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How to Write the Baylor University Essay 2022-2023

Founded in 1845, Baylor University has a long history as the largest Baptist university in the world. Baylor takes pride in the fact that it uniquely incorporates strong religious values into an already rich academic curriculum and top-tier athletics division. Baylor students mirror the school’s commitment to service as well as education, spending much of their free time volunteering in the local community or utilizing their skills abroad in one of the university’s popular Global Missions programs.

With 125 majors and the resources of a nationally ranked research institution at their fingertips, the students of Baylor University are given the opportunity to really customize their college experience and explore all facets of their interests. They are not just talented scholars, but also curious researchers, passionate athletes, and above all, global citizens.

Admission to Baylor is competitive, so writing strong essays is important to help your application stand out. CollegeVine, however, is here to provide a few tips on how to tackle the application essays. Without further ado, let’s dive into the application prompt for this cycle and identify ways to make an impact on the admissions staff with your essay!

Want to know your chances at Baylor? Calculate your chances for free right now .

Baylor University Supplemental Essay Prompt

What are you looking for in a university, why do you want to attend baylor, and how do you see yourself contributing to the baylor community (450 words).

While this is an optional prompt, here at CollegeVine we believe that essays are a great way for students to add a personal voice and tell the admissions counselors about things that may not be so apparent in the rest of their materials. Therefore, submitting this essay with the rest of your application will help you stand out among the many other talented applicants trying to gain admission.

At first glance, the prompt may look like one simple question, but we can further divide it into three smaller parts — and it’s important that you remember to address all three in your response. Let’s look at the breakdown.

First Part: What are you looking for in a university?

What we see is a pretty standard question that serves as the overarching theme of the whole college process. However, the challenge of answering this question comes largely from how general it is. Here, Baylor truly wants to know what you are looking for in your higher education experience. It’s important to keep in mind that you are just as much choosing a college as they are selecting the people that make up their community.

You should be genuine with what you are looking for, so whether that’s going to an institution that balances both research and religion or a school that competes in a Division I conference, you can include that in this essay. Once you have identified the key factors that drew you to consider Baylor in the first place, the next part of the prompt will be a lot easier to answer.

Second Part: Why do you want to attend Baylor University?

If you are applying to Baylor University, it should be true that you want to be in a noticeably religious environment, and that your past experiences and interests tie in with the mission of the college. Things to emphasize would be any community service or religious missions, if you’ve done them. This next question requires some research into the school, as they want to know why, out of other similar universities, Baylor is the one that stands out.

Of course, while you are doing your research, make sure that you don’t simply repeat the information that you find. The aim of your answer is to include specific programs and resources that fit in with your profile. For example, if you enjoy working with local volunteer organizations, then you would mention how Baylor’s emphasis on service will help connect you with more opportunities for action. If gaining access to undergraduate research is important to you, you can also mention how the Baylor Undergraduate Research in Science and Technology organization will provide you with the support and access needed to get started as early as freshman year.

Additionally, Baylor offers many different programs and unique majors, such as the Honors Program that provides students with more in-depth classes and the guidance necessary to complete a senior thesis. While you don’t need to decide your major or involvements right now, it’s still good to look through the offerings and mention the things that caught your eye.

Third Part: How do you see yourself contributing to the Baylor community?

This final piece is what we would consider the most important question. There is not “one right answer,” as it would be highly personal to each individual. The way to approach this is to be as specific with your involvements and passions as possible. Make sure however, that you can back up whatever you say with the rest of your application. You do not have to try and find something unique that you think would make you different if it’s not something that really represents who you are as a person.

For example, if you really enjoyed writing for your high school newspaper, then you could mention how you want to continue that passion by applying for a position on the Baylor Lariat , the university’s newspaper focusing on events happening both on and off campus. Whatever it is that you want to continue doing in college, try to find the corresponding club or organization within Baylor that you would join. Once again, this will help tie your individual goals with that of the university and show that you really spent time looking into them.

Having more information about Baylor University will not only help you solidify your own reasons for applying, but it will also show the admissions team that the school is a good fit for you. We hope that this guide was helpful, and wish you the best of luck with your writing!

Where to Get Your Baylor Essay Edited 

Do you want feedback on your Baylor essay? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools.  Find the right advisor for you  to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Baylor University 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide  

Early Action/Decision: Nov 1

Regular Decision Deadline: Feb 1

You Have: 

Baylor University 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 1 essay of 450 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s):   Why , Community

Baylor’s super sized supplemental essay combines two of the most classic prompts out there. After reading through our quickie breakdown below, be sure to check out our tips for writing killer Why and Community essays.

What are you looking for in a university, why do you want to attend Baylor, and how do you see yourself contributing to the Baylor community? (450 word limit)

If you’re scratching your head over the unprecedented 450 word limit, we’ll give you a hint: this one’s a twofer. In this question, Baylor has managed to serve up two classic prompts: the Why essay and the Community essay. Your task, then, is to create a unified response that covers both what Baylor can do for you and what you can do for Baylor – in other words, your fit. When reading this prompt, you should see the first two clauses as different angles on the same question. In other words, your reasons for attending Baylor should align with the overall experience you envision for yourself in College. If you’re looking for a snowy New England campus, Baylor’s not going to cut it. On the other hand if you’ve been searching for a world-class nursing program, you’ve probably found your ideal match in Baylor. Whatever your criteria, you’ll need to spend some time digging through the school website for details that will breathe life into your vision and reasons for applying. By that same token, you’ll want to spend some time reflecting on the personal qualities that would make you an excellent nurse or help you take your a cappella group to the next level. Again, be concrete. Try to draw a bridge between your past experiences and achievements and the new heights you hope to reach as a Baylor student.

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Baylor University Supplemental Essays Guide: 2021-2022

Not sure how to approach the Baylor University essay? CollegeAdvisor.com ’s guide to the Baylor application essay will break down the Baylor essay prompts, showing you how to write an engaging Baylor essay and maximize your chances of admission.

If you need help answering the Baylor essay prompts, create your free account or schedule a complimentary advising consultation by calling (844) 343-6272.

Baylor Essay Guide Quick Facts:

• The Baylor University acceptance rate is 68.0%— U.S. News ranks Baylor University as a more selective school. 
• Students can submit their Why Baylor essay through the Baylor Online Application , ApplyTexas or The Common App .
• The Baylor essay prompts include the prompts for your Personal Statement and the Why Baylor essay.

Does Baylor University require a supplemental essay?

In addition to your Common App Personal Statement, Baylor asks their applicants to write an additional Baylor application essay. If you are applying Early Decision, the Baylor University essay is required . For all other applicants, the Baylor University essay is optional . The deadlines vary by application time, so give yourself plenty of time to think about the Baylor essay prompts.

