Opinions/Questions from a liberal transfer student..

Colleges and Universities A-Z Pepperdine University
1

<p>I just visited the campus after getting accepted for Fall 2012, class of 2015. I can't seem to decide whether to accept or not.</p>

<p>The campus was great, and I was surprised at the (apparent) level of security. In contrast, my current college (Bard College) has a completely open campus. </p>

<p>I spent about an hour or so on campus, and definitely felt much more at ease than I feel at Bard. Having grown up in SoCal, I definitely feel much more comfortable around Pepperdine's student body (vs. the grungy hipster-folk of Bard). The people at Pepperdine seemed friendly, and the weather/campus is absolutely beautiful. While Malibu does seem a bit empty, it's a relatively quick drive to LA/civilization compared to my current situation in the boonies of the mid-Hudson river valley. </p>

<p>However, there's the issue of faith. I wasn't raised with any religion, and I actually wrote one of my essays on that. Once I saw the giant cross at the entrance to Pepperdine though, I began questioning whether or not it was a good fit for me. </p>

<p>I've had friends of Muslim, Protestant, Catholic, Mormon, Buddhist, and other faiths, and religion has never really affected my friendships with people. My personal beliefs are a bit nebulous, but I would say that I'm mostly agnostic. I'm fine with religion, as long as it's not forced upon me. I understand that Pepperdine is a Christian and very conservative school, but to how far of an extent? How will my (lack of) faith affect life at Pepperdine, and is there a nonreligious/non-christian Pepperdine student here on CC that could offer their opinion?</p>

2

<p>I transferred about a year ago in the Spring of 2011 and had the same feelings/concerns as you. From my own experience, I have to say that I haven’t felt any religious pressures since transferring to Pepperdine. There are a lot of outlets on campus, from the school and from student organizations, that incorporate religion such as University Ministries, SLAs if you’re living on campus (spiritual life advisors); again these options are at your disposable so by no means are you forced to attend or utilize these resources. Wednesday Convo isn’t mandatory, however, you do get graded on the amount of times you attend and in the end it affects your GPA, even though it’s on a small scale.
I was really hesitant in entering the religion sequence, which is mandatory, at Pepperdine. In religion 101, my professor was adamant in his philosophy that he wanted to educate his students on the historical viewpoint of the OT. In no way did he try to force the teachings of the OT on his students. Consequently, I am in the last course of the religion sequence this semester and I can say that all my religion teachers have had the same attitude throughout. If anything, the professors at Pepperdine are open to discussion and the varying viewpoints of the world’s religions. Occasionally, professors open/close a class in prayer, but that’s the extent of my experience in feeling the breadth and depth of religion being “forced” on students at Pepp.</p>

3

<p>Ah, thanks so much for the wonderfully clear response!</p>