Pepperdine University Top Questions

You can find sheltered, naive, conservative, and religious (or any combination of the above) people anywhere. Pepperdine is no exception to this rule, but for the most part, I have experienced a general open-mindedness and willingness to listen and empathize with all sorts of concerns. For the most part, I would say that the stereotypes can be found, if you're looking for the negative.

Some of these are accurate to an extent, but I feel like you'd find those stereotypes anywhere. It's just that they're a little more prevelant at Pepperdine, but there are a lot of people that will surprise you once you get to know them if you ignore the stereotypes

Most stereotypes begin with a fragment of the truth, and these are no exception. I know several students who have famous parents, and, when walking through the student parking lots, don't be surprised if you see more BMW's than Toyota's (if you're lucky, you may spot a Maserati). Some people make it to the beach more than others, but certainly not every day.

Well, you see a lot of girls with big sun glasses, Uggs, and designer or sorority bags. Probably for the most part these stereotypes are accurate, but of course there are many many people who do not fit these stereotypes. For example, Pepperdine has a pretty large gay population.

Not at all. The truth is that people here come from all sorts of different backgrounds and are no more judgemental, if not less, than people at any other school. While many do come from affluent families, they are extremely nice people. Overall, the student body realizes that it is blessed to go to such an amazing school and be a part of the wonderful community at Pepperdine, and we want to share our blessings with others.

Not really, there are defiantly people who fit these stereotypes but there are defiantly a large number of people who DON'T fit the steroetypes.

basically, yes!

For the most part, the stereotype about wealth is true. The typical Pepperdine student has a lot of money, and they want you to know they have a lot of money. This means wearing designer clothes and accessories (both men and women), driving the newest car, and simply acting like their bank accounts could never hit zero. There are some people here who do not act like that, but there aren't many. The stereotype about men being surfers is not very accurate. Yes, a lot of people who go to Pepperdine surf, but you don't see them acting like it. Girls, on the other hand, fit their stereotype perfectly. Just about every girl you see is going to be amazingly good-looking, but not very bright.

We are definately not all rich. There is not a ton of diversity but we are not all white. I always thought Pepperdine students would be all smart and I have had all levels in my classes. We don't all surf and we don't always blow off class to go to the beach. There are a ton of expensive cars but there are lots of average cars too. I have a VW!

These are not accurate stereotypes. Sure, there are definitely parties, but they're mostly off campus or otherwise they're hidden pretty well. If you want to party, it is possible to find that group. And I'd say that only a handful of the girls fit the Malibu Barbie image. ALL of the girls in my dorm are so sweet, and I absolutely love my roommate. Everyone is so genuine and caring, and I could not have asked for a better group of dorm-mates!