Although the Baylor application essay is not required for Regular Decision applicants, it is recommended that every student complete the Baylor essay prompts. Your Why Baylor essay is your opportunity to set yourself apart from other applicants. Your Baylor essay, therefore, should show your reader why you love Baylor—and why Baylor should love you.

How many essays does Baylor University have?

Baylor University has two essays. Whether you apply through the Baylor Online Application, ApplyTexas, or The Common App, you’ll be able to find the Baylor essay prompts within your application. 

On Baylor’s website, both the Application Process page and the Parents of Applicants page list the Baylor University essay prompt under “Recommended Items.” With this in mind, we encourage you to submit a Why Baylor essay to strengthen your application.

What are Baylor University’s essays?

Your Baylor essays include both your Personal Statement and one school-specific Baylor essay. In essence, your Baylor essay is simply a Why Baylor essay. Admissions are looking for students who will thrive at Baylor and can articulate exactly why they want to become a Baylor Bear. 

While your GPA, test scores, and academic courses are all important, the Baylor essay prompts are Baylor’s way of learning who you are beyond the numbers. If you take your time with the Baylor essay prompts, you’ll be sure to write a Baylor application essay that will capture exactly who you are.

How do I write my Baylor University supplemental essay?

If the Baylor University acceptance rate or the Baylor essay prompts seem intimidating, don’t worry. Your Baylor application essay lets you share parts of you not found elsewhere in your application. Although the Baylor essay prompts include both the Common App Personal Statement and the Baylor University essay, this guide will focus on the Why Baylor essay.

Need some help writing your Common App essay? Get great tips from our Common App essay guide .

We have provided the 2021-2022 Baylor essay prompts below. In this guide, you’ll find a breakdown of how to approach the Why Baylor essay. We’ve also included extra tips for writing a Baylor application essay that will help you stand out in admissions. 

Baylor University Essay – Why Baylor Essay (Optional)

What are you looking for in a university, why do you want to attend Baylor, and how do you see yourself contributing to the Baylor community? (250-450 words)

Since this prompt has multiple questions, you can break down this Baylor essay prompt into three smaller Baylor essay prompts. Your Baylor application essay should answer the questions of “What,” “Why,” and “How.” 

What are you looking for in a university? 

Start by brainstorming all the things Baylor ticks off your college wish list. These might include size, location, student culture, academic programs, or other features. 

The more specific you can be, the better. For example, if you hope to go into nursing, what exactly about the Louise Herrington School of Nursing attracts you? Consider the size of the program, specific curriculum, relationships with local hospitals, research opportunities, and more. 

Regardless of your major, visit Baylor’s Student Life and Academics pages to find details to include in your Baylor application essay. This will help you answer the next part of the Baylor essay prompts.

Why do you want to attend Baylor? 

Now that you’ve discussed your interests, you need to talk about why these features matter to you. 

Do you think Baylor’s community can best support you and your beliefs? Do you see Baylor as the best place to prepare you for the type of career you hope to pursue? Are you passionate about the teaching styles and classes Baylor offers? Whatever the reason, show why Baylor will give you what you need to succeed.

How do you see yourself contributing to the Baylor community? 

The final part of the Baylor essay prompts lets you inspire your reader. Your Why Baylor essay should show both why Baylor is right for you and why you are right for Baylor. 

Again, be specific. Is there something about your background, experience, or beliefs that you think will enrich the campus culture? Are you hoping to join a student group or even start a new one? Is there a way you imagine using your work outside the classroom to positively impact the Baylor community?

Drafting Your Essay

As you brainstorm and begin writing, don’t be surprised if your answer for one of these questions inspires the next. These Baylor essay prompts are all connected, so don’t worry about answering each question individually or writing your Baylor essay in three separate parts. You can organize your essay however you think tells your story best. 

Remember, the Baylor essay prompts do have a limited word count. This means you should stay direct and focused in your Baylor essay. Finally, make sure you address all three parts of the prompt in your Baylor application essay. This shows your reader that you can pay attention to detail. After all, every part of your Baylor University essay helps the admissions team better understand why you’d be a good fit for Baylor. 

If you are having trouble coming up with what to write about, ask yourself these questions inspired by Baylor’s “What We’re Looking For” list for Freshman applicants:

• What intellectual topics or pursuits excite you?
• What are your values and beliefs surrounding faith and your personal calling?
• How have you challenged yourself academically?
• What opportunities have you embraced outside of the classroom?
• How do learning and service intersect in your life?

What is the acceptance rate for Baylor University?

According to U.S. News, the Baylor University acceptance rate is 68%. The Baylor University acceptance rate is a ratio of how many students applied to how many students got accepted. You can also use the Baylor University acceptance rate to help you consider your own admissions odds. 

The latest Entering Class Profile shows a medium ACT range of 26-32 and SAT range of 1210-1370. Additionally, over three-quarters of Baylor’s 2020 entering class were in the top 25% of their high school classes.

The Baylor University acceptance rate is higher for students who apply Early Decision. So, if Baylor is your top choice, you might want to apply Early Decision. Remember, if you apply ED, you are required to respond to the Baylor essay prompts and write the Why Baylor essay. 

Rather than focusing on the Baylor University acceptance rate, think about whether Baylor is the right school for you. If it is, take a look at Baylor’s 2021-2022 Application Process page for step-by-step guidance on all deadlines, application materials, the Baylor essay requirements, and the Baylor essay prompts. 

Additionally, spend some time on the Why Baylor essay. Writing a strong Why Baylor essay is one of the best ways to maximize your admissions odds.

Baylor University Essay: Final Thoughts

As you begin your application, don’t let the Baylor University acceptance rate, your test scores, or any other statistics affect your writing process. While your GPA and test scores tell the story of your high school career, your Baylor essay is a blank page for you to express the person you have become. 

Every applicant responds to the same Baylor essay prompts, so the most important factor in writing a standout Baylor University essay is you! Focus on writing about the things that truly matter to you. If you feel strongly about what you want and why you want it, just put that passion into words. 

The second most important factor, though, is time. Great essays don’t happen overnight, so start thinking about the Baylor essay prompts well ahead of the deadline. That means taking the time to brainstorm, write, edit, rewrite, and proofread your Why Baylor essay. Double-check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation. The clearer your final draft is, the easier your voice and personality will shine through.

This 2021-2022 essay guide on Baylor was written by Stefanie Tedards. For more CollegeAdvisor.com resources on Baylor, click here . Want help crafting your Baylor essay? Create your free account or schedule a complimentary advising consultation by calling (844) 343-6272.

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How to Respond to the 2023/2024 Baylor University Supplemental Essay Prompt

Karla Ibarra is a content writer at Scholarships 360. She has worked as an English teacher and writing tutor. As a writing tutor, she has experience editing scholarships and college application essays. Karla graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Communication and a minor in English.

