Pepperdine University Top Questions

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.