Baylor draws top students

Provost Randall O’Brien made a couple of points in a speech to faculty and staff last month that I’ve been meaning to write about.

First, he noted that Baylor’s first-year scholarship dollars have more than doubled in the last five years, from $12 million in 2002 to $25 million this year. That increase almost certainly has played a direct part in the sharp increase in applications and the corresponding rise in quality of our undergraduate student body — an important part of Baylor’s Vision 2012.

That same imperative — “to attract and support a top-tier student body” — also applies to Baylor’s graduate programs. In the same speech, O’Brien pointed out that the average GRE score of Ph.D. students has increased 94 points since 2002, placing us ahead of pace for our 2012 goal.

Sic ’em, student body!