I read through them all and will address the ones I remember, but let me know if I miss anything!
Baylor being a gunner school - this one made me sad. My classmates are amazing, collaborative, and awesome to be around. We really do try to pass resources around the class and then down to the classes below us. However, the students here are naturally really hard workers who tend to push themselves. Some faculty also expect a lot from us, so you do have to be on your game. I was a very average (leaning toward below average) student, but I do think Baylor kicked my butt in a good way. We also do try to acknowledge mental health issues and talk about our failures. So that can really make it easier to hear your classmates are feeling the same way you do. Med school is hard, but you'll be around other students who really make things better. I've made some of my best friends here and my classmates are very supportive in general. I don't feel like it's a competitive environment, but we do work hard.
Campus selection - For the TMDSAS match, you will rank one school. Then in March (I believe) you will have the option to enter your preferences into our lottery system. The options are Houston, Temple, or No Preference. Only 40 people will go to Temple though so 186 will still be in Houston. The exception is that all MSTP students will be in Houston. There is an appeal process, but it will limited to very specific circumstances. Because we are part of the match system we unfortunately can't give campus location beforehand, but we do want to try our best to send you where you want to be.
Expressing interest in one campus - since it is a lottery this probably won't make a difference. I understand wanting one campus or another so I don't hold it against anyone when they interview. I can't say how other interviewers do things. If you would absolutely hate living in one location then I would consider the possibility of going there when ranking us. I will say that both Houston and Temple have their pros and cons. I highly recommend you guys look into Temple because it really is awesome for so many reasons.
Temple in general - the opportunities there are a lot more robust than people expect. Texas A&M students who are now baylor residents have a lot of great things to say about rotating there. I know people who lived there as students and residents but bought houses or just paid ridiculously little for rent. As for support, the dean of students in Temple is really an amazing person. He had us out there for a tour and brought us to his house and told us he hopes he can really build a strong community of medical students. So you will have a ton of support from him and other faculty there. They are excited about students and it's definitely more of a community vibe, but you will still have access to fantastic training.
Rotations - to my knowledge we do not plan on designating where you rotated at all. So I can't imagine program directors or residency interviewers would give preference to one campus or another. All of your core rotations will be at your assigned campus, but we are hoping you will be able to take electives in either location.
Open Houses - we'd love for you to come check us out and learn more, but it does not impact your application in any way. So if you can't make it please don't stress about it. Socials are the same. Totally optional and for your benefit. I do recommend checking out Temple though. Right now it's resident ambassadors so that is a good place to make connections. My visit there really changed my perspective on the entire campus in a good way.
The Mean People at the Open House - please don't come here. You won't fit in. This is a career of service. Kindness and empathy are essential to being a good physician.
Socials - The socials are student run and the people who run it are an MS4 applying for residency and an MS3 who is on their core rotations. They are really busy, so we do apologize if you only get the zoom link the day before! If you don't have a link by the day of, please reach out to the email listed on the RSVP form (the same one you email for late RSVPs). Also, these are one million percent optional.