Pepperdine University Top Questions

Best thing: Study Abroad, don't miss it. Worst Thing: HORRIBLE college town, people in malibu pretty much hate pepperdine, and there is NOTHING to do past 8pm besides go out to dinner. Size: Could be bigger, sometime school feels like High School, and most everyone knows everyone on campus, or at least has heard of them. Pepperdine Admin: Too uptight, but really nice people. Don't really let students experience real world events School Pride: Not that much, we dont have a Football team and B-Ball has sucked recently. Unusual: On the ocean pretty much Complaints: No parking spaces, Public Safety, too strict

On the administration: they are pretty good at what they do. Admissions are biased-as-shit. Same with scholarships. The administration are usually good and friendly, but will generally lie by means of omitting the most important facts. They love to obscure the realities with what is technically the truth. The rules are pretty strict, but its pretty easy to live outside them with a little care. If they catch you, bad times. Malibu: On one hand, its fucking sweet: Beach, view, proximity to LA (but also safely outside of LA). On the flip: there is fuck-all to do here. Size: The population would be ideal, except for the fact that pepperdine has virtually no diversity, so its particular case could probably benefit Exchange: Pepperdine sends like 60{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students abroad (usually sophomore year). Major props on this. Con: Costs a fuck-load more than they say (depending on place 3-7k extra/semester), exchange programs won't necessarily give a good abroad experience (its only a small minority that comes back fluent in the language) Academics: extremely mixed, some great, most ok, GE's are plentiful and total shit. School Spirit: Mixed, people tend to like the school, but not a lot of "school spirit." The Christian thing: You get to see the best and worst of christianity. There's some amazing things that go on because of it, and then a ton of bull-shit. Also, convo is a bitch. Overall: Some people love it, and I believe it really is the best school for them. Personally, huge fuck-off mistake. Thanks for failing to tell me the important things, admission counselor!

It's a small school so it's pretty easy to be involved in a lot of activities. Most people will know what's going on in your life just because it's such an intimate environment (commonly called the "PepperVine"). Its a pretty conservative place for the most part, liberals are outnumbered at this college unlike most in the country. There's very little to do in Malibu at nights and weekends if you don't want to go to the beach. But LA is not far at all. YOU MOST DEFINITELY NEED A CAR AT THIS SCHOOL, the people who tell you that you don't have no idea what they're talking about

The small school atmosphere has its ups and its downs. I have definitely been invited to certain professor's houses for dinner, and many of my classmates have had the same experience. Professors know me by name, and I have no problem getting help when I need it. To use a cliche but applicable phrase: I feel like a person on campus, not just a number. It's easy to get involved in any number of activities. This can be a turnoff for some people though. Everyone knows you...and that includes what you did last weekend, with who, and where, especially if your activities are interesting or illicit. Malibu is beautiful, but it isn't exactly chock-full of things to do... LA isn't too far away, though. For the most part, students love Pepperdine and definitely would choose it again, given the chance.

When I tell most people from home that I go to Pepperdine, they're like "oh, um cool where is that again?" I feel like outside of CA a lot of people have never heard of it, but it's pretty well known in CA. When I meet people and tell them I go to Pepperdine sometimes they already have this idea of what a Pepperdine student should be like and I have to make sure that they don't get caught up in that. They usually think that I'll be fairly reserved, religious, and stuck up. Its important to meet people from other schools though because Pepperdine is pretty small, but most of my best friends do go to Pepperdine. It can be nice to take a break from Malibu though and head into LA because Pepp really shuts down on the weekends. I mean if you want to go out to eat and see a movie every weekend then you'd be fine staying in Malibu, but there are so many more choices of restaraunts in LA and so much more to do there.

At Pepperdine, everyone is a big fish, because the pond is small. This can be beneficial in a lot of ways, but you have to make the effort to take advantage of it. For example, I got a job shadowing in one of the science research labs just because I went to the professor several times and let him know how interested I was. Next year, I will be researching in the same lab for credit, and hopefully will get a chance to research over one of the upcoming summers through one of the several summer research programs, where I have the chance to get published and give presentations at various seminars around Southern California. However, the downsides are plentiful as well. School pride isn't anything to write home about, and most students could care less about our sports teams (unless Men's basketball is playing Gonzaga or LMU). Also, Malibu is anything but a college town, so you'll wanna head out to Santa Monica, Hollywood, or LA if you wanna have some fun. Advice: DO NOT COME WITHOUT A CAR!