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Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

Baylor University is a private university located in Waco, Texas. If you are a prospective applicant, you might have come across the Baylor supplemental application requirement. A stellar essay will definitely boost your application, so keep reading to learn how to use your voice to stand out!

The Baylor University supplemental essay prompt

Baylor University has only one essay prompt with three components. With a 450-word limit, students have room for more detail than the traditional 250-limit allows, but it’s still important to focus your writing. In the following guide, we help break down the parts of the prompt and share a few questions to consider before and during your writing. 

See also: How to write a 500-word essay

Baylor University supplemental application prompt

What are you looking for in a university, why do you want to attend Baylor, and how do you see yourself contributing to the Baylor community? (450 word limit)

The supplemental essay prompt is essentially made up of three questions. If Baylor is a jigsaw puzzle, the prompt asks what kind of piece you will be! 

The first part of the question simply asks students to share what they are looking for in a university. This question seeks to know more about you, your goals, and your future through the kind of university you seek. Think about what you value in your college search. It could be anything from the location, a particular program, or a unique experience. State what holds the most weight for you as you connect that to Baylor University to transition the next part of the prompt.

The next part of the question asks why you want to attend Baylor in particular. Think about why Baylor stands out from other colleges in your search. Explain why Baylor is the college for you with specific points. This is an excellent question for you to get to know Baylor and create a connection between you and the school.

The final part of the prompt asks what you will bring to the Baylor table. Where do you see yourself fitting in at Baylor,  and how will you contribute to your campus home? State the abilities and skills you have, and how you will use them to uphold Baylor’s values.

A few writing tips to keep in mind

Keep the 450-word limit in mind but don’t worry about the word count in your first draft. Try to avoid going off topic, adding extra words, or unnecessary statements. For most students, it is best to start with an outline of main points you want to share. Use the word count to your advantage and add specific details that showcase your skills, desires, and ambitions. Overall, use the word count to fully answer the prompts while conveying more about you and what you will bring to Baylor University.

Questions to consider:

• What are some qualities you seek in a college, and how does Baylor fit them?
• What are some skills, talents, or past achievements that will help you succeed at Baylor?
• How do you hope to contribute to the Baylor campus community? 

Summing it up

Baylor University wants to admit students who want to be part of the community. Baylor University does not require admission test scores. So, if you choose not to submit them, your writing skills will carry even more weight in determining whether you gain admission. While your GPA is pretty much set by now as a senior, writing a stellar essay is the perfect way to stand out as an applicant, so get started on that draft. Best of luck with your application!

Additional resources

As you continue the road to college applications, you might have other decisions to consider. Check out our other guides to help you on that road:

• How many colleges should I apply to?
• How to write an essay about yourself
• Figure out the major that’s right for you
• 10 tips for successful college applications

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, need help with baylor essay prompt.

So I'm starting my Baylor application and I'm a bit stuck on this year's essay prompt. Can someone help me understand what they're looking for and how to make my essay stand out? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Certainly! I'd be happy to help you with the Baylor essay prompt. Before diving into it, remember to be genuine in your writing and focus on showcasing your unique perspective and experiences. Now, let's break down the prompt.

First, carefully read and analyze the prompt. Make sure you understand what the question is asking and what aspects you need to touch upon in your essay. This will ensure you address all the key points the admissions officers are looking for.

Next, brainstorm ideas that could showcase your personal values, strengths, experiences, or perspective. Keep in mind that Baylor University, as a Christian institution, values traits such as service, leadership, and community involvement. Reflect on any meaningful experiences that demonstrate these values or show personal growth. Look for a specific story or moment, as these tend to be more engaging and memorable for the reader.

Once you have chosen an idea, start outlining your essay. Focus on creating a clear structure that flows well and keeps the reader engaged. Remember to include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Try to show, not just tell, your story by providing vivid details and examples. As you write, think about the tone you're using as well—it should be engaging and captivating.

In the body paragraphs, connect your experiences back to the central theme or idea you want to convey. Explain how these experiences shaped your values and contributed to your personal growth. Don't forget to identify any challenges you faced along the way and how you overcame them. This will demonstrate resilience and a strong character.

In the conclusion, bring everything together by summarizing the main points you've discussed and highlighting the key takeaways for the reader. Explain how these experiences and lessons learned will contribute to your success at Baylor and beyond. Be sure to leave the reader with a lasting impression, as this can be a deciding factor in the admissions process.

Before submitting your essay, make sure to proofread it multiple times and get feedback from others. Fresh eyes can often help identify areas where you can improve or clarify your writing, which will lead to a stronger, more polished essay.

By following these steps and staying true to your personal experience, your Baylor essay will stand out and make a lasting impression on the admissions officers. Also be sure to check out CollegeVine's guide to writing the Baylor supplemental essay: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-baylor-university-essays

Good luck, and happy writing!

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• Ryan Murphy
• Oct 18, 2018

How to Write Baylor and Baylor2 BS/MD Essays

Can’t bear the idea of NOT becoming a Baylor Bear? Feeling embarrassed about your Baylor essays? Ready to bare it all in your writing so you can land a spot at one of the top universities in Texas?

I’m here to make the whole essay process for Baylor much more bearable.

(Whew! Bear puns are over!)

What does that mean? Well, let’s start with the basics . Baylor University allows you to use ApplyTexas, The Common Application, or its own website to apply. In addition to following the requirements in those application portals, Baylor also has a supplemental essay for all of its undergraduates and an additional one for students who plan to apply to the Baylor2 bs/md program.

You may be wondering if it's better to submit an application via ApplyTexas, Common App, or Baylor’s site. As is directly stated, it doesn’t matter what method of submission you choose. What matters, as always, is what you are submitting.

Let’s talk about that more.

Let’s discuss how to approach the supplemental essays and even how to roughly outline them. If you haven’t started writing, or if you are stuck on how to revise, pay attention and think about how you can apply these ideas to your own writing and experiences!

BAYLOR GENERAL ESSAY:

What are you looking for in a university, why do you want to attend Baylor, and how do you see yourself contributing to the Baylor community? (750-word limit)

GENERAL STRATEGY:

This prompt has three questions, all of which should be adequately addressed in your answer. If you are recycling essays from another application that Baylor doesn’t already see (such as using ApplyTexas or UT Short Answers with a Common App Baylor submission), then you need to make sure that you are covering all the points as clearly as possible. Don’t make the reader assume that you are answering all of the questions.

That said, here is one way to think about the essay, considering the three questions. You can split it up into three parts:

Part 1: What are you looking for in a university?

Part 2: Why do you want to attend Baylor?

Part 3: How do you see yourself contributing to the Baylor community?

