Plateau Mama Posted July 2, 2017 Share Posted July 2, 2017 Crew is me, 17yo DD, 9yo DS. Colleges visiting: Rice Texas A&M Baylor UT-Dallas LeTourneau We are flying into Houston Friday and will Tour Rice Friday. Thinking of going to College Sation Late Sunday. So looking for ideas for Houston for the weekend. Definitly doing Heath Museum. What else would be fun? Trying to decide if we need 1 or two nights in Waco. DS loves all things Chip and Joe so we will definitly do that. Can we tour Baylor and Magnolia in a day without rushing? Or should I plan for two and leave whenever he is done the second day? We will be heading to my BFF's home in Dallas for the rest of the trip so we are flexible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted July 2, 2017 Share Posted July 2, 2017 Are you taking a scheduled tour at Baylor? Do you have any meetings set up? What time of day will you be arriving in Waco? (Will you visit A&M on Monday and then drive straight to Waco?) How long your visit to Baylor will take will depend on what all you are planning on doing that day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoVanGogh Posted July 2, 2017 Share Posted July 2, 2017 Be sure to leave time for bad construction traffic along I-35 around Waco area. I recently drove from Texas A&M to Austin to Dallas. The stretch of 35 south of Waco was awful!!! I jumped off and took a side highway. Highway 77, I think. Waco has a nice mammoth museum, if you end up staying an extra day and have time. Please give a full report when done. 😜 We have only made it to UT-Dallas so far. We plan to tour Rice this fall/winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted July 2, 2017 Author Share Posted July 2, 2017 Are you taking a scheduled tour at Baylor? Do you have any meetings set up? What time of day will you be arriving in Waco? (Will you visit A&M on Monday and then drive straight to Waco?) How long your visit to Baylor will take will depend on what all you are planning on doing that day. I will be trying to schedule tours at the schools. I won't schedule an interview at Baylor because she is looking at that for Med School and is planning on applying for the Rice/Baylor direct admit. I just want her to get the feel of the campus area, if she doesn't like it for whatever reason no need to go through hoops for direct admit application. I am flexible as to the time of arrival in Waco. We plan to tour A&M and unless there is reason to hang around head to Waco. She hasn't expressed a ton of interest in A&M but it's between Rice & Baylor so I thought we'd check it out. I don't know what time the A&M tours are yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted July 2, 2017 Share Posted July 2, 2017 Johnson Space Center in/near Houston if you are interested in things NASA is involved in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted July 2, 2017 Share Posted July 2, 2017 Construction is awful in the DFW area. Leave lots of extra time and try not to hit rush hour. What about UNT? Or UT Arlington? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted July 2, 2017 Share Posted July 2, 2017 Since you're doing the Health Museum, you might want to visit either the Museum of Fine Arts that has a Rivera/Kahlo/Ortega show or the Museum of Natural Science that has a Gladiator show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted July 2, 2017 Share Posted July 2, 2017 Be sure to leave time for bad construction traffic along I-35 around Waco area. I recently drove from Texas A&M to Austin to Dallas. The stretch of 35 south of Waco was awful!!! I jumped off and took a side highway. Highway 77, I think. Waco has a nice mammoth museum, if you end up staying an extra day and have time. Please give a full report when done. 😜 We have only made it to UT-Dallas so far. We plan to tour Rice this fall/winter. From College Station, you will take Highway 6 to Waco, missing the construction between Austin and Waco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted July 2, 2017 Share Posted July 2, 2017 If you just want a feel for the campus, you can do Magnolia and Baylor in a day. Magnolia is not that large, mostly a shop and bakery, plus food trucks. You can drive around Baylor, maybe walk around the main areas, stop in for some coffee at Common Ground. Park somewhere you can get a trolly to Magnolia. And remember that it's really hot. Have water with you. And yes, avoid I-35 if possible. You do take 6 up from College Station, so not an issue there. Enjoy your tours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted July 2, 2017 Author Share Posted July 2, 2017 Arg! It won't let me post with multiple quotes. So I will just say thank you everyone for your tips & ideas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggie96 Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Hwy290 on west side of Houston heading to College Station has been shut down completely on the weekends causing insane traffic jams. Check houstontranstar.org for up to date traffic. Grey areas are highways that are shut down. You can get around it by catching Hwy99 (toll road though) then go out 290. Or at least take Beltway 8 to 290. It's been shutdown but that is much closer to the edge of construction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted July 3, 2017 Author Share Posted July 3, 2017 (edited) Glad to know that Texas driving has improved sonce I was last there, 17 years ago. 😩😩😩. Seriously all that driving was the one thing that almost stopped me from going on this trip. That and booking sveral hotels. I hate figuring out hotels. Edited July 3, 2017 by Plateau Mama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJosMom Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 I have no advice, but I would love it if you would come back and let us know your impressions of Rice, Baylor, and UT Dallas. :001_smile: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 No direct advice, but has she considered the McDermott Scholars program at UT-Dallas? Throwing that out as something extra to explore if she is academically qualified. Ds has a friend who just graduated out of that program, and he had some amazing opportunities and nice perks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted July 3, 2017 Author Share Posted July 3, 2017 I have no advice, but I would love it if you would come back and let us know your impressions of Rice, Baylor, and UT Dallas. :001_smile: Will do! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted July 3, 2017 Author Share Posted July 3, 2017 No direct advice, but has she considered the McDermott Scholars program at UT-Dallas? Throwing that out as something extra to explore if she is academically qualified. Ds has a friend who just graduated out of that program, and he had some amazing opportunities and nice perks. Thanks! Their scholarships are one of the reasons we started looking at UT-Dallas. Let's just say this girl is very academically qualified for any merit scholarship. The trick has just been to find them! Her counselor says they are doing some great research which DD likes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJosMom Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Will do! