Hey! I’m from Atlanta and was accepted! For people that go there, did you bring a car? If so, would you recommend it? Or is it pretty easy to get around and get down to LA other ways?
Freshmen are allowed to have a car and parking is currently free at Pepperdine. The general consensus among students is that a car or making a friend with a car is desirable. There is much to do within 15-30 minutes of campus but the school itself is tucked-away into a beautiful canyon. While there are many activities on campus and a few others within walking distance, a car opens up all the possibilities SoCal has to offer.
Bring a car!!! You will be so glad you did!!
@fayellen What about studying abroad if you are majoring in psychology and also on the pre-med track? Are there enough classes available abroad so you don’t get behind? Also, I’m a little unclear about the foreign language requirement. Does everyone have to take a minimum of three semesters? Do most students take foreign language there or transfer it in from a community college?
@Ovilla68 It depends on how many credits you came in with. A lot of people on the pre-med track are told they cannot go abroad at all because they will not be able to graduate on time taking the GE classes abroad, so what they do to combat this is either go abroad for a summer instead, take summer classes at Pepperdine or another college to earn credits, go abroad for a single semester, or show OneStop (where they schedule classes) that you really can do it - they are wrong about schedules pretty often. Psychology itself is not as demanding credit-wise as other majors, so you may still be able to do it. As far as foreign languages, everyone needs to take 3 semesters of a foreign language. Ways to get this: Take an AP test (I did AP German and got out of the 3 semesters, but I made it my minor anyway), take one semester of a language before you go abroad and 2 while you are abroad (you are required to take the language of the country you are going to), or pass the language test they give you over the summer online, which I also passed with German and a lot of people pass at least 1 semester of Spanish or another language they know a little bit of.
@fayellen I thought that one of the advantages of Pepperdine’s study abroad program was that it was an actual Pepperdine campus, which meant you wouldn’t fall behind. My daughter is pre-dent, and we were definitely planning on a semester abroad.
@disney4cam It is a Pepperdine Campus, but they only offer Gen Ed classes abroad. They have a few other classes depending on the staff present, so when I go to Heidelberg next year I can take art classes with the art teacher who will be there for the year, but there is actually an expectation that you will take summer classes at SOME point in your Pepperdine career, either at home or at a Pepperdine campus. If you come in with enough credits you are also okay, so I came in with 26 and I am actually going abroad for a semester and graduating a semester early, and I even have a friend who is sports med pre-med with a chemistry minor going abroad for a semester with the knowledge that she will be taking summer classes. Because Pepperdine has so many more required general education courses than other schools (it’s liberal arts college and all that) and a high total number of credits to graduate, most people do take summer classes.
Yikes. Thanks for that information, @fayellen. We will have to figure that one out. Another semester of Pepperdine tuition is definitely not in our budget.
One more thought - my daughter will be an Italian minor. Do you think it’s possible they will offer Italian classes in Florence toward her minor?
I guess these are questions I should be asking next Friday. lol Thanks so much for your help!
@disney4cam They definitely will offer classes in Florence for the minor! That’s why I am going to Heidelberg, because they will have German classes for my minor. Pepperdine tuition is not in my budget either, I am only here on the Regents’ scholarship, but that is why you arrange classes to either graduate early or take some at community college, etc. Good luck, next Friday will be great!
@fayellen Thank you so much for your input. One more thing - did you go to the Regents’ Scholar reception? We are planning to go, but we have no idea what to expect! I am thinking we should dress a little nicer than we would have for the Pepperdine reception for the day…but don’t really know.
@disney4cam At the Regents’ reception, you can honestly dress however you want, people have worn jeans and things, but dressing nice is also just common at Pepperdine as a whole I have noticed compared to other schools. The food is supposedly better and (at least last year) it is at the President’s house up the hill before heading down to the regular reception. And no worries, I made this account to answer people’s questions!
@disney4cam We are going to the Regents reception and I had the same questions regarding what to wear. We are driving up that morning and will have to leave at 3 AM so I’m leaning towards the more casual side - but don’t want to be underdressed. Looking forward to it - we have not seen the campus yet.
@4kids2collegeca Yikes! That hurts. My daughter and I are arriving Wednesday morning to visit LMU, then we are hanging out in the area and my husband and son are joining us on Thursday. I definitely think you want to be casual and comfortable - also the campus is very hilly, so comfortable shoes would be pretty smart, too. My wardrobe is embarrassingly scant, so I may have to go shopping. 
@fayellen Watch out, I may keep hitting you up with questions! We seem to have no trouble meeting people from LMU, but I haven’t been able to get any real first hand knowledge for Pepperdine.
Is there anyone who hasn’t received their admission decision yet? There are like two days left until April 1st, but I still haven’t gotten their email and this is scaring me 
@beeear Better give them a call on Monday.
We went to the admitted students tour and information session. It was very nice. If anyone has on campus questions or wants an opinion I am here. My father is also an alumni of Pepperdine.
@euskara33 what’s summer 2019? I don’t remember what this is but is it required for all Pepperdine students?
Just got accepted and seriously considering going there. I’m not from the US but I’ve lived in NYC for a year. Wondering how hard it’ll be to adapt
@fayellen Thanks for answering my previous question. Do you have any idea how accepting Pepperdine is of community college credits? My daughter was thinking about getting some classes out of the way this summer. Is there a way to have courses pre-approved so we would make sure they would count at Pepperdine?
@Ovilla68 I am transferring from a community college to Pepperdine in the fall. All my credits transfer, but I followed the articulation agreement very closely. If you are in California most community colleges will have an articulation agreement. If your daughters major is business then I’d pay a lot of attention to what classes transfer because one of the counselors at Pepperdine told me that the business department is brutal when deciding what credits transfer.