Parts 1-2 will take up the bulk of your essay, whereas Part 3 can be part of the conclusion.

General structure aside, you should think about experiences that you have had with education, including ones at school, through volunteering, and in extracurriculars. You want to highlight key aspects that you think are essential to effective education, whether it be, say, freedom of ideas, the collaboration of differently skilled peers, or a commitment to something morally greater.

To do this, you need to introduce your experiences, which will be not only crucial in shaping what you see as essential in education but also important for how you use resources at Baylor and how you influence the Baylor community.

Paragraph 1: Hook that is a scene related to your education experience Ex: You talk about a moment when running a coding camp for girls, how the students were behaving and “getting it” after you described something.

Paragraph 2: Introduction that explains hook and then transitions to answer the three questions of the prompt in the form of a thesis statement Ex: You explain the scene and the related details. You talk about how you see education as something that should inspire people to trust themselves to experiment and fail before succeeding. You want to go to a university that promotes this idea. You see yourself fitting into Baylor because its programs do just that, and you can inspire your peers to think this way.

Paragraph 3: Experience related to education that contributes to what you want out of a university Ex: You talk more about the coding camp for girls, first by going into why you made it and what challenges you saw in the beginning. You talk about how maybe you struggled to connect with the kids and wanted them to have all the answers immediately.

Paragraph 4: Experience related to education that contributes to what you want out of a university Ex: You expand on the coding camp experience and say how you solved your problem, how you became more willing to accept that the students would fail, and that you even designed the curriculum to give them a chance to experiment. Doing so, you were able to get them to truly learn.

Paragraph 5: How you will use Baylor’s resources based on that experience / definition of university Ex: Building off your lesson from the coding camp, you hope to take what you learned and now see as the important role that education can play and use Baylor’s resources to have a similar environment. You explain which specific programs would allow you to experiment, fail, and ultimately succeed.

Paragraph 6: How you will use Baylor’s resources based on that experience / definition of university Ex: You talk about even more resources from Baylor that fall in with this idea of experimentation and failing to succeed. Or you extend on a thought from the previous paragraph.

Paragraph 7: Conclusion and how you plan to contribute to Baylor community Ex: Finally, you say how you hope that from your experience in high school and by using the resources at Baylor, you hope to inspire others to see failure as something that is fundamental to learning and that you will give people support so that they don’t beat themselves up and demand perfection in damaging ways.

BAYLOR2 MEDICAL TRACK ESSAY:

Why do you want to pursue your career in medicine at Baylor University and Baylor College of Medicine? (500-word limit)

The strategy for this essay is similar to that of the previous essay. You have to start with your personal experience and then present how that has shaped your decision to apply to Baylor’s bs/md program. You have to explain, in your own way, for your own reasons, based on your own KEY experiences, what exactly it is about medicine that attracts you.

This isn’t the time to pull out the laundry list of medical school cliches or high school clinical experience generalities. Just think: you are using this essay as a way to get accepted to a MEDICAL SCHOOL PROGRAM. You have to submit an essay that shows you have thought deeply, maturely, and profoundly about this subject, not that you did a bunch of activities like countless other students and now should be rewarded with a spot in the program. It isn’t going to happen.

Paragraph 1: Hook of a scene volunteering or interning at hospital or clinic (or something related) Ex: You describe a scene when you volunteered at a hospital on the medical-surgical floor. You describe an experience when you observed a doctor working with a patient and how you interacted with the patient yourself. This was a meaningful moment during their recovery.

Paragraph 2: Introduction that explains scene and transitions to talking about your medical career goals (based on your life experiences) and how you will achieve them by going to Baylor bs/md program Ex: You explain the scene in the hospital -- where you were volunteering and why -- and then go into more generally what you have come to realize about yourself and what you love about medicine. In this case, you talk about how the small moments between doctors and patients are where you see yourself making the most difference. You then talk about how Baylor’s bs/md program is perfect for seeing the moral good of the medical field and getting a doctor to better understand patient psychology.

Paragraph 3: Description of medical experience (GO DEEP ON ONE) and how this has shaped your goals for a career in medicine (this paragraph builds context for the part the describes why Baylor) Ex: You talk about the details of your volunteering experience, how maybe you were initially interested in volunteering because you took classes or that you had a relative who needed to go to the hospital and get treatment. From this, you got your foot in the door, and you met patients you had never imagined meeting.

Paragraph 4: Description of medical experience (GO DEEP ON ONE) and how this has shaped your goals for a career in medicine (this paragraph builds context for the part that describes why Baylor) Ex: There was one patient in particular who you will never forget. This patient had just gotten back from surgery and nobody had come to visit him. The doctor made his rounds and stopped in the patient’s room, and they both sat quietly, and the doctor held the patient’s hand for what seemed like an hour, and you could see the patient crying but also smiling. That was the moment when you knew you wanted to be a doctor and the impact you could have on people. That’s what you hope to be the best at--connecting with people in their own individual ways.

Paragraph 5: Explanation of how you will use Baylor to promote your medical goals (as you just described in previous two paragraphs) Ex: You talk about Baylor’s bs/md program specifically and how it will build on your experience in the hospital and how you hope to gain a more personal medical touch from taking certain classes and participating in certain programs.

Paragraph 6: Conclusion that wraps up and ties together your ideas and reiterates why Baylor University and Baylor Medical School are the best places for you to build your medical career Ex: You conclude by reiterating what you hope to accomplish as a doctor and how Baylor’s bs/md program will make you reach your goals. You call back the image of the hospital from earlier.

Now you should be in the best position to write your Baylor supplemental essay(s). In other words, you have what it takes to grin and bear it!

Stuck on your Baylor essays or other bs/md program essays? Need help with college admissions essay writing in general? Check out our college admissions services and get your essays ready for the November 1st deadline!

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Research Paper Planner: Guide

• 1: Understand Your Assignment
• 2: Select & Focus Your Topic

3: Explore a Research Question

• 4: Design Your Research Strategy
• 5: Finding Sources
• 6: Read, Note, and Compare Sources
• 7: Write Thesis Statement
• 8: Writing the First Draft
• 9: Evaluate Your First Draft
• 10: Revise & Rewrite
• 11: Put Your Paper in Final Form

Question Mark Clock by Bill Whipple

This Question Mark Clock detail by Bill Whipple (courtesy of our database, Artstor ) seemed an appropriate image to display at this stage of the research paper assignment planner.  You have a time constraint and still have questions to answer.  This clock is an example of public art and can be seen at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Pine Street, Seattle, WA.

A research question (a preliminary thesis statement) is a declaration of purpose that  indicates what it is that you intend to explore and discuss in your paper. Establishing a research question will assist you in two ways: 1) it will help differentiate relevant from irrelevant resources by sharply defining the parameters of your topic and 2) it will eventually give structure and direction to your essay when you are ready to commence writing.