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Since you're doing the Health Museum, you might want to visit either the Museum of Fine Arts that has a Rivera/Kahlo/Ortega show or the Museum of Natural Science that has a Gladiator show. :iagree: MFA and HMNS-- We've gone to see the Gladiator exhibit. Twice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clear Creek Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Unless the health museum has been completely renovated in the last few years, I wouldn't recommend it. It seemed designed for preschoolers, and half of the interactive stuff didn't work when we visited. I don't think we spent a whole hour in the place. It is the only museum we have ever visited that we all thought was a waste of money, and my kids were even closer to the target age than yours (my kids were between 6-10 at the time). I highly recommend the Museum of Fine Arts (so much art from ancient cultures!) and the Museum of Natural Science (more to see than you can cover in one day). Here is a coupon for the HMNS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bambam Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 When you get to Longview for LETU - do not stay near the campus. The campus is safe, but the area around campus not so much. You want to have a motel on the north side of town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted July 7, 2017 Author Share Posted July 7, 2017 (edited) When you get to Longview for LETU - do not stay near the campus. The campus is safe, but the area around campus not so much. You want to have a motel on the north side of town.Thank you. We probably aren't staying in Longview, but I have been debating goung directly from Waco to longview vs going to Dallas first. (BFF lives in Dallas and we will be spending a few days there.) So is the area unsafe so that would you have qualms about your daughter attending Letu? (It is one of her top choices ATM.) Edited July 7, 2017 by Plateau Mama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bambam Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 I wouldn't have qualms about safety if my daughters attended LETU. I would tell them to stay on campus at night - or travel to another part of town. There aren't many restaurants/stores close by though. LETU is a nice friendly school. Both of my dds have/are taking dual credit classes there. Professors are all very friendly. Staff is friendly. Kids are friendly. Very small campus (~3,000 students maybe?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted July 7, 2017 Author Share Posted July 7, 2017 I wouldn't have qualms about safety if my daughters attended LETU. I would tell them to stay on campus at night - or travel to another part of town. There aren't many restaurants/stores close by though. LETU is a nice friendly school. Both of my dds have/are taking dual credit classes there. Professors are all very friendly. Staff is friendly. Kids are friendly. Very small campus (~3,000 students maybe?). Ok thanks. She is not an adventurer and would be perfectly happy staying on campus! I guess size is all relative. Her high school is about 200. One of her top college choices is 900. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted August 5, 2017 Author Share Posted August 5, 2017 We are back from the Grand Tx college tour! As requested Imam back to give you our thoughts. Schools visited: Rice Texas A&M Baylor UTD Letourneau Intended Major - Bioengineering Rice - We didn't do an official tour so DD didn't have thoughts one way or the other. She loved their library. The math section passed her muster. She liked that even though the campus is in downtown Houston you couldn't tell. Restaurant and shopping are 3 blocks away. IMO Campus was better maintained than photos on website showed. They have a squirrel problem though. Lots and lots of squirrels. Texas A&M - I liked it much better anticipated. Campus was well maintained. Loved their presentation. Loved their traditions. Their new business building is phenomenal. Dd didn't like it. Way too big for her. My 9yo loved it. He is ready to sign up. Neither of us liked the (lack) of town. Definitely a college town and only a college town. If you go to visit stay at the Stella hotel. Very reasonably priced and one of the most beautiful hotels I have stayed in. Baylor - Loved Baylor. Campus is absolutely gorgeous. Loved the learning dorms. Each dorm has a them. Some academic, other lifestyle. The tour was on shuttles. Very nice on a hot day. They don't have bioe so it is not high on her list unless she gets lots of merit. My 9yo loved it. It is tied with A&M. UTD - DD liked it much more than she anticipated. Fresh dorms are amazing. They are suite style with 3 students in each suite but everyone has a private room that locks. There is a sink for everyone and one shower/toilet and a small loung area. They have the learning dorms too. Their engineering program seems well done. It is in the city but doesnt feel like it. Stores and resturants nearby. Letourneau- this is the reason the trip was planned. Letu has been high on her list for a year. Long story short we ended up with a private engineering tour and a private campus tour. DD is absolutly in love with the engineering program. First semester everyone makes a 3d printer. The printer is used 2nd semester. As DD said "the campus is missing something but I can't say what". The town, well, there really isn't anything nearby. Closest shopping is 10 minutes away by car, but even that seemed abysmal. That being said DD is still very interested. If it is still in the running later I will probably will take her back when school is in session to get a better feel, hoping in November for scholarship weekend. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 Thank you for your interesting report! I copied it and emailed it to my DD. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 My son is a rising senior at LETU. We have been thrilled with the experience there and our son loves it. Let me know if I can answer any questions for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggie96 Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 (edited) Well, I have a Bioengineering degree from Texas A&M so I can certainly recommend it!!! Whoop! ETA: and the "small town" of College Station helps the big school feel much more intimate. Seems counterintuitive but it does. In fact, the whole area has so much hustle and bustle during fall/spring that summer school rocked because the place was so empty. :) When I lived in Tyler, TX, it felt sooooooo small town compared to CS. Dallas and Houston felt much more in line with options and hours of operation. Just in case you wanted a different perspective. Good luck!!! Bioengineering is a GREAT choice!!!!! Edited August 6, 2017 by aggie96 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted August 6, 2017 Author Share Posted August 6, 2017 My son is a rising senior at LETU. We have been thrilled with the experience there and our son loves it. Let me know if I can answer any questions for you! Thank you! I will PM you soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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