not cheaper than Baylor. However, I am 15 years removed from visiting schools.

Nevertheless, enjoy the trip. You'll have a great time.

Just for kicks here is the tuition run-down from Collegeboard.com None of them are inexpensive!!! Really she will need to get some scholarship help to go to any of them.
And I don't mind the endorse your alma mater responses. It's good to hear from those that are/have attended!!



Texas A&M

Annual College Costs ( Fall 2006 )
Living on-campus
In-state tuition and fees: $6,967
Out-of-state tuition and fees: $15,217
Room and board: $7,660
Books and supplies: $1,280
Estimated personal expenses: $1,756
Transportation expense: $796

Cost per credit hour:
Cost per credit hour (in-state): $146
Cost per credit hour (out-of-state): $421

UT Austin
Living on-campus
In-state tuition and fees: $7,670
Out-of-state tuition and fees: $24,544
Room and board: $8,576
Books and supplies: $800
Estimated personal expenses: $2,300
Transportation expense: $940

Baylor
Living on-campus
In-state tuition and fees: $24,490
Out-of-state tuition and fees: $24,490
Room and board: $7,526
Books and supplies: $1,548
Estimated personal expenses: $2,172
Transportation expense: $1,708

Cost per credit hour: $925

Rice
Living on-campus
In-state tuition and fees: $28,900
Out-of-state tuition and fees: $28,900
Room and board: $10,250
Books and supplies: $800
Estimated personal expenses: $1,550
Transportation expense:

Cost per credit hour: $1,184

Christine - thanks for info. Hadn't seen that updated comparison before.

I will add a footnote to this. I know Rice is trying to increase the percent of its out-of-state students, so that may be in your favor (both from an admission standpoint and scholarship standpoint).

The most important thing is the tour schedule of each school. Check out which ones are the most restrictive, and then plan the other ones around it. You'll be driving a lot regardless of order.

C65,
God bless you, yours, and your investments.
I thankfully haven't looked at undergrad tuition in a decade.
M

OMG, I just looked up next year's expenses at Pomona College (youngest is a grad): Tuition and fees - $33,635. + R&B $11,748.
M

Here's another endorsement for you to fit in a visit to TCU/SMU since you'll be flying into Dallas (or will it actually be DFW?). While in San Antonio, you might want to add Trinity to the mix...don't we have great college choices in Texas!

Chiming in for the Aggies here since you were interested in people that attended each school. I earned both my undergrad and master's at A&M and absolutely loved it. It's an extremely friendly school with great traditions; I felt like I had joined a family the minute I stepped on that campus, and the quality of the teaching was excellent. My friends who went to UT loved going there.

Any of the schools you're interested in would be great - each has something to offer. They all have their own individual personalities - Baylor and A&M tend to be more conservative than UT and Rice. UT and A&M are much larger schools than the other two. I think your best bet is just to see where your daughter is most comfortable. And of course where she can get the best scholarship!

When you get to College Station, I'd recommend going to Cafe Eccel for lunch or dinner if you can fit it in to your schedule. It's a great restaurant with wonderful food and amazing desserts. Have fun!

One of the very nicest folks on the planet is a (full) Professor at TCU - Leo Newland!
M

Christine, if your daughter has good grades and would be open to considering a smaller/non-Division 1 school, check out Angelo State University in San Angelo. They have an excellent endowed scholarship program, the Carr Scholarships, that could be a HUGE help with tuition. (It was a big help with me in the early 1990's!) www.angelo.edu

Christine, I forgot to mention that A&M has some very generous scholarships for good students. My niece is a National Merit scholar, she received a full scholarship to A&M. If your daughter is an honors student, you might want to check out the honors dorms at A&M; I believe Lechner is the name of the one my niece lived in.

Does your daughter have an idea of what she'd like to study? I was curious about what she disliked about NYU. It's a tough decision, isn't it?

vg,
National Merit Scholar?
Younger son was a finalist and JHU said "so what?"
The former SWC used to (and perhaps still does) "buy" those for bragging rights.
Simply look at the U of OK today.
M

Mike, I'm not sure if her scholarship was awarded fully on the National Merit basis; she's also had a 4.0 and loads of leadership experience and volunteer work. She was accepted at a number of schools including West Point, but A&M was the best fit for her; she's getting an engineering degree.

Johns Hopkins is a great school - one of my best friends just graduated after studying epidemiology. I know it's tough to get scholarships there and is very competitive, but Christine is interested in schools in Texas.

Christine, sounds like your daughter has what it takes to get financial aid; I wish you lots of luck. Let us know how everything turns out!

Well, I think we have narrowed down our plans...
Fri.Aug.17th Dallas..18th San Antonio (doing the riverwalk with friends).. 19th Schlitterbaun on the way to Austin..20th UT and Baylor..stay in College Station..21st A&M then drive to Houston..22nd Rice and another night in Houston (we have lots of friend to see)..23 back to Dallas for the night and home on the 24th!

I hope it's all doable.
Thanks to all of you for your ideas!! I hope one of these schools works out...

Sounds doable and good luck.

I worry about 8/20. It's 2 hours from Austin to Waco, and another 2 hours Waco to College Station. That's 4 hours driving already, and you're planning to tour UT and Baylor on that one single day.

rkkwan: I'm alittle concerned myself. Plan on doing the UT tour @ 830-1115 and last tour at Baylor starts @ 3. So we'd have to get on the road and haul to Waco...

You can easily get from Austin to Waco in 1.5 hours. I have probably done the drive a hundred times, and unless its rush hour or there is a major accident, I think you'll be fine. :)

Good luck, Christine! I hope your daughter finds the perfect spot where she feels happy and comfortable. Still cheering for the Aggies, though. :) I grew up going to the Schlitterbahn every year - can't believe how much it's changed! Have a wonderful time.