Wow. Good to know. My daughter is interested in some sort of design-type major although she’s not exactly sure which one…how is the food? My daughter has some food allergies, so the quality is rather important…sounds weird I know.
@Mimi2018 Bring a compact folding umbrella in your purse for the next time. I found it to be a lifesaver when temperatures were hot and shade was in short supply. Also, look for the shadows on the ground (if there are any) and stand on them. It helps!
Great idea! My daughter hates the heat, so it is a bit of an issue if there’s no shade and it stays as hot as it was during our tour…she loves high 70’s but hi 80’s all the time might just be too much for a girl whose used to rain snow and ice most of the year.
I did notice one girl shuffling along thru the Dodge College lobby with her fur-lined Gucci mules, so apparently it must get cool enough in the winter–otherwise those wouldn’t be the wisest shoe investment.
The caf is buffet style with different stations. We ate there twice before my daughter decided…we pigged out the first time as we had to try different things and it was all pretty tasty. The second time wasn’t planned as we just popped in to see what it was like on a less busy day and the selections were still pretty good. The Caf manager noticed we were doing a self-tour and was very friendly and assured us that they really work with students to meet their dietary needs. For example, you can select a protein at one station and add it to your salad from another station. They will also store food for very specific needs. My daughter is a healthy eater and she eats chicken, brown rice, and vegetables at most meals. She says they have different chicken recipes so she has not been bored with the same chicken every day. And there are some other places to eat on campus (you use Panther Bucks in these locations and the Caf is a “meal”. ). The meal plan is a set amount but you can opt for fewer “meals” and more Panther Bucks or more “meals” and less Bucks. My daughter goes with the fewest “meals” option because she does not eat breakfast in the Caf. I would imagine that all college food gets boring towards the end of the year, but my daughter hasn’t complained.
As to the weather…we had a colder and wetter winter this year, but So Cal weather is generally pretty mild in the winter. There are hot winter days so you never put away all of your summer clothes. But we generally have cooler evenings, which is what I love about So Cal…you can be roasting during the day and need a sweater at night. If you grew up here, you’d wear fur-lined shoes when it is the 60’s…our blood gets thin. Lol.
Thank you! This is great to know. I really do think we need to go take another look. Sounds like my daughter eats a similar diet to yours, so the fact that she hasn’t become too sick of the food at this point in the year is a very good sign.
I am also recommending you take another look at Chapman. My older D graduated from Chapman 4 years ago and my youngest D is finishing up her freshman year there right now. Two different majors, but both really like Chapman. I have been on many tours there 
and I don’t think I’ve had a bad one, so I’m sorry yours was. My D who is there now is a Digital Arts/Animation major in Dodge and has really thrived so far. As far as housing, I am also extremely disappointed with how it evolved this year for sophomore year. My D’s situation was very similar to the other poster’s daughter. We are still trying to sort it out. Other than that, Chapman is a great school and Orange is a really nice area!
@Mimi2018 I just happened to see this article and am basically begging you to give it another look haha. The first time I went my tour was AMAZING, it was mid October and everyone was super kind and helpful. However, I attended an accepted students day on May 1st and the students were VISIBLY stressed. However, finals were coming up so its understandable. Our first time the weather was beautiful and the campus was green and well kept. However, my mother had a migraine and wasn’t enjoying herself. We both shared the same experience but because of other factors enjoyed it very differently. The weather probably caused the misery. After all was said and done… I will be attending in the fall to study communications. Hope you try it again and hope to see your daughter there next year
xx
Jordan