The best thing about Pepperdine is definetely the location. The campus is absolutely breathtaking and the weather is always nice. Plus its great to be so close to Los Angeles without having to deal with the stress of actually living in Los Angeles. Even if you don't have a car, you're bound to have friends with a car, and there's also public transportation. The school could be bigger and more diverse. On campus there's really not much to do. Most people don't tend to hang out around the main campus unless they have some reason to be there. The administration at Pepperdine is pretty conservative. There's not a lot of school pride. I have no idea what the school fight song is. Freshmen year I went to some sports events, but I haven't been to any this year. Some people are really into our sports teams because we're really good at volleyball and water polo, but its difficult to get to into it because we don't have a football team. One of the most frequent student complaints is how expensive the school is. There aren't any full academic scholarships, and while they raise tuition every year they don't also raise scholarships.

It's a very service-oriented community and very relaxed given its location. The teachers are extremely nice, and you will most likely feel like you are part of one big family by the time you leave. There's the perfect mixture of things to do on and off campus from Malibu to LA and even to Mexico. It will be hard to come by a school with such high academics as well as a strong moral compass.

Pepperdine is a wonderful school with amazing academics. The professors are some of the most amazing people you would ever meet. But, Malibu is not all its cracked up to be... yes it is beautiful and I wake up every morning to the amazing Pacific ocean, but after 10 pm if you want to anything you have to drive a good 30 minutes. The school is good over all in that you can do anything you want as long as you don't mind putting a little effort to find it.

view is amazing, pretty small campus with only one really accessible library and caf- not enough places open to eat late at night, not a college town at all-everything shuts down in malibu by 10.

The first thing you will realize about Pepperdine is how much it feels like high school, and how little it feels like college should be. Beginning with orientation, it's going to feel like Bible camp with all the praying and preaching and activities they have you running around doing. Once school starts, you will notice the cliques that are being formed. There most noticeable cliques are the different Greek groups and the different athletic teams, but everyone ends up forming their own little clique. The way Pepperdine is setup fuels the growth of these cliques. For example, one of the cliques you will probably be a part of is with either the people in your suite or the people in your dorm. Pepperdine's freshman housing, with 8 people in a suite and 6 suites per dorm, makes it difficult to hang out with people outside your suite, but makes it very easy to become close friends with the people living in your suite. From my experience here, the one thing I hate most about Pepperdine is its administration, EXCEPT for President Andy Benton. Pepperdine says in its mission statement "Pepperdine University is... committed to the highest standards of... Christian values". The truth is that the school is about money first and God second. Pepperdine will do anything to squeeze another dollar out of you. Tuition went up 6{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} this year, to about $48000 with housing. The university claims that its International Programs, which Pepperdine does a good job with, costs the same as regular tuition. This is true, the tuition is the same. But what they are leaving out here is that they tack on an additional "International Fee". For the cheapest program, this fee was another $3000 per semester abroad. Another thing about Pepperdine is that because it is a private university, Pepperdine takes it upon themselves to change the rules however they please, without cause or necessarily notifying you (the student). This last year, Pepperdine amended the student handbook to say that RA's and DPS (campus-officers) can go into a student's room and search for alcohol or drugs without reasonable cause. If that does not infringe on rights enough, Pepperdine also did not tell anyone that they changed this rule. Also, the tour guides will knowingly deceive you (example, they tell you the HAWC is where students get food at night, and they tell you it is open 24/7, which it is, but the food closes at 12). If you end up coming here, do not be surprised by all the things you were "misinformed" about. Malibu is not a college town. There is no such thing as public transportation here, and nothing is within walking distance. Anywhere you want to go off-campus requires that you drive there. The closest grocery store is close, but is literally the most expensive grocery store I have ever seen. The only food place open late (1 or 2AM) is Jack in the Box. If you want to drive "through the canyon" (about 30 minutes just to get through it), there are more options, but it becomes a very annoying drive just to get food. If you want to go to a school that has school pride and has exciting sporting events to go to, don't go to Pepperdine. The only game worth going to is the rivalry basketball game against Gonzaga. Even though we have a top-10 men's volleyball team, people won't come out to the games. Even our top-30 baseball team, with it's gorgeous stadium, can't fill up seats. But, the upside of the lack of school spirit is that all of the games are free, EXCEPT for the Gonzaga game.

