Fall Premiere to Host Prospective Students and Parents

by Devany Severin, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805

Baylor University admission services will host hundreds of prospective students and their parents during Fall Premiere on Saturday, Sept. 22.

Fall Premiere provides high school and transfer students and their families the opportunity to explore Baylor campus, meet with faculty and staff and build relationships with current students during an "Open House" weekend.

Baylor's premieres have consistently drawn thousands of guests to Waco, numbers that have steadily increased in recent years. The fall premiere in 2005 hosted approximately 5,000 guests- the largest crowd to ever attend a premiere event. Last year's premiere drew approximately 3,300 guests and the 2004 premiere drew 4,750 visitors to Baylor and Waco, according to figures from the office of campus visits. This year's fall premiere is expected to attract 3,300 guests, but actual numbers could exceed expectations.

The coordinators for this year's Fall Premiere are striving to make the event exciting and memorable for potential Baylor students and their parents. Breakfast and registration will begin the day's activities at 8:15 a.m. in the Ferrell Center. Students and parents will attend a "Welcome to Baylor" session where they will listen to speakers and meet Baylor's admission counselors.

Next, during a "Pick and Choose Time" parents and students will have the opportunity to explore different activities that interest them on campus. Some of these activities include campus and residence hall tours, lunch in at residential dining facility, shopping in the Baylor bookstore, a chance to see the Baylor mascot and a variety of informational sessions.

In the afternoon, students will attend two academic sessions based on the fields of study that interest them the most. At these sessions, students will learn first-hand from current students and Baylor professors what various academic programs have to offer. Fall Premiere will end with a closing session at 4:30 p.m. at Waco Hall where students and their parents will enjoy a performance featuring current Baylor students.

Baylor's admission services, along with the help of the Baylor chapter of Alpha Tau Omega, Student Foundation, the Campus Visits Representatives, and the Students Telecounseling Admissions Representatives, host Fall Premiere not only to provide potential students with information and answer questions, but also to give them a sense of what student life is like at Baylor.

"It gives the prospective student an opportunity to see what it would be like to be a student at Baylor University" said Kevin Kirk, director of campus visits. Kirk believes that Fall Premiere can give potential students "the chance to see it all for themselves."

Fall Premiere will be the first of three premiere events for prospective students to attend. Winter Premiere will be held Jan. 27, followed by Spring Premiere which will be held the weekend of April 20-21. Registration for Winter and Spring Premiere will be available later during the semester online at the admissions web site.

For more information on Fall Premiere and campus visits in general, contact the office of campus visits at (254) 710-2407.