Chapman University Top Questions

When I was looking for colleges a small student body was a priority. I didn't want to feel too overwhelmed by a massive number of people when moving to a new city and starting a whole new chapter in my life. And the atmosphere here at Chapman was just what I was looking for. Sometimes however, after being here for 3 years it tends to feel a bit like I'm inside of a bubble. This of course is something you will find at all small schools and I believe that the trade off is totally worth it--safety, security, and a friendly atmosphere. The city surrounding Chapman is cute but sometimes I get frustrated by the conservative attitude that consumes Orange County but Chapman itself is a fairly liberal place which is nice.

The best thing about Chapman is the location, opportunities and personalized education. It is large enough where you don't feel pressured to talk in class if you don't want to, but small enough where you can feel comfortable approaching a teacher for help and expect to get something substantial and not be brushed off. Teachers genuinely care that students comprehend the material and they they think critically about what they're learning. Students have the ability to make the campus what they want it to be. They can take leadership positions and make a positive difference in things like student government, orientation, the newspaper, residence life and pretty much anything you can think of. If we want something changed, with a little work, students can usually make something happen. When I tell people I go to Chapman, they often haven't heard of it unless they're from Southern California. However, if they HAVE heard of it, they are very impressed and often ask if I'm part of the business or film schools. They often comment on the quaintness of Orange and its ideal location. Orange is a very cute town with great food in the circle. Everything you would ever need is in Orange or very close -- grocery stores, Target, Trader Joe's, etc. Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm and some great concert venues are all very close (the Honda Center, the Grove and every infamous LA theater is only about 35 minutes away on a good day.) The Anaheim Ducks hockey team plays at the Honda Center and Angels Stadium is five minutes away. In general, the students who attend Chapman are very proud of their university. Though the school spirit can be a little higher when it comes to supporting division three sports, there is an obvious pride for Chapman in general.

The big picture for Chapman I think is a big time school feel but it really is a smaller sized school. The size I think is perfect. Tons of opportunities are available, people can travel abroad easily, get involved with greek life, athletics, clubs, and much more. I was a lacrosse player so I spent most of my time out on the field and using all the facilities Chapman has to offer. The location is really nice too I think. we are only 15-20 minuets away from the beaches (Newport, Huntington, Laguna) A lot of kids live within a couple miles of school so there is plenty of social life. I think there is some good school pride, but I wish there was more. Chapman was the perfect fit for me. Its hard to think of the bad when I ended up having tons of fun and got my degree in 4 years.

Chapman is a small-medium size private university located in Old Towne Orange. I personally love my school and am glad that I chose Chapman. Other than the fun and interesting teachers and classes I have had within my major, there are two main things that have made Chapman the best place for me. The first thing is the size. Chapman has really small classes, similar in size to most of my high school classes. This made it really easy for me to get to know my teachers. They know who I am and what I am interested in and have a genuine interest in what I want to accomplish in my career. Also, it is small enough so that I know a lot of people on campus, but large enough so I still meet new interesting people everyday. Its size also encourages students to get involved in campus life, something that is very fun for all students. The second thing that makes Chapman amazing in my eyes is its location. We are in Southern California so we have very nice weather all year long. We get the excitement of Los Angeles and opportunities to get jobs and internships there. We are close the beach and close to the desert and mountains for weekend trips. I also found that there are a lot of companies that are looking for interns in the surrounding area. I loved being able to have an internship in beautiful Newport Beach last semester.

Chapman has a great campus that's not too big, but not too small. You can learn your way around pretty quick without getting bored of the place. Orange, the surrounding town, is charming and picturesque. Chapman's reputation is growing steadily. It's already considered one of the top film schools and just needs some alumni to hit it big to put it in the same league with USC and UCLA.

I came to Chapman for the small class sizes and the ability to get hands-on instruction as a freshman. I started as a broadcast journalism major interested in radio and had no problem getting on my own show on the campus station right away. This was great experience that I probably would have had to wait years for at another institution.

Chapman is a small school, but large enough that you can still walk around campus without running into someone you know. Chapman has a great reputation in California; leave the state, and people will be clueless unless they have some random connection to it. Chapman's in the heart of the O.C. so there's plenty to do, from beaches to shopping to Disneyland all within 20 minutes; as for an actual college town, however, there isn't much outside of the Circle - downtown Orange a couple blocks away with some restaurants, boutiques, and antique shops that are slowly disappearing. The administration is incredibly well connected among politicians - the president is buddies with the Governator - and so knows how to raise money and raise it well. And for the most part they use it wisely to help the students and the campus grow. There has been recent controversy, however, over professors being let go because they do not have doctorates; students are upset that degrees and appearance and being regarded more highly than a professor's effectiveness in the classroom. Because Chapman is a film school, we get a lot of sneak previews of movies (i.e. last year they showed Juno before it was released). Big student complaints are that Public Safety are too invasive and that the maintenance crew power washes the sidewalks too frequently and wastes water.