<p>Seems like all the CC members interested in Chapman are interested in film. My D likes Chapman but wants to major in Psychology. Will she be like a fish out of water there?</p>
<p>I went to the Chapman open house last weekend with S2, who is definitely not interested in film. We sat in on the session given by the psychology department - there were perhaps 100 parents and prospective students in the lecture room. I don’t think your D will be a fish out of water :)</p>
<p>Glad to hear that! How was the open house last weekend? We had a brief visit last March and are taking a full day to visit again next March. D is a junior.</p>
<p>For my son, who isn’t very clear on what he wants to study, the open house was a bit overwhelming. I think he would have done better to have just done a tour during the week, but this of course is in hindsight. </p>
<p>The college put on a very well-organized show. It started with an address by the President in the gym which was packed with parents and kids. He made a very big deal about rankings. After that there were 2 sessions where most of the departments gave presentations. The two we sat in on, one by a psych prof and the other by the Dean of the business school, seemed to be aimed more at the parents than the 17-year-olds in the audience. A lot of it went over my son’s head - he didn’t leave with a sense of what either major was really all about. The Dean also made a very big deal about rankings.</p>
<p>The campus tours happened after that, with current students taking small groups around the main part of the campus. Our tour guide was sharp, articulate and informative. The campus is quite nice, with the buildings in good condition and a very interesting Holocaust exhibit in the library.</p>
<p>About a half a dozen dorm rooms were open for either a self-guided or a student-guided tour. We opted for a student-guided tour and got another smart tour guide. When asked about substance-free dorms she said that all the freshman dorms were sub-free, and as an RA she could say that with confidence. Even so, in every dorm were hand-lettered posters describing the symptoms and risks of binge drinking. I appreciated the educational value of this and wondered if it was a serious issue on campus (and how one would be able to tell).</p>
<p>There were bag lunches for all participants which we ate in the shade outside as it was a beautiful (and hot) day. </p>
<p>We went to a meeting in the Athletic Dept after lunch which split up into the various sports (most of the coaches were there). The Athletic Director made a big deal about rankings (somehow I sensed a trend…)</p>
<p>The school obviously put a lot of time and effort into the open house as it was very well organized and staffed. I think my son would have benefited from a more personal visit, but kids who have a clearer idea of what they want to study might have gotten more out of it.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info. Does Chapman require an applicant to specify a major right away?</p>
<p>No you can go in undecided. Probably a good choice if she knows she wants to attend Chapman. I have heard from counselors If you have your major in mind, apply for it! Good Luck!</p>
<p>The most incredible part about Chapman is that you can design your major and your course of study to specialize specifically in areas that most interest you. </p>
<p>I am a Screenwriting/Art History/Honors major. Pretty eclectic mix of subjects on the surface however, I have taken classes that help with the visual writing style necessary for a screenwriter to develop by studying art and its history. It has also helped me to discover new narratives with which to build stories from. </p>
<p>My area of specialization within art history is Modern Art (1855 - 1945). My course schedule which can include classes from any school, other schools at Chapman offer classes related to the foundations and psychology and philosophy of art and artists is one which I developed with the help of my advisor. </p>
<p>Advisors are professors within the department of study, that have real world experience and not been holed up in an academic environment teaching theory. They act as mentors from the first day and help to shape the career path of the student.</p>
<p>I think the buzz about ranking is a badge of pride for Chapman, how else would you compare a school of 4000 undergrads with NYU (55000) and USC (35000). </p>
<p>Our business school is ranked 46th in the nation. We have a Nobel prize winner who teaches Economics. Not to say other schools don’t have the same types of prestige, but Dr. Vernon Smith has coffee with students and he is approachable as the class sizes here run in the sub 20 range.</p>
<p>Our physics department is also highly ranked. Dr. Yakir Aharonov was predicted by Reuters news service to receive the 2009 Nobel prize. He scheduled a visit from some of his friends here, most notably Dr. Bryan Greene and others here to speak to a freshman foundations class because one of the students had a question regarding Dr. Greene’s book. Again, the class size is under 20 students.</p>
<p>Our law school is also highly ranked. 92nd I believe in the nation. Why would this be important? Because in a school with 4000 undergrads and 2000 graduate students that means you get direct access to a faculty where more 80% of them hold terminal degrees in their area of expertise.</p>
<p>My faculty advisor for Art History is a foremost expert in Renaissance Florence and one of only 20 professors in the world to partake in the Medici Project in Florence. I cannot say that any other school in the country would give that kind of immediate access to faculty. </p>
<p>I know every professor I have, they know me by first name, I have their cell phone numbers and email address and I have never gone an extended period of time without an answer to my immediate question being answered or addressed.</p>
<p>Our facilities, if you have been here, go without saying. They are second to none. </p>
<p>I am a film major also. My first class, Intro to Visual Storytelling, I had my own HD camera in my hands as did the rest of my class. We had AVID Boot Camp. </p>
<p>We have access 24/7 to soundstages/ADR booths/ Motion Capture Rooms/ Editing Bay/Sound Mixing equipment. Someone is always shooting a movie here. If you are a screenwriting like me someone is always looking for a project to shoot. If you are a business major film students are always looking for people to help with budgets and pitching and business plans.</p>
<p>Only 1000 of the 6000 students here are film majors but the majority of students here can talk intelligently about film. It seems to be the way that it goes. However, its not like an athletic school, where film majors get all the attention and no one else gets squat. </p>
<p>For the Music School, also highly rated…LOL… they are building a 25 million dollar performing art center.</p>
<p>I don’t know. Chapman might not the best school in the country for a lot of things. Partying, tailgating, crazy night life. But academically it’s the best school for me.</p>
<p>Namaste,
Hope this helps.</p>
<p>G</p>
<p>Thanks, Greg, for your reply. I’m so glad to hear you love Chapman! You should be a tour guide if you’re not already; you’d be a great ambassador for your school.</p>