You want to explore a topic to answer three big questions:

• is there enough good information for me to use in developing my own ideas on the topic? 
• do I have enough knowledge to understand the writings on the topic?
• after looking at a preliminary group of resources, do I still like this topic?

How do you explore a topic?

• Do a preliminary search in a general database of resources using the keywords you identified in Step 2.  A good choice is  Academic Search Complete and the link to it is below.  
• Note how many sources there are.  If you use the check box to limit the search to just peer reviewed or scholarly articles, are there at least 5 items still in the list?  Can you understand the abstracts for these articles? Do these articles have a bibliography of other sources and can you find these articles?
• Having read the abstracts for these 5 articles, do you still think you'll like the topic?
• What questions about the topic aren't answered by these sample articles you've found?  Do you like those? You want to make sure the topic isn't a "closed" topic or one that can't be reasonably answered.

If you can answer "yes" to these four questions, you usually have a good topic.  Before you start Step 4 take a moment to list the questions you have about your topic.  If you think you don't have questions then ask yourself "if I were reading a paper on this topic what 5 things would I want to know at the end of my reading?"  Then phrase those 5 things as questions.

The staff at the Jones Information Desk and the Subject Librarians will be glad to help you with this part of your research.  Below are some of the ways you can reach us.

• Academic Search Complete Good database for seeing how much is out there on your topic in both the scholarly and the popular press.
• Your Librarians Link to our subject specialist librarians and their contact information. Contact us to get one-on-one help.
• I need help right now, please! This will link you to the many ways you can get help. Scroll down the page a little bit to use our chat service, which is available during regular library hours.
• << Previous: 2: Select & Focus Your Topic
• Next: 4: Design Your Research Strategy >>
• Last Updated: Jan 16, 2024 10:55 AM
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June 23, 2022

Baylor College of Medicine Secondary Application Essay Tips [2022 – 2023]

*Note: Baylor College of Medicine applications are now submitted solely through the TMDSAS application. Only MD/PHD will use the AMCAS application platform.

Review the Principles for BCM prior to writing your secondary essays.   Baylor College of Medicine places special emphasis on recruiting students from diverse backgrounds and from ethnicities that are underrepresented in medicine. Highlight your personal connections, volunteer work, and leadership roles in medically underserved communities.

Baylor College of Medicine 2022-23 secondary application essay questions

Baylor college of medicine essay #1.

In addition to training as a competent physician, please select up to two additional areas of interest from the items below that you may want to pursue during your medical studies. Your responses will have no bearing on applications to joint degrees or special programs to which you might also apply. Options include: 

• Clinical Research
• Healthcare/disparities/medical underserved communities
• Academic Medicine
• Community Health
• Simulation in medical education
• Health systems science

(connected to #1) What knowledge, skills and attitudes have you developed that have prepared you for this career path? (1000 characters)

BCOM wants to know how you’re suited for their programs. Their expectation is that in choosing up to two areas of interest, you have spent some quality time engaged in the interests you choose. Introduce the experience (what was it?), explain your responsibilities, and what you learned, how this experience deepened your awareness of inequity, how this experience impacted patient care, or how this experience showed you what twenty-first century medicine will entail. Provide an insightful vision of medicine and its complexities, disparities, or innovations to convey that they are true, active interests of yours.

Baylor College of Medicine essay #2

Are you planning to matriculate into medical school immediately after completing your undergraduate education? If not, please explain what activities and/or careers you have pursued in the time between your college education and your application. (limit not stated)

Most matriculating first year medical students have taken a gap year. A gap year is often regarded as an opportunity to deepen one’s preparedness for medical school. Your involvement in some type of physician-oriented work, research, clinical work, or patient care should be a deeply committed use of your time. Many applicants work full-time in research during their gap year while also volunteering. Some applicants work as EMTs, patient care aides, or techs. Others work at institutes (the National Institutes of Health [NIH], for instance). 

If you work in non-healthcare-related employment out of necessity, explain the circumstances, tell a story that reveals your responsibilities beyond being a dutiful premed student. Are you caring for a sick relative? Has your family faced financial hardship? Are you a parent of young children? These stories should convey your fortitude, maturity and unflinching resolve to be responsible and still become a doctor.

If you work in non-healthcare-related employment and are seeking a career change, many schools of medicine are open to this. In this circumstance, “why medicine?” becomes a critical question to address in the personal statement, as the schools will be looking for true dedication and conviction. One way to demonstrate this conviction is to describe volunteer work oriented to patient care, wellness, or altruism. 

In addition, career-changers may be able to show that a first career has already developed skills and qualities important in medicine. For example, a teacher explains concepts and an engineer evaluates and solves problems. Additionally, as non-traditional applicants, career-changers are desirable applicants because they have experience being steadfastly employed in a professional capacity and have grown from the experience.

Baylor College of Medicine essay #3

Indicate any special experiences, unusual factors or other information you feel would be helpful in evaluating you, including, but not limited to, education, employment, extracurricular activities, prevailing over adversity. You may expand upon but not repeat TMDSAS or AMCAS application information. (2,000 characters.)

Using a timeline you have created of your life that includes all significant events and/or an updated copy of your resume or CV, check off the items you have already covered in your primary application. Create a list from the remaining items that you have not covered which are related to clinical, research, work, or leadership in community service. Are there any items that relate to how you have overcome adversity? Strategically selecting the activities or events that will reveal more about you as a person, create an outline using this short list. Free-write to cover as much detail as you can from your outline. After taking a break, edit the material to ensure you have a clear introductory sentence, solid body with explanations, and a concise conclusion that sums up your experiences.

Applying to Baylor College of Medicine? Here are some stats:

Baylor College of Medicine average MCAT score: 517

Baylor College of Medicine average GPA: 3.87

Baylor Acceptance Rate: 4.3%

For more stats, check out the Medical School Selectivity Index .

You’ve worked so hard to get to where you are in life. Now that you’re ready for your next achievement, make sure you know how to present yourself to maximum advantage in your medical school applications. In a hotly competitive season, you’ll want a member of Team Accepted in your corner, guiding you with expertise tailored specifically for you.  Check out our flexible consulting packages today!

Baylor College of Medicine 2022-23 application timeline

Source: Baylor College of Medicine website

Related Resources:

• 5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Med School and Secondary Essays , a free guide
• School-Specific Med Secondary Essay Tips
• 5 Dont’s for Your Medical School Personal Statement

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2023-2024 Academic Catalog

University scholars program.

