Hi everyone! I am a current Chapman student and am willing to answer any questions you might have as college decisions start to roll out. I am in Schmid College as a Chemistry major/Environmental Science minor, and while I’d love to share about how awesome Schmid is I am open to any questions about Chapman in general. I transferred from a larger school the 2nd semester of my freshman year, so I’m really familiar with the stress of making such a big decision, and sometimes the wrong one. But Chapman has been nothing but a positive, life-changing experience for me so far, so I am excited to share!
Hi! I was just wondering about the social aspect of the school since it is on the smaller side. Do you feel like you know everybody or are you constantly running into people you know? I come from a public high school with 3,000 students and it always felt so small and suffocating and I am worried I will feel the same at Chapman. Also I’m majoring in environmental Science and policy!!
Because of covid I haven’t been able to see Chapman’s campus in person, but it’s really my first choice school. Do you like it? Does it feel small at all, or is it fine? Also, how is the dorm situation? I’m incredibly nervous at the thought of living in a dorm with roommates, and I’d love to hear about your experience. How hard are the classes? Is a lot of your time taken up by them, or do you have some free time too? I’d have to get a part-time job, and I’m nervous that I’m going to be stretched thin with school work and working.
Hiiiii, is the campus diverse? I’ve heard some rumors that it isn’t, but do you feel like it’s diverse or no?
Hey! My high school was about the same size. I might be biased as I mentioned I came from a larger campus previously, but I think the size of Chapman is perfect. You don’t know everybody because it’s not <5000ish students, but you still get the personalized attention you won’t get at a bigger university. In Schmid, since we have our new Keck building, you run into people a lot, but IMO that’s a positive experience. Spontaneous study sessions, running into your fav professor walking the halls… I really enjoy that atmosphere. So I guess in summary it’s small enough where you see people, but not too small that if you wanted to avoid someone you couldn’t!
Also: Yay ES&P is the COOLEST major on campus! If you haven’t already connected with Dr. Keller the advisor he is the absolute best. You will love it. So many opportunities available and they are a fun group, hosting all sorts of virtual hang out events during covid. 
Hi! Maybe I’m biased but I really love Chapman! The size is perfect, where you get small class sizes and feel like you’re a part of a community, but also there’s always new people to meet.
Dorming is definitely a transition from home life, but Chapman dorms are definitely better than most. What’s really nice is you get a bathroom attached to your room. Plus the rooms are pretty spacious for dorms. My biggest recommendation with dorming is to be flexible. It will be an adjustment at first, learning how to respect eachother’s spaces, but I’ve heard very few horror stories… Plus your RA is there to help you out, and there’s always the ability to swap rooms if things aren’t working. For me my roommate ended up one of my best friends!
Classes will definitely depend on the major. My classes are pretty hard, but I’m currently in upper-div chemistry classes, so I definitely can’t speak for all! I have a lot of friends in more communication oriented majors that definitely spend less time studying than I do, but that’s true for any school. Even so, I have a lab job off campus and am able to commute and work ~15hrs a week, so it definitely is doable! It’s all about time management. Freshman year your classes will be easier so you’ll likely be fine working, but definitely make sure to leave enough time to get to know people as those connections will last for your 4 years!!
Great question and its a hard one, haha. The bottom line is usually public schools by nature are more diverse. Plus, OC is definitely not the most diverse area.
That being said, Chapman is trying. I love how much student input is welcome. I’m on my college’s leadership council and our dean was flat out asking us what diversity initiatives we wanted to put money towards. We have outreach and mentoring efforts at local schools with majority Latinx populations. We are currently trying to put more money into hiring faculty of color and scholarships to help students get here. While the school is definitely majority white and Asian, it is not an unwelcoming environment, if that makes sense…
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Thank you!!!
How is the CS program and Fowler engineering building? I am a 2021 fall transfer student trying to get into CS with a 3.3-3.4, do you think I have a good shot? Also, I’ve been on the campus and love the environment. Chapman is one of the top schools I want to go to. I’m just scared my GPA is too low!
Hi! Not sure about admission chances, but I think wanting to be in Fowler definitely helps since it is still new and they’re really trying to build the program! I know a lot of CS majors that have really enjoyed the close-knit atmosphere of the program. Also, Chapman is very holistic in their applications, so if you really expressed this is where you want to be I think you’ll have a good shot. Fingers crossed!
The Fowler side of the Keck building actually opens in fall 2021 and I’ve seen the plans, it will be so so cool! For the half of Keck open for Schmid, it has been a great space and super unique compared to other schools.
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Hi! i am currently a highschool senior and I was admitted to Chapman for the spring semester of 2022. How different is spring admit vs fall? I am curious if I am supposed to be looking for roommates right now or if I wait until later. Everyone’s out posting on Instagram looking for room mates for fall semester and I’m wondering if I am supposed to do that right now. Do spring students spend the fall semester on campus or do they stay home until they begin classes? I can not find info anywhere regarding the process of a spring semester student. Also will starting in the spring not give me the full ~college experience~? Also, can I join Greek life in the spring? Sorry for all the questions! Anything helps!