Pepperdine University Top Questions

Here's your chance: Say anything about your college!

Kyle

We live and study in a beautiful environment that cannot be compared to any other. Because of this scenary there is much reason to believe that it affects the attitudes and interactions with many other people. The professors on campus are very friendly which can be hard to find on other universities.

Bailey

Pepperdine has a fantastic alumni network and is very focused on securing jobs for students once they graduate.

Michelle

Pepperdine has an excellent reputation, as well as professors who care about their students as individuals and not just as numbers in a lecture hall. It's important to me to know that TAs don't teach any classes. The International Programs are also highly regarded. I am actually participating in the 2014-2015 program in Heidelberg, Germany! Pepperdine's alumni network is also extremely strong. They want to help students either financially or with making connections. Of course, the Christian affiliation was also important to me. Overall Pepperdine is like no other, and the choice was pretty clear.

Kelsey

The opportunities they provide. You won't find another school that will give you more, better opportunities to help your community, study abroad, do research, academically and socially succeed, find internships and prepare you for post-graduate life. It is also a Christian university that aids in religious thoughts, discussions and lessons. If your looking to exceed in life and stay religiously grounded, Pepperdine is the school for you!

Tanner

I believe that the culture at Pepperdine is unique because of the value it places on each individual. The diverse community that forms the student body at Pepperdine is reflected in the avenues of involvement that each individual has the opportunity to participate in. An equal opportunity that is despite any financial or social boundaries. There is truly a place for everyone to experience a sense of belonging and truly feel at home.

Stephanie

Most of the classes are small so the professors are very engaging with their students. There are more opportunities to seek one-on-one help from your professors. Pepperdine is also known for their abroad programs. Pepperdine has campuses in Florence, Lausanne, London, Shanghai, Heidelberg, Buenos Aires, and Washington DC. I went to Florence and it was the best experience of my life.

Whitney

Study abroad. Almost everyone will go for at least a semester or summer. We're ranked #2 in the nation for our international programs because they're so great. Most sophomores will study abroad for a full year in one of our 7 program locations.

Trevor

A unique thing about Pepperdine compared to other schools I considered is the wealth of resources that Pepperdine invests in each student. They really care about you here. Pepperdine's a small school with great community. Where else can you develop personal relationships with Deans and administrators, dine with your professors, and have personal counselors that meet with you regularly to discuss class selection and your future? Everyone makes themselves so readily available at Pepperdine. I believe one of the most important things in life is building personal relationships, and there's no better place to do that than here.

Rachal

We do have tons of opportunities, so there really is something for everyone whether that's sports, outdoors, religious events, leadership and volunteer activities, clubs, Greek life, improv, etc.

Amber

At Pepperdine you can walk from your dorm to the caf and say hi to half the people you see. The friendliness sometimes comes off as superficial, but once you're there awhile you realize that everyone really is genuinely kind and they want to get to know you.

Nicole

it has small class sizes and the professor are really there to help you. Every is incvolved in everything! People here are really friendly and have a strong sense of who they are. There is a strong sense of people with good morals here.

Denisse

Pepperdine Univesity is a private, deeply Christian university, centered in values, morals, and purpose in life. I have never encountered a college like it, and I am deeply gratious I received the opportunity to attend. Aside from being an extremely challenging university, it evokes a sense of community and love that is unmatched in other universities. The sense of solidarity and sisterhood one feels in that environment is priceless and unique.

Dayanne

Pepperdine has many unique characterstics to offer, yet I believe that what makes it so appealing are the small class numbers. I learn best in small classroom environments, and that is exactly what I get at Pepperdine. It is much easier to speak to a professor because they usually don't have a line of students waiting to speak to them during office hours, and they are also much less intimidating because you get to know them on a more personal level. There is a student to faculty ratio of 12 to 1, which is amazing.

Jenna

Pepperdine has one of the highest ranked study abroad programs in the country as well as an outstanding Communication division with a rich variety of resources for internships & career building. Pepperdine was the perfect fit for me as it has great opportunities for my academic interests, and has the small college feel while still being located within just a short trip to areas like Los Angeles and Santa Monica.

Jonathan

The family like environment and the way the faculty and staff communicate with incoming students. Also, the affection that the adminstrative staff and assistant staff members have for the students in succeeding in life outside of the classroom. They are very concerned with your spiritual being as well as you obtaining knowledge to become a rounded human being in society.

Nicollette

This school is very religion based. Students are required to take religion corses and are graded on their attendance and preformance. This grade also affects the GPA. This school is also unique because of its rules. Along with many other rules, this school is a dry campus, students are given cerfews for what time the opposite sex can be in each other's dorm, no drinkng or sexual activity is alloud on or off campus and if it is found out a student has broken any of these rules suspension or possibly expulsion is expected.

Monica

You cannot beat the location. College can be very stressful and in most traditional college enviroment the source of relief is usually bars and other such places that are strategically located in college towns. At Pepperdine the source of stress relief is a beautiful beach less than five minutes from campus. I was very much drawn to this. The idea that I could simply take a walk on the beach to clear my hear and even do homework on the beach. The first time I did these things it gave me a feeling I still relish.

Daniel

The location in Malibu is amazing and the strength of the sports and study abroad programs are top notch.

Samuel

It has a very beautiful campus and the class sizes are very small.

Kesaporn

It is a place where one can grow spiritually and academically. The size of the school is small enough to feel right at home, but you can always meet someone new. It is a more politically conservative school, but other views are expressed and respected. Most importantly, it is located in one of the best locatons in the world!

Michela

It is easy for the students at my school to meet with their professors because, the professors are required to have office hours. Also, they have a great international programs office and are a great help for finding jobs.

