LMU vs. Chapman

<p>I know this topic has been discussed a million times but none of them are really recent. </p>

<p>I've been admitted to both.
Chapman - PR major
LMU- Communications major (will most likely double in marketing)</p>

<p>I haven't visited either yet but will be flying out to CA from MA next month to do so. I want to go into entertainment PR and I know Chapman has a great program but I also want to be in LA for internships/networking which I know LMU is. I will not have a car freshman year but am hoping to pull one of sophomore/junior year. </p>

<p>I have always been leaning towards LMU but Chapman came back with the most incredible aid I have ever seen. LMU's FA doesn't come out until April but the merit award they gave me was a joke compared to every other school I've been admitted to. </p>

<p>Which school has a better reputation out west, specifically in LA? Which school has a more active student body?</p>

<p>I just love that LMU is in LA and has shuttles to Venice and Santa Monica for things to do on weekends. Chapman doesn't have any of that... but the thing is with all the money they're giving me would I be crazy to turn them down? Especially when their program at Dodge is so good?</p>

<p>We live in SoCal. We have been to both schools more than once, daughter applied to both and we know students at each so I will try to put some general information to you. Daughter has a friend that’s a junior at Loyola. They only offered the family $5,000 to start. They went to the financial aid office directly to speak to them. Loyola ended up giving them more. Some colleges don’t put their best offer on the table right away. It is a VERY nice school on a bluff, ocean views. As I recall everyone needs to take one religious studies course, with many to choose from. It is a Jesuit college, not to say that the campus has a religious feel or that any of that is forced on you at all. You will see the Jesuits and the nuns around campus. Not all the time but they are there. I would think that you would be a little more inclined to serving your community if you went there. Yes, it is close to L.A. Some parts of L.A. are sketchy so you should definitely figure that out before you just drive aimlessly around. I am not trying to sound pessimistic or scare you, haha. I have lived here all my life! It is a great school and I know there are great internship possibilities. You should go to their open house in April and try to get more information about your specific program. Try to meet with financial aid when you are there. Chapman has been working on building their reputation for the past several years. The campus is quite nice. It is in “Old Town” Orange. It’s a cute area of a few blocks with antique stores and a few places for food. Dodge has built quite a reputation but I am not sure that would have much to do with you as a PR major…They have other good programs too. Nice area with tiny charming houses. You probably would want to have a car your second year if you could swing it. Disneyland is about 15 minutes away. Maybe you could get an internship there? This school also has a huge endowment as you can see by your financial aid offer. My overall impression is that both are smaller schools (not like some in California) and you would get a great education at both. Not many people know about these schools outside of California, which is good for us! I do not think you should choose a school on reputation alone but if I were to say which was better known it would have to be Chapman. Both are great schools. You definitely should visit both, talk to the Financial Aid office at Loyola. Show them you offer from Chapman, it may help. Then go with your gut. You are very lucky to be accepted at two wonderful schools!</p>

<p>Hi casadelewis! Thank you so much for your response very helpful! I think my problem is right now wanting to be in LA and liking LMU more but getting so much more money from Chapman and knowing they have a specific PR major (although I’d be fine studying Comm & PR) I will be going to LMU Preview day and will definitely try to visit the Financial Aid office the day after. Thanks again! :)</p>

<p>@xkaitlynx17, my daughter will be graduating from LMU in May, so I’m very familiar with the school. My wife is also and alumna of LMU and Loyola Law School. My son was accepted to both LMU (Arrupe Scholarship) and Chapman (Chancellors Scholarship) last year but opted to go elsewhere. I’ll give you my observations and will be right up front that I believe LMU is not only a better school, but would have to disagree with casadelewis. I think LMU has a much higher, overall, reputation and name recognition than Chapman.</p>

<p>So, here are my general observations. </p>

<p>Chapman’s endowment, as of 2011, was around $190M, with 5300 undergrad enrolled. USNews ranked Chapman #6 Regional school in the west. Chapman is a lovely campus as casadelewis says. It has a new feel to it and it is growing. I’ve heard very good things about Dodge for film and theater-related programs, but I have no idea about their PR reputation. I would consider Chapman much less diverse than LMU, but I can’t state that as a fact. And Orange County is not noted for it’s diversity. So if that’s important to you, you should look into that aspect. That was just my impression on my visits. I think I would also consider Chapman more of a commuter school. It’s a good school and it’s reputation and recognition has been on the rise but . . .</p>

<p>LMU’s endowment was $370M in 2011, with approx. 6000 undergrad enrolled, so I think the difference can be somewhat attributed to reputation. USNews ranked LMU #3 Regional school in the west. LMU is probably one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. It’s not just the mountain and beach views. It’s a very open campus. Lots of open space. Simply gorgeous. But that’s not the reason to pick a school. We have found the school to be very nurturing to it’s students. The professors are very accessible. Obviously, I can’t speak to Chapman on this count. I have seen my daughter transform, in oh so many ways, in her four years at LMU. </p>

<p>So, I’ll tell you what you’ll be hearing a lot until you make your choice. All things being equal, it all comes down to FIT. After you’ve toured the schools, which one just makes you feel the most comfortable? Fit is key.</p>

<p>Be happy to know that you have two great schools that want you. You’ll do well at either one of them.</p>

<p>I’ve been watching this thread with interest. My D was just admitted to Chapman (Dodge College of Film) and is waiting for the decisions from LMU and one other. But so far we’re thrilled to have Dodge because it offers everything she wanted in a program with no compromises on content and no waiting to become immersed. It’s not in LA, but that’s a minor consideration compared to what she’d get. LMU offers similar advantages, but from a different angle. So for us, it may come down to cost. With one in college already the financials are not unsubstantial.</p>

<p>Still …</p>

<p>I also interview for an East Coast university and for a NE boarding school and I often find that people ignore the advice above from @Jamestg. “FIT” when all things are relatively equal should be the trump card. </p>

<p>It doesn’t matter which school is better known. It doesn’t matter which school has the biggest endowment. What matters is…“at which school” will you fully develop your potential? In evaluating applicants I look for what they can offer in terms of their passions and interests and what they’ll do with the school’s resources. More often than not, the students are probing for what the school can “do” for them and it’s kind of a turn-off.</p>

<p>A school doesn’t make a student, the student makes themselves. If it weren’t that way, a lot of well-known college drop-outs would be collecting public assistance or working for someone else rather than starting corporations, or non-profits, or PR firms. So schools are enhancements, but not the “magic”. You are the magic.</p>

<p>Chapman offered more money. But you like the location of LMU. If you can’t decide, but can afford LMU, making things equal then just flip a coin. You most likely can’t go wrong with either. Although it does sound like the only thing attracting you to Chapman is the FA (which is sad because the school has it’s own unique advantages) in which case, choose LMU. </p>

<p>Go where you’ll be happy and can thrive. If not sure, go to Campus Preview days and then make a decision. I know my own D only applied to schools where she’d be happy to be a contributing member of the student body and where she felt she could reach her maximum potential.</p>