Malibu is not the greatest place for a college. The restaurants are expensive and there isn't a ton of choices. We do have two Starbucks in close proximity, and some fast food places but the restaurants are expensive. The good news is if you can take a 20 minute drive through the canyon to the 101, you can get to just about everything pretty easily. This is where a lot of off-campus students live. I love Pepperdine. I love the small college feel and the personal touch to things. I am in a small major and have had classes as small as me and one other person. The administrative staff know me. The cafeteria card-swipers can call you by name. It is really nice to feel like you belong here and that it is a large home. The people on campus are generally nice and helpful. We smile at each other and say hi if you have ever had a class together. Besides being the most beautiful campus in the nation, we are very lucky to be close to LA but not in the city, extremely close to some of the best beaches in California, and not far from the San Fernando Valley which opens many eating and entertaining possibilities. In October 2007, our campus was showered with fires, literally. We were evacuated to lower campus to the gym. The fires were within feet of our administrative buildings, faculty housing, and other structures. Thankfully, we were spared from any significant damage, but the area definately has its disaster possibilities including fire, earthquakes, and mudslides.

Malibu is actually very quiet. Most things close at 10 pm, and on campus on weekends the caf and other options for food close early too, so if you're hungry at 10:30 at night, your options are Taco Bell, KFC, or McDonalds. One of the best things about Pepperdine is the location! The views from all over campus are the most beautiful views ever! The beach is about 5 minutes away, and the weather is so nice pretty much everyday of the year. I love being here, and I honestly do not want to go home to Oregon for the summer.

There are a little over 3000 undergraduates at Pepperdine. At the same time, it can feel like a big school, or a small school depeding on what you're used to. Pepperdine is a school on the rise, becoming better and better every year. You will be seeing physical, as well as intangible improvements every year. If you are a Christian, you can find groups to be a part of, if you have a different religion, there are also people you can associate. There are many clubs to get involved with and a healthy Greek system. I am a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon :) which is a group of Balanced Men, who strive to be gentlemen, scholars, and athletes. Malibu may seem secluded from other areas of LA, but personally this is a plus for me. We are not far from LA, but still far enough to avoid much noise and air pollution. The weather is very moderate by the ocean, normally sunny and in the mid 70s. When I came to Pepperdine from Washington state, I asked myself, "why haven't I lived here until now?" If you get excited about seeing celebrities, then this is the school for you!

The best thing about Pepperdine is the people. The students here are generally happy and great people to be around. The professors here are also very approachable and often invite students to dinner at their houses at least once a semester. Having small classes really lets you get involved in a subject and make connections with other students and professors. If you want to conduct research with a professor, all you really have to do is ask. On campus, I typically spend the most time at my dorm or the HAWC. If I'm not doing work I'm generally off campus spending my free time exploring Malibu and the surrounding areas. Pepperdine's administration seems to generally be on top of things. There is some school pride, especially with the quality of some of our sports teams, but the games are by no means a social Mecca. I'll always remember my NSO experience and moving into the dorms with an army of NSO leaders bouncing around everywhere and helping me carry my stuff in. Most students agree that there needs to be a greater availability of food. The Caf and HAWC close too early.

Pepperdine University is most well known for its location and its reputation. Pepperdine will always be a good name to be associated with and the beach is its main attraction. The amount of tuition for Pepperdine University is completely ridiculous and outrageous; however, the experience is usually worth it. Academics wise the tuition should be nowhere near where it is. In fact, it's truly disgusting how greedy of a university that Pepperdine is. Although, it is way too expensive I do absolutely love living in Malibu, and I love the community that Pepperdine has created. People are always in awe when they hear I go to Pepperdine University.

I love Pepperdine, the students and the faculty are so warm. Everyone works so closely together to make it a positive and faith-filled atmosphere, without losing touch of the whoel college experience. I love watching Pepperdine Baseball, and other sports, I only wish we had a football team, however we are slightly small to have one. Pepperdine is the perfect size for me, I love being able to walk around campus and know most of the people by name. Also teachers know you, you are not just a number. It is a beautiful campus, with a beautiful mission. To promote academic achievement and the growing of yourself spiritually. It is in Malibu, which can be difficult because of the lack of "college stuff" to do. I think that the Pepperdine administration truly cares about their students, and bends over backwards to make sure our experience is the best that it could possibly be. Pepperdine is like home to me, I dread the day that I have to leave.