Ryan

Strong Christian values, almost too strong. Actually- they are too strong. Its location however is something you would have to be stupid to pass up on. Right on the beach.

Amber

This is a smaller school. It is fairly liberal and the students are ethinically diverse. There is very little school spirit. It is considered a difficult school to get in to, people are often impressed by who attends. This school is a great place to go if students are interested in working in the area. It is also very good for getting internship and employment opportunities.

Ashley

Our location is definitely what separates us.

Diana

The area where the school is located is gorgeous. Every morning, I can wake up to the sun rising just behind the mountains and then see the glittering ocean. This view is incomparable to any other school. In addition to the view, the school's small population makes it possible to see your friends all the time and possibly have classes with them. It is not impossible to never see one person because you will be able to run into them time and time again.

Beau

The professors are very engaged with students and are readily available if help is needed.

Daniel

The scenic environment in which we have the privilege to go to school is nothing short of special.

Courtney

I love Pepperdine, it is the perfect school for me. The only real problem I've had with it is the closed-mindedness of the administration when it comes to religion. Pepperdine is Church of Christ all the way and will not consider anything that goes against that, and is even closed off to other Christian denominations.

Rex

I love it!!

Kristina

pepperdine is what you make it

Kyle

Our mascot is retarded. Overall, I'd say if you want to come to Pepperdine but are worried about things, you'll probably end up liking it here. The abroad program is big here, probably about half of the students go abroad in their sophomore year... either for a semester or the whole year. Most people move off-campus either sophomore or junior year, but there's more secluded apartments for upperclassmen on campus too.

Jess

If I had to do it all over again I most likly would not have picked Pepperdine. I love the people that I have met, but there is so much wrong with the campus. The double standards that we are Christians and we need to help people, and yet we can raise tuition $10,000 to make the campus have a better faculty parking lot. I have had some great experiances here, but I always wonder if I could have had them anywhere else, with people that actually wanted to be there.

Brittany

Pepperdine is a great experience because it is a small close knit community. I have enjoyed every moment that I have had at Pepperdine...good and bad...and would encourage anybody to come for a memorable college experience.

Jamie

Pepperdine really is an incredible school. If you are looking to party hard every single night, reconsider coming to Pepperdine. I would say the students have a great mix of getting their work done, going to school, and enjoying their social life. Get involved and give it a chance is my best advice. Most people hate it the first few months because it was not what they expected. But those people usually learn to love it, I was definitely someone who thought about transferring but I am so happy I stayed. I have made the most amazing friends and Pepperdine is full of quality people. Take advantage of the beach being a second away, live off campus after freshman year if you're so worried about all the rules. I will tell you the biggest negative that I have about Pepperdine, once you are done with freshman year a lot of people move off campus. Everybody is so spread out over town or through the canyon. It really sucks having to drive everywhere at night when you want to go out, while at other colleges you are able to walk everywhere. But you are able to escape the rules and restrictions that you have on campus.

Brooke

One thing that is unique to Pepperdine is the focus they place on studying abroad. Roughly half the student population goes somewhere there sophomore year. Pepperdine has permanent programs in Argentina, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Germany, England and Italy. These programs are where Pepperdine really shines. I spent my sophomore year in Florence, Italy, and it was the most incredible year of my life. The house was unique, the food delicious, the program director amazing, and the faculty family became like surrogate parents. Our classes were in the same building, and everyone pretty much took them together. We got Fridays off so we could travel on the weekends, and we went just about everywhere. There's no better way to get to really appreciate other people than to travel with them to extraordinary places, and I came to love every member of my Florence group. Plus, each semester, we took a program-wide field trip. That year is was Sicily in the Fall and Turkey in the Spring. We got great hotels and meals for our money, and it was completely unique among my experiences. I highly recommend applying for the international programs.

taylor

i am a biased writer. as you might have been able to tell i hate pepperdine and have applied to a few schools to transfer. my goal in life is not to be sheltered through school and work, but it is to be given the opportunity to succeed by my own means. i want to be able to make my own decisions and have the world at my feet. if you are a creative person who doesn't like being controlled than this school is not for you.

Alex

Oh yeah...Pepperdine will snoop into your life by any means. There is no level they will not stoop to. But again: Perfect for some, come check it out, if you think you'd like it (while understanding the pitfalls) you will. If you think you might not like it-you won't, and stay the fuck away, and make college the true best years of your life

Zach

This school is awesome, it was the best fit for me and I have had a great time and learned a lot. It is a lot like a high school in some ways, but much much better in most ways.

Brandon

If all you wanna do is party, Pepp is probably not for you. However, if you like the personalized feel mixed in with some top-notch academics, there is a lot that you will find quite stimulating.

Lily

People say that our cafeteria is better than at most schools. This may be the case, but because its a small school we only have one central cafeteria that doesn't offer a whole lot of options. It's not terrible, but most people get sick of cafeteria food after freshman year. Luckily, all the apartments have kitchens. Also, Pepperdine is Church of Christ, NOT non-denominational. Applicants should take this into account. The Church of Christ is the only on-campus church. There's a Presbyterian church nearby that burned down last year, but I think they're still holding services somewhere. Also, there's a shuttle provided to the nearby Catholic church. But, the Church of Christ presence is really overwhelming. A certain percentage of the faculty has to be Church of Christ, and a lot of the student body is Church of Christ as well.

Peter

If you plan on attending Pepperdine, join a Greek-group, then go abroad your sophomore year, then get an apartment off-campus with friends and go nuts. That is the only way to survive at Pepperdine for 4 years.

Becky

Pepperdine is way too expensive!! However, if you have the money it's totally worth it.

Carter

This school blows.