The University Scholars Program is designed for intellectually gifted, highly motivated students with a wide range of interests and a genuine love of learning. The program seeks to broaden these students’ backgrounds in the liberal arts while preparing them for a career through concentrated study in several areas. In order to achieve their full academic potential, University Scholars enjoy exclusive exemption from virtually all core curriculum requirements. Additionally, since “University Scholars” is a declared major, these students are not subject to the specialized course requirements of a traditional major though they may declare a minor or secondary major. As a result, Scholars are free to create an individualized course of study with the advice of a program director who mentors them throughout their entire four years.

Admission to the Program

To ensure that students gain the full benefit from the program, University Scholars will not accept students who have fewer than three years or 90 hours remaining to complete their undergraduate degree at Baylor. All Scholars must therefore complete at least 90 hours as students within the program.

The following are the criteria for admission into the University Scholars Program:

• Responses to the three essay questions on the Honors College application
• Class rank and GPA
• SAT/ACT/CLT scores are optional and may be considered, if available

Maintaining University Scholars Status

To remain in and graduate from the program, Scholars must maintain a 3.5 minimum grade point average. If released from the program, students must then fulfill the general requirements of the university in addition to the requirements for a major.

When to Apply for Admission to the Program

Applicants are admitted and notified on a rolling basis throughout the year. Students who wish to know their status before the May 1 college notification deadline must apply with all related application materials no later than April 1. Interested students are encouraged to apply as early as possible for advising and housing purposes.

Admitted University Scholars are eligible to apply for housing in the Honors Residential College.

The University Scholars Program and Other Special Programs

The University Scholars Program maintains a close relationship with both the Honors Program and the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core. All University Scholars are in the Honors Program and should, in discussion with their University Scholars director, complete the requirements for the Honors Program graduation.

For University Scholars in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core, BIC courses will substitute for the following required UNSC courses:  GTX 2301 Intellectual Traditions of the Ancient World : Literature and Thought , GTX 2302 Medieval Intellectual Traditions: Literature and Thought in Context , and UNSC 3301 University Scholars Capstone HNR .

Degree Requirements

Completion of at least 90 credit hours in residence.

• The requirement for advanced credit, residence, chapel, and maximum credit are the same as for the Bachelor of Arts degree. Additional information about requirements is listed under the “General Regulations for the College of Arts & Sciences” and “General University Regulations.”
• Completion of 124 hours including 36 hours of 3000-4000 level credits
• A maximum of four hours of Lifetime Fitness (LF) and ten hours of applied music and/or ensemble may be included in the required 124 hours.

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Guest Essay

The Happiness Gap Between Left and Right Isn’t Closing

By Thomas B. Edsall

Mr. Edsall contributes a weekly column from Washington, D.C., on politics, demographics and inequality.

Why is it that a substantial body of social science research finds that conservatives are happier than liberals?

A partial answer: Those on the right are less likely to be angered or upset by social and economic inequities, believing that the system rewards those who work hard, that hierarchies are part of the natural order of things and that market outcomes are fundamentally fair.

Those on the left stand in opposition to each of these assessments of the social order, prompting frustration and discontent with the world around them.

The happiness gap has been with us for at least 50 years, and most research seeking to explain it has focused on conservatives. More recently, however, psychologists and other social scientists have begun to dig deeper into the underpinnings of liberal discontent — not only unhappiness but also depression and other measures of dissatisfaction.

One of the findings emerging from this research is that the decline in happiness and in a sense of agency is concentrated among those on the left who stress matters of identity, social justice and the oppression of marginalized groups.

There is, in addition, a parallel phenomenon taking place on the right as Donald Trump and his MAGA loyalists angrily complain of oppression by liberals who engage in a relentless vendetta to keep Trump out of the White House.

There is a difference in the way the left and right react to frustration and grievance. Instead of despair, the contemporary right has responded with mounting anger, rejecting democratic institutions and norms.

In a 2021 Vox article, “ Trump and the Republican Revolt Against Democracy ,” Zack Beauchamp described in detail the emergence of destructive and aggressive discontent among conservatives.

Citing a wide range of polling data and academic studies, Beauchamp found:

More than twice as many Republicans (39 percent) as Democrats (17 percent) believed that “if elected leaders won’t protect America, the people must act — even if that means violence.”

Fifty-seven percent of Republicans considered Democrats to be “enemies,” compared with 41 percent of Democrats who viewed Republicans as “enemies.”

Among Republicans, support for “the use of force to defend our way of life,” as well as for the belief that “strong leaders bend rules” and that “sometimes you have to take the law in your own hands,” grows stronger in direct correlation with racial and ethnic hostility.

Trump has repeatedly warned of the potential for political violence. In January he predicted bedlam if the criminal charges filed in federal and state courts against him damaged his presidential campaign:

I think they feel this is the way they’re going to try and win, and that’s not the way it goes. It’ll be bedlam in the country. It’s a very bad thing. It’s a very bad precedent. As we said, it’s the opening of a Pandora’s box.

Before he was indicted in New York, Trump claimed there would be “potential death and destruction” if he was charged.

At an Ohio campaign rally in March, Trump declared, “If I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a blood bath for the whole country.”

In other words, Trump and his allies respond to adversity and what they see as attacks from the left with threats and anger, while a segment of the left often but not always responds to adversity and social inequity with dejection and sorrow.

There are significant consequences for this internalization.

Jamin Halberstadt , a professor of psychology at the University of Otago in New Zealand and a co-author of “ Outgroup Threat and the Emergence of Cohesive Groups : A Cross-Cultural Examination,” argued in his emailed reply to my inquiry that because “a focus on injustice and victimhood is, by definition, disempowering (isn’t that why we talk of ‘survivors’ rather than ‘victims’?), loss of control is not good for self-esteem or happiness.”

But, he pointed out:

this focus, while no doubt a part of the most visible and influential side of progressive ideology, is still just a part. Liberalism is a big construct, and I’m reluctant to reduce it to a focus on social justice issues. Some liberals have this view, but I suspect their influence is outsized because (a) they have the social media megaphone and (b) we are in a climate in which freedom of expression and, in particular, challenges to the worldview you characterize have been curtailed.

Expanding on this line of argument, Halberstadt wrote:

I’m sure some self-described liberals have views that are counterproductive to their own happiness. One sub-ideology associated with liberalism is, as you describe, a sense of victimhood and grievance. But there is more than one way to respond to structural barriers. Within that group of the aggrieved, some probably see systemic problems that cannot be overcome, and that’s naturally demoralizing and depressing. But others see systemic problems as a challenge to overcome.

Taking Halberstadt’s assessment of the effects of grievance and victimhood a step farther, Timothy A. Judge , the chairman of the department of management and human resources at Notre Dame, wrote in a 2009 paper, “ Core Self-Evaluations and Work Success ”:

Core self-evaluations (C.S.E.) is a broad, integrative trait indicated by self-esteem, locus of control, generalized self-efficacy and (low) neuroticism (high emotional stability). Individuals with high levels of C.S.E. perform better on their jobs, are more successful in their careers, are more satisfied with their jobs and lives, report lower levels of stress and conflict, cope more effectively with setbacks and better capitalize on advantages and opportunities.

