This school does its very best to try to incorporate a Christ affirming environment for education. It integrates Christian theology with academia. In my opinion, the social atmosphere is very healthy. In your first year of college, a lot of upperclassmen take part in leadership roles to encourage, support, and guide freshmen, creating a nurturing environment for the transition into adulthood. There are plenty of ways to be involved with the school and to take part in something greater for yourself, you can be involved with on-campus events and leadership roles, and you can also be involved with international missions. APU encourages its students to grab life by the horns and soak up as many experiences as possible. Whether it is being involved with athletics, music, arts, community service, study abroad or ministry, there are a lot of options for a student to really feel plugged in and have the best college experience possible.
Since no school is perfect, there are a few things that I think the university could benefit from change. If I have to be honest, I have to say that not every department does the best job of helping their students succeed in their career after college. There are a lot of post-graduates who are struggling to find jobs and are having issues with making decisions for their futures. Like any college we do have a career center, and in my opinion, I think they do a good job, but further support needs to come from the departments themselves. Most of the education I received was beneficial, in knowledge and theory, but there was a major issue in putting my knowledge to actual field work. My own department is not the only one that falls short in that category. However, to be fair, there are some programs that APU offers that are very good at helping their students succeed despite this economy, such as the Music, and Social Work departments.
In regards to faith, believe me when I say there is a huge collection of believers on this campus. I've met a lot of people who dedicate their time (even with busy schedules) to ministry and are loving it. I've heard so many people who plan on using their education to create a faith based organization that doesn't act as an exclusive social club, but rather as a real service to social issues. You'll see a lot of people who are open about what they feel and what they think (in a very academic sense) about their walk in faith. To many students at APU, Christianity is more about attending church, it's about being a positive force in the world, through faith, intellectual conversation, and the application of what you believe into what you do.
On the flip side of that, regardless of what your faith is, you will find that the university will at times will "lay on the Christianity pretty thick". As a student, you are required to attend weekly chapel, integrate your personal faith into classes for your major, and take biblical classes. It is all about which professor you are taking and how you approach a Christian worldview. It is possible for an agnostic person to have a positive experience in a theology class, even if they have not changed their belief system.
A very strong suit that for me was the deciding factor in attending this university is that professors that they have at APU. There is a low student-faculty ratio, and you get a chance to really get to know your educators and bond with your classmates. APU faculty and staff are dedicated towards advancing the students education, development, and walk with Christ. We get more than just lectures from our professors, we get to hear about their stories about their professional lives. These talks really give you perspective into what your career could be like and give you a valuable resource outside of academia. In addition, most if not all professors are willing to meet and talk with students outside of the classroom for extra assistance. I would encourage any prospective student at APU to take advantage of that and get to really know your professors in order to build references and to get connections.
APU is a private institution, which attaches a large tuition bill, and although you can receive plenty of scholarships, make sure that this is an institution you really want to go to. No matter which college a prospective student takes, it is important to weigh out the pros and cons before attending and realize that it is a commitment and investment. In other words, if you are a part of APU, embrace it, be a part of it, accept what you can't change, and change what you can. You make your college experience whatever you want it to be. So do what you can to make it a good one. Because if you love where you go, you'll love what you're doing.