Questions about LMU

Our D21 just started looking at LMU and I’m hoping to get a little more info. Any help would be appreciated!

She’s undecided on major. Likely something in the liberal arts - psych, poli sci, etc. but would maybe like to take some business classes too. I got the impression from a virtual panel we watched last night that kids can major and/or minor across colleges. Is that true? Also, does one have apply with a major in mind? When I look at old threads, it looks like parents are reporting their kids got into certain majors.

What is the social life really like? Campus is gorgeous but it’s sounding like all social life is off campus. Are there events on campus? What is Greek life like? I’ve read the ubers line up on campus on the weekends to take kids into the neighborhood or into LA. Would that be the go-to on Friday and Sat nights or are there parties on campus? How much are kids spending off campus? Seems like she might need a considerable budget for that.

Anyone know about dance? Can students take dance classes if they aren’t majoring or minoring in dance? Can they perform? D has extensive dance experience but doesn’t want to major or minor in it.

There are a LOT of core classes. Does that seem limiting when trying to choose classes one wants to take? Are they set classes or are there choices of classes for each core?

I’m a bit concerned about the endowment. Not super big compared to other schools she’s considering. Any news on how the university is doing financially?

@TS0104 I know your D is there and loving it. Are you guys from CA? Maybe you can start me off with a few insights. Thanks!!

Hello! Happy to help. Threads here on LMU seem to run a little thin! We are from Ohio, by the way.
My D (senior) is a Theater major and knew that when applying. She then added a Women and Gender Studies major and a Screenwriting minor. So…that’s three different colleges there. She had good support and advising when figuring this out and adding it. I do know that there is flexibility in the core requirements, for example I think there are two ‘religion’ classes required (I don’t know if they term them religion) but the options for those can be philosophy, ethics, or actual religious studies. My D never found the core to be burdensome, I know that many classes double dip as major and core requirements, and she did lots of exploring in her first three years…which was great and exactly what we both wanted for her. Her good friend switched into a marketing major midway, so it must be possible. I think that SFTV (film school) might be the only one that would be difficult or impossible to transfer into, but minors are possible (hence my D’s screenwriting).

I’ll get more details from her on social life. She is not a big partier and is happy with the social scene that she found. Hangouts in dorms, some off campus parties (that wasn’t a big draw for her, but her friends did). She didn’t rush, Greek is non residential; many of her friends did and were happy with it, there are Greek events, parties, dances and she went to a few. I don’t know if there are parties on campus! There are events, clubs, improv shows, dance and acapella shows etc, of course they get some amazing guest celebrity speakers too, and a fall concert that gets very popular acts. I’ll get more info from her though on what the social scene is really like for someone looking more than small hangouts in dorms! (She’s lived off campus junior and senior year, and still doesn’t go to any big parties). LMU has some off campus events too like beach trips, Disney trips, surf club. My D didn’t spend a ton on off campus entertainment with the exception of the area music festivals. The surprise more to us was groceries (she’s gluten free and eats healthy so bought some groceries in addition to meal plan. On that note, I would say that dining seems to be a weakness. It looked great on paper, but in reality seems like just one dining hall with rotating options that surely gets old after a while, one diner that closed for renovations, and one “nice” restaurant that kids only go to with parents or when they have extra food dollars to use up!).

I met a friend at orientation whose D was also a Theater major and is very into dance; I’ll see if she can come in here with dance info for non majors.

I haven’t heard any concerning financial news, with covid or before. Some people think that LMU is a little stingy on the merit scholarships but my D got a good merit award. I have heard that students wanting to defer due to covid are not being guaranteed that their merit scholarships will be the same, but I don’t know that that is a troubling sign or just a prudent financial practice given the uncertainty for all college finances! I think tuition went up the standard percentage for this year, and in a recent town hall that I didn’t watch I heard that they will not be reducing tuition for the online fall semester.

More later on social scene!

Thank you @TS0104 !

The off campus social scene is definitely something we are curious about. Sounds like it’s where everyone socializes and I also read threads here where kids spend a ton on Uber. Where are they going? Parties off campus? Out for dinner? I also read social life bleeds into USC and UCLA. Curious about that.

Still waiting to talk to my daughter about social life, in the meantime @marg928 is the dancer mom! Hopefully she’ll see this tag!

Hi there! My daughter is a rising senior Theater Arts major, minoring in Classics and Archaeology, but has taken dance classes. They leave a number of spots available for the theater majors, so she was able to get into a class that was showing as full just by speaking to the head of the dept. As far as performing, I would say a non-major would not be able to perform in departmental productions. I will have to confirm that though. Last year my daughter did finally try out for a dance crew which is student-run and it was the best thing she ever did! Every year at Family Weekend the three dance crews perform and the audience votes for their favorite. It was a lot of fun. Lots of late-night practices but she loved it. Unfortunately, the dance department made the decision to go fully online this fall, even though they had the option to be in-person/hybrid. My daughter absolutely loves LMU and is so sad that she will not be able to be on campus much this semester. She does have two hybrid courses but I don’t think those students will be able to do much on campus outside of being in class.

Hi - my daughter is getting ready to apply to LMU for Theatre and I was wondering if any of your kids would be willing to give her some information on their experiences as she gets ready to write her supplemental essay? Thank you!

@njmomofak , I emailed my D this question but she didn’t respond, sorry! I know that she’s super busy right now with a couple of projects (directing Theater Zoom shows). Good luck to your daughter…mine has been very happy with LMU overall and the Theater Department.

My daughter is currently a Sophomore dance major at LMU. Only dance majors can perform in departmental productions, but non-majors can take classes. There are several dance crews that anyone can audition for and my daughter had lots of fun, even though rehearsal is often 9pm-midnight!

She did sorority recruitment last year, and is loving the sorority she joined. Greek life is not a huge deal at LMU, lots of students are not involved, and for those that are, it isn’t all consuming.

Campus is amazingly gorgeous and it is a shame that students haven’t been allowed on campus since March. My girl would love to go study in the Sunken Gardens and walk along the bluff.

There are a lot of core classes, but lots of the requirements overlap with any major. For example, my daughter is knocking off 4 of them just with classes in her major, and 2 more with her minor. The first year seminar, rhetorical arts, philosophy, and theology ones are more stand alone classes.

Even with being remote for this year, we are still happy with the school. The Jesuit traditions seem to resonate with her.

1 Like

Has LMU always had Early Decision II, or was that option added this year?

It wasn’t an option for the class of '23 applicants. I don’t know about last year.

1 Like