One visit to Pepperdine and one can automatically know one advantage of going here. Coastal weather in southern California is hard to beat (especially for a kid from Indiana). On top of that you are a jog away from the beach (although few people walk because its a giant hill that most arent willing to go back up). But the location also has a few drawbacks. Most people not from the area here Malibu and assume it must be exciting because its where the stars live. But its just he opposite, many upperclass people live in Malibu because its peaceful and kind of boring. Besides the Malibu Inn (a bar in Malibu) and some other resturaunts in the area, Malibu kind of boring. That is important considering the Pepperdine campus has absolutely nothing going on at night. By 10 all food services are stopped except from one small store in the recreation building. That building, called "The Hawc" is the only building open 24 hours on campus. The library even closes at 3 AM. There are no Fraternity or Sorority houses on campus (Malibu does not allow more than 4 or 5 unrelated people to live in the same house), and no non-university housing on campus as well. So everything on campus basically shuts down around 10, except the Hawc, leaving that and the library as the only venues availible for social interaction late a night. Therein lies the importance of having a car available. Even as a freshman having a car is very important if you want to eat after midnight (thats when all food buying possibilities become unavailable). All Pepperdine associated (always unofficially) parties are off campus, so most people leave campus on the weakens. A lot of people will drive to USC, UCLA, or even UCSB on the weekends to experience your typical college party scene, seeing as Pepperdine really doesn't offer it. It is nice to have a quiet campus during the week for studying and relaxing with the view, but for those who like to party on the weekend to get rid of some of that academic stress, Pepperdine is lacking in that area. Pepperdine is notorious for its rules governing drinking and opposite sex interaction. They have a very strict policy about drinking and have visitation hours for members of the opposite sex in dorms. Two offenses of drinking automatically result in suspension, and the administration has been known to go to the extreme to catch people. The school has been known to look at Facebook pages and other website pictures and use them for disciplinary cases, especially with fraternity associated events. Drinking in the dorms is rare compared to other colleges because there is not really anything to do afterwards, but it happens. The probability of getting caught completely depends on your RA. Some RA's are very loose and rarely even go into the suites or rooms. Some students play beer pong in their rooms and easily get away with it. On the other side of that some RA's will check rooms spontaneously, and the suspicion of drinking will lead to trouble. Public safety on campus has also been known to be very active in trying to catch drunk students on campus. Dorm visitation rules also depend on the RA. For those who live in the same suite as their RA, they might as well forget it, but for those who do not, breaking the rules may not be that hard. Very few RA's check rooms at 1 am every night (when members of the opposite sex are supposed to be out), and if they do its usually only towards the beginning of the fall semester. I have heard of hundreds of instances where members of the opposite sex slept over in someone's room, and got away with it easily. Most controversay on campus deals with these rules, and how actively Pepperdine pursues their punishments.

I think that the undergraduate class size is perfect. It is large enough to meet new people but small enough to feel like a community. People have a lot of misconceptions about Pepperdine and its students. Most people think we smother people with Christianity, that it is required of students to attend church, or that we are a campus full of spoiled brats riding around in the mercedes that our daddies bought us. And, although some of those stereotypes are present, on the whole Pepperdine is filled with low-key, friendly people who value their education and other activities, including service. The best feature Pepperdine has to offer are the international programs. Every program attracts a different kind of crowd that is best suited for their individual locations and an overwhelming majority of students go abroad. One common complaint would be the lack of "college town" atmosphere in Malibu. But, you get what you pay for.

The school is too small, and is located in a town that frankly sucks. The administration is oppressive, prejudiced and arbitrary in dealing with any person or group it is opposed to in the student body. Most recent controversy was the banning last semester of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, for reasons that are laughable at best. Not much in the way of school pride, because all the sports are jokes. Unusual things - no football, and no booze. I'll always remember how people constantly harassed me for my lack of religion. Frequent complains...mandatory chapel service attendance, no drinking.