Baylor Employs Unique Student Recruitment Effort as Football Stadium Becomes Golf Range
Media Contact: Lori Fogleman, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-709-5959
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WACO, Texas (Feb. 26, 2021) – Baylor University will engage in dedicated outreach with prospective students and their families as part of the Topgolf Live Stadium Series held Feb. 25-28 at McLane Stadium. The event is the first of seven at Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college stadiums this spring, followed by events at the universities of Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee.
More than 40,000 prospective students have applied to Baylor for the 2021-22 academic year, according to Senior Director of Undergraduate Admissions Ross VanDyke, B.A. ’03. He said the Topgolf Live Stadium Series event at McLane Stadium provides an opportunity to clear hurdles presented by virtual online campus tours.
“In a recruitment year like we just had, the biggest challenge is to be able to build relationships with prospective students,” VanDyke said. “We’ve had incredible show rates virtually, but we’ve been hamstrung with regard to events and tours because we’re doing them in a single-family format.”
VanDyke said one aspect of traditional on-campus visits that is harder to recreate in the virtual realm is interaction between multiple prospective students. The Topgolf Live event allows for that in-person interaction in a safe environment.
“Add the visual dynamic of playing golf at McLane Stadium, and this event is a win all the way around,” VanDyke said.
The 80 families Baylor will host over four days include those from California, Colorado, Florida and other non-Texas locations. Several campus dignitaries will join families for the event, which will include a reception and McLane Stadium tours.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 19,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.