Exchange Student Arrival

Matriculation and Orientation

Exchange students arriving in fall 2013 should plan to arrive on Monday, August 19th. This is the earliest possible day our residence halls and living and learning centers can accommodate international students. In order to move-in to your accommodations on the day of your arrival, you must arrive in Waco, Texas by 4:00pm. If you arrive after 4:00pm, you will not have enough time to obtain your Baylor ID (the key to your on-campus living accommodations), financially settle with the Baylor Cashier (a requirement to move-in), and complete your necessary arrival forms at the Center for International Education. Should you arrive after 4:00pm, you will need to book a hotel room for the night and check-in at the Center for
International Education the following day. The closest hotels to Baylor are:

LaQuinta Inn

1110 S. 9th Street (254) 752-9741 www.LQ.com

Clarion Hotel

801 S. 4th Street (254) 757-2000 www.clarionhotelwaco.com

America's Best Value Inn

115 Jack Kultgen Expressway (254) 754-1266 www.abvi.com

After you have moved-in to your new accommodations, there will be a number of shuttles running to and from shopping centers throughout the day, where you will be able to purchase all of the items you will need for your new home (bed linens, pillows, blankets, toiletries, etc...).

Traveling to Waco, Texas

Once you arrive in Waco, Baylor's international office can arrange transportation for you to campus or to your housing.

If you do not fly directly into the Waco airport (ACT), then YOU must find transportation to Waco.

If your final flight lands in Texas, but not Waco, you can use the following methods of transportation to get to Waco.

Waco Streak: this is a shuttle service between Dallas and Waco. You can make a reservation by filling out their online form. You can view their reservation form as well as prices and schedules by going to their website: www.waco-streak.com.

Greyhound Bus: this is a bus company with routes all over the U.S. You can view their schedules and prices by going to their website: www.greyhound.com.

Some students have been known to take a taxi from the Dallas airport to Baylor's campus. This is not recommended if you are alone and you have to find a taxi driver willing to bring you and it can cost quite a bit. The best plan is to fly directly into Waco or take the Streak.

Traveling to Baylor University

Once you have arrived in Waco, Baylor's Center for International Education will have a fleet of vans ready to meet you at the airport, or your drop-off point, and transport you either to the Center for International Education or to your hotel, if you arrive after 4:00pm. If you arrive after 4:00pm and need to stay at a hotel, no worries! We will take you to your hotel and come back to pick you up the next morning, and help you matriculate and move-in to your new accommodations. During the matriculation and orientation period, the Center for International Education can and will run late-night pickups. We just need you to be sure and complete your Arrival Form, so that we know when and where to pick you up.

Please note, the Center for International Education at Baylor will only be picking students up in Waco, TX. We cannot facilitate pick-ups in any other city in Texas, or the in US.

Preparing for life at Baylor

The International Office has two programs that you may be interested in signing up for before you arrive on campus.
The PAWS program is where you are matched with an American student to be your buddy during your time at Baylor. This is a great program if you want to ensure making American friends as well as having a great resource to help you get settled into your life at Baylor. More information can be found HERE.

The Welcome Families Program is where you would have an American family in Waco, who would "adopt you" during your time at Baylor. They may take you out to dinner, invite you to church and host you during American holidays. More information can be found HERE.

English Placement Exam

All international students are required to take the English Placement Exam upon their arrival at Baylor University. The only students who will be excused from the exam are students coming from English speaking countries, and who are native speakers of English. This exam, however, is not something you should worry too much about. It is merely meant to place you in English courses (if you intend to take English courses), and to serve as an indicator for any international student who may need additional English as a Second Language support.