I asked Judge and other scholars a question: Have liberal pessimists fostered an outlook that spawns unhappiness as its adherents believe they face seemingly insurmountable structural barriers?

Judge replied by email:

I do share the perspective that a focus on status, hierarchies and institutions that reinforce privilege contributes to an external locus of control. And the reason is fairly straightforward. We can only change these things through collective and, often, policy initiatives — which tend to be complex, slow, often conflictual and outside our individual control. On the other hand, if I view “life’s chances” (Virginia Woolf’s term) to be mostly dependent on my own agency, this reflects an internal focus, which will often depend on enacting initiatives largely within my control.

Judge elaborated on his argument:

If our predominant focus in how we view the world is social inequities, status hierarchies, societal unfairness conferred by privilege, then everyone would agree that these things are not easy to fix, which means, in a sense, we must accept some unhappy premises: Life isn’t fair; outcomes are outside my control, often at the hands of bad, powerful actors; social change depends on collective action that may be conflictual; an individual may have limited power to control their own destiny, etc. These are not happy thoughts because they cause me to view the world as inherently unfair, oppressive, conflictual, etc. It may or may not be right, but I would argue that these are in fact viewpoints of how we view the world, and our place in it, that would undermine our happiness.

Last year, George Yancey , a professor of sociology at Baylor University, published “ Identity Politics, Political Ideology, and Well-Being : Is Identity Politics Good for Our Well-Being?”

Yancey argued that recent events “suggest that identity politics may correlate to a decrease in well-being, particularly among young progressives, and offer an explanation tied to internal elements within political progressiveness.”

By focusing on “political progressives, rather than political conservatives,” Yancey wrote, “a nuanced approach to understanding the relationship between political ideology and well-being begins to emerge.”

Identity politics, he continued, focuses “on external institutional forces that one cannot immediately alleviate.” It results in what scholars call the externalization of one’s locus of control, or viewing the inequities of society as a result of powerful if not insurmountable outside forces, including structural racism, patriarchy and capitalism, as opposed to believing that individuals can overcome such obstacles through hard work and collective effort.

As a result, Yancey wrote, “identity politics may be an important mechanism by which progressive political ideology can lead to lower levels of well-being.”

Conversely, Yancey pointed out, “a class-based progressive cognitive emphasis may focus less on the group identity, generating less of a need to rely on emotional narratives and dichotomous thinking and may be less likely to be detrimental to the well-being of a political progressive.”

Yancey tested this theory using data collected in the 2021 Baylor Religion Survey of 1,232 respondents.

“Certain types of political progressive ideology can have contrasting effects on well-being,” Yancey wrote. “It is plausible that identity politics may explain the recent increase well-being gap between conservatives and progressives.”

Oskari Lahtinen , a senior researcher in psychology at the University of Turku in Finland, published a study in March, “ Construction and Validation of a Scale for Assessing Critical Social Justice Attitudes ,” that reinforces Yancey’s argument.

Lahtinen conducted two surveys of a total of 5,878 men and women to determine the share of Finnish citizens who held “critical social justice attitudes” and how those who held such views differed from those who did not.

Critical social justice proponents, on Lahtinen’s scale,

point out varieties of oppression that cause privileged people (e.g., male, white, heterosexual, cisgender) to benefit over marginalized people (e.g., woman, Black, gay, transgender). In critical race theory, some of the core tenets include that (1) white supremacy and racism are omnipresent and colorblind policies are not enough to tackle them, (2) people of color have their own unique standpoint and (3) races are social constructs.

What did Lahtinen find?

The critical social justice propositions encountered

strong rejection from men. Women expressed more than twice as much support for the propositions. In both studies, critical social justice was correlated modestly with depression, anxiety, and (lack of) happiness, but not more so than being on the political left was.

In an email responding to my inquiries about his paper, Lahtinen wrote that one of the key findings in his research was that “there were large differences between genders in critical social justice advocacy: Three out of five women but only one out of seven men expressed support for the critical social justice claims.”

In addition, he pointed out, “there was one variable in the study that closely corresponded to external locus of control: ‘Other people or structures are more responsible for my well-being than I myself am.’”

The correlation between agreement with this statement and unhappiness was among the strongest in the survey:

People on the left endorsed this item (around 2 on a scale of 0 to 4) far more than people on the right (around 0.5). Endorsing the belief was determined by political party preference much more than by gender, for instance.

Such measures as locus of control, self-esteem, a belief in personal agency and optimism all play major roles in daily life.

In a December 2022 paper, “ The Politics of Depression : Diverging Trends in Internalizing Symptoms Among U.S. Adolescents by Political Beliefs,” Catherine Gimbrone , Lisa M. Bates , Seth Prins and Katherine M. Keyes , all at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health, noted that “trends in adolescent internalizing symptoms diverged by political beliefs, sex and parental education over time, with female liberal adolescents experiencing the largest increases in depressive symptoms, especially in the context of demographic risk factors, including parental education.”

“These findings,” they added, “indicate a growing mental health disparity between adolescents who identify with certain political beliefs. It is therefore possible that the ideological lenses through which adolescents view the political climate differentially affect their mental well-being.”

Gimbrone and her co-authors based their work on studies of 85,000 teenagers from 2005 to 2018. They found that

while internalizing symptom scores worsened over time for all adolescents, they deteriorated most quickly for female liberal adolescents. Beginning in approximately 2010 and continuing through 2018, female liberal adolescents reported the largest changes in depressive affect, self-esteem, self-derogation and loneliness.

In conclusion, the authors wrote, “socially underprivileged liberals reported the worst internalizing symptom scores over time, likely indicating that the experiences and beliefs that inform a liberal political identity are ultimately less protective against poor mental health than those that inform a conservative political identity.”

From another vantage point, Nick Haslam , a professor of psychology at the University of Melbourne, argued in his 2020 paper “ Harm Inflation: Making Sense of Concept Creep ” that recent years have seen “a rising sensitivity to harm within at least some Western cultures, such that previously innocuous or unremarked phenomena were increasingly identified as harmful and that this rising sensitivity reflected a politically liberal moral agenda.”

As examples, Haslam wrote that the definition of “trauma” has been

progressively broadened to include adverse life events of decreasing severity and those experienced vicariously rather than directly. “Mental disorder” came to include a wider range of conditions, so that new forms of psychopathology were added in each revision of diagnostic manuals and the threshold for diagnosing some existing forms was lowered. “Abuse” extended from physical acts to verbal and emotional slights and incorporated forms of passive neglect in addition to active aggression.

Haslam described this process as concept creep and argued that “some examples of concept creep are surely the work of deliberate actors who might be called expansion entrepreneurs.”

Concept expansion, Haslam wrote, “can be used as a tactic to amplify the perceived seriousness of a movement’s chosen social problem.” In addition, “such expansion can be effective means of enhancing the perceived seriousness of a social problem or threat by increasing the perceived prevalence of both ‘victims’ and ‘perpetrators.’”

Haslam cited studies showing that strong “correlates of holding expansive concepts of harm were compassion-related trait values, left-liberal political attitudes and forms of morality associated with both.” Holding expansive concepts of harm was also “associated with affective and cognitive empathy orientation and most strongly of all with endorsement of harm- and fairness-based morality.” Many of these characteristics are associated with the political left.

“The expansion of harm-related concepts has implications for acceptable self-expression and free speech,” Haslam wrote. “Creeping concepts enlarge the range of expressions judged to be unacceptably harmful, thereby increasing calls for speech restrictions. Expansion of the harm-related concepts of hate and hate speech exemplifies this possibility.”

While much of the commentary on the progressive left has been critical, Haslam takes a more ambivalent position: “Sometimes concept creep is presented in an exclusively negative frame,” he wrote, but that fails to address the “positive implications. To that end, we offer three positive consequences of the phenomenon.”

The first is that expansionary definitions of harm “can be useful in drawing attention to harms previously overlooked. Consider the vertical expansion of abuse to include emotional abuse.”

Second, “concept creep can prevent harmful practices by modifying social norms.” For example, “changing definitions of bullying that include social exclusion and antagonistic acts expressed horizontally rather than only downward in organizational hierarchies may also entrench norms against the commission of destructive behavior.”

And finally:

The expansion of psychology’s negative concepts can motivate interventions aimed at preventing or reducing the harms associated with the newly categorized behaviors. For instance, the conceptual expansion of addiction to include behavioral addictions (e.g., gambling and internet addictions) has prompted a flurry of research into treatment options, which has found that a range of psychosocial treatments can be successfully used to treat gambling, internet and sexual addictions.

Judge suggested an approach to this line of inquiry that he believed might offer a way for liberalism to regain its footing:

I would like to think that there is a version of modern progressivism that accepts many of the premises of the problem and causes of inequality but does so in a way that also celebrates the power of individualism, of consensus and of common cause. I know this is perhaps naïve. But if we give in to cynicism (that consensus can’t be found), that’s self-reinforcing, isn’t it? I think about the progress on how society now views sexual orientation and the success stories. The change was too slow, painful for many, but was there any other way?

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Thomas B. Edsall has been a contributor to the Times Opinion section since 2011. His column on strategic and demographic trends in American politics appears every Wednesday. He previously covered politics for The Washington Post. @ edsall

Virome Sequencing Identifies H5N1 Avian Influenza in Wastewater from Nine Cities

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Avian influenza (serotype H5N1) is a highly pathogenic virus that emerged in domestic waterfowl in 1996. Over the past decade, zoonotic transmission to mammals, including humans, has been reported. Although human to human transmission is rare, infection has been fatal in nearly half of patients who have contracted the virus in past outbreaks. The increasing presence of the virus in domesticated animals raises substantial concerns that viral adaptation to immunologically naïve humans may result in the next flu pandemic. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) to track viruses was historically used to track polio and has recently been implemented for SARS-CoV2 monitoring during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, using an agnostic, hybrid-capture sequencing approach, we report the detection of H5N1 in wastewater in nine Texas cities, with a total catchment area population in the millions, over a two-month period from March 4 th to April 25 th , 2024. Sequencing reads uniquely aligning to H5N1 covered all eight genome segments, with best alignments to clade 2.3.4.4b. Notably, 19 of 23 monitored sites had at least one detection event, and the H5N1 serotype became dominant over seasonal influenza over time. A variant analysis suggests avian or bovine origin but other potential sources, especially humans, could not be excluded. We report the value of wastewater sequencing to track avian influenza.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Funding Statement

This work was supported by S.B. 1780, 87th Legislature, 2021 Reg. Sess. (Texas 2021) (E.B., A.W.M., and J.F.P.), NIH/NIAID (Grant number U19 AI44297) (A.W.M.), Baylor College of Medicine Melnick Seed (A.W.M) and Alkek Foundation Seed (J.F.P.), and Pandemic Threat Technology Center (P.A.P.).

Author Declarations

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals.

I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).

I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable.

Data Availability

All data produced are available online at https://zenodo.org/doi/10.5281/zenodo.11175923 and NCBI SRA BioProject: PRJNA966185

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College football analyst names the two head coaches with the hottest seats entering the 2024 season

Who has the hottest seat in college football entering the 2024 season? 

That's the question that The Athletic's Stewart Mandel was asked this week. 

In response, Mandel, a longtime college football reporter/analyst, shared two names (from Power Four conferences) that he thinks have the hottest seats ahead of the 2024 season. 

Baylor head coach Dave Aranda and Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman. 

From The Athletic : In terms of who’s on the hottest seats entering the season, two names jump to mind: Arkansas’ Sam Pittman and Baylor’s Dave Aranda. Both guys were the toasts of their towns as recently as 2021, with Pittman leading the Razorbacks to nine wins and Aranda’s Bears winning a Big 12 title and the Sugar Bowl. Since then, though, Pittman is 4-12 in the SEC, including 1-7 last season, and like Fisher before him, was desperate enough this offseason to play the Bobby Petrino card. Aranda plummeted from 12-2 to 6-7 to 3-9. 

Aranda barely kept his job after going 3-9 last season just two years after going 12-2. 

If Aranda is fired after the 2024 season, he'll instantly be one of the most sought-after defensive coordinators in the nation. Aranda was LSU's defensive coordinator during their magical run in 2019. And while the Tigers' offense received most of the headlines in 2019, the defense was more than good enough (LSU had the No. 32 scoring defense in the nation in 2019...in 2016 under Aranda, the Tigers had the No. 5 scoring defense in the nation). 

One thing working in Aranda's favor is the fact that Texas and Oklahoma are no longer on Baylor's schedule. 

As for Pittman, he's in a tough spot with the Razorbacks. Pittman is a good coach, but it can be tough to win at Arkansas -- especially with programs like Ole Miss and Missouri on the upswing. 

Pittman is 23-25 in four seasons at Arkansas. Another losing season could be enough for the Razorbacks to decide that a change is needed. 

If Pittman is fired by Arkansas, he'll instantly be an in-demand offensive line coach.

Related: 3 NFL teams that should trade for Lions QB Hendon Hooker in the wake of Jared Goff's contract extension