Hi! I’m a sophomore at Pepperdine and I’d love to answer any questions that anyone might have! I was on here a lot when I was going through the application and decision process and I know it helped me a lot 
MODERATOR’S NOTE: Anyone is free to ask or answer questions in the thread. It is not, however, the place to ask about chances.
Thank you for being willing to answer people’s questions! How far away did you come from? Is the campus as quiet and isolated as everyone says it is (I’ve never visited and I only plan to if I get accepted as I live across the country). And how are the academics? I heard people say pepperdine has made everything unnecessarily hard because of its “competition” with Stanford and USC
Hi! I came from Northern California. I wouldn’t necessarily call the campus “isolated” but it definitely can get quiet, especially on the weekends. If you decide to come I would definitely recommend bringing a car if you can, it makes it easier to get around. My first semester I didn’t have a car and it wasn’t awful, but I was definitely glad when I was finally able to bring mine! In terms of the difficulty level of classes, I’ve only gotten A’s and B’s so far. I find the academics challenging (depending on the class), but certainly not impossible. Some teachers are tougher than others, but for the most part academics are very manageable. I’m happy to answer any other questions you may have!
What is your major? Have you heard anything about the international relations major?
I’m majoring in political science. I really don’t know much about the international relations major, but I do have a couple friends who are in that program and as far as I know they like it!
How difficult is it to get into the international programs? Are some more difficult to get into that others? Also how do they decide who to accept, is it like based on gpa/sat and that sort of stuff
I personally haven’t yet applied to any international programs, so I can’t exactly say what they base their decisions off of. However, I can say that every single one of my friends who applied got into the program of their choice. I’m planning on doing a summer program, and I do know that those can be a little more selective (at least from what I’ve heard, again, I can’t speak from experience on this one unfortunately).
What is dating scene like. Do people typically date other people their freshman year and how do people usually meet
Thank you in advice for your help.
My daughter applied to the music program and she did a live audition 2 weeks back. Today, she got a letter of acceptance into the music program as a “Fine Arts Special Achievement Recruit” but contingent upon the the university admission.
My question is what does this means?
montanaboy55- Dating is interesting at Pepperdine. some people are in relationships, many are single, but very few people (if any) casually date. not sure why, it’s just a part of the culture. many of my friends chose to not date at Pepperdine simply because it can be very hard to date at such a small school. This is a really broad topic, so let me know if I can answer anything more specifically!
SamAng- I would think that means that she has been accepted to the music program, but needs to wait for her academic acceptance into the university. However, that’s just a guess and I’m not sure at all, so I would call the school and ask for clarification.
Hi I am a senior waiting for my decision! I was wondering how you got notified. Was it via email or snail mail?
I was notified by email! It was pretty late though, I think around late March if I’m not mistaken.
Hi there - would love to find out how the dorm rooms are at Pepperdine. My son is an incoming freshman and he’s very tall - wondering how comfortable the beds are (would you recommend a mattress topper?), and what you would say we definitely need to bring and what we don’t need to bring.
Greetings… its very nice of you to reach out. Pepperdine is a top school on my daughter’s list. How generous are the scholarships? My daughter has 30 ACT (retaking), 3.8 GPA. 3 AP classes jr yr, 4 AP classes senior yr… thank you in advance. (Just curious to see what you and your friends may have experienced)…
Hi!
This is my dream school so I have a few questions.
How is the business program?
What was your gpa?
Is pepperdine generous with scholarships?
I’d like to pay less than 30k/year
What’s the average act/sat score ?
Are people welcoming?
I have a 3.9 gpa and I’ve taken 8 ap classes in total I’m also in newspaper and I play volleyball is that good?
Sorry to burden you
Thanks!
Hi! Sorry about deserting this board. I’m assuming I’m a little late to answer some of the previous questions so I’ll just answer the most recent ones. @nicole17o
I’m not in the business program, but it’s great from what I know from my friends who are. Very hard classes though.
My GPA from high school was 4.35
Pepperdine gives out some nice scholarships, but you have to have gotten very good ACT and SAT scores. I had a 4.35 GPA but only a 27 ACT. I didn’t get a penny of scholarship money. But grants saved me! They give some pretty generous grants as long as you can demonstrate need.
Average ACT I believe was 27 or 28 when I applied but it may be higher now, not sure.
People are very welcoming and very kind. Of course, when you get so many people in one place there are going to be some bad apples, but it’s very rare to come across a school where the vast majority of people are extremely kind, thoughtful, and caring. Pepperdine is one of those places.
It’s hard to say in terms of your GPA and AP classes. Sounds like you’re qualified to me, just make sure your essays are outstanding. I think personal character really helps a lot with their decision making.
Let me know if there are any more questions!
How is the transition to the west coast? I’m from VA, and one of the main points against applying to Pepperdine is the distance.
Also, what is the social/partying scene like? From previous answers I got the sense that it’s more of an off-campus hangout type.
And of course, the scenery: Is it as beautiful as it looks in pictures?
Thanks in advance! I’m still on the fence about applying but I’m glad that people like you are willing to help prospective students out.
@futbolista I’m not from very far away, so I can’t really speak to the transition. I know that plenty of people come from far away and have no problems with it, but I will say that campus can get quiet on the weekends because lots of local students go home. It depends on what kind of person you are, really. If you’re excited about making new friends and exploring California I’m sure it’ll be a fun adventure for you!
I’ve made amazing friends at Pepperdine, but the school itself doesn’t hold tons of big social events the way a bigger school might. Pepperdine does smaller, low-key kind of hangouts, like movie nights and things like that. If you’re wanting to actually party, my friends and I always go to USC or UCLA for that. I know that there are some actual “Pepperdine” parties, but I’ve never been to one because it’s nice to get a change of scenery after seeing the same people day in and day out.
It’s even more beautiful in person! Pictures don’t do it justice. My dorm room sophomore year had an ocean view, and freshman year I’d step right outside of my dorm and see the most beautiful sunsets. Nothing beats walking to class and seeing the ocean!
I’d definitely recommend applying. Feel free to message me or post again if you have more questions!
Hello! I applied to Pepperdine and I’m anxiously waiting to find out if I got accepted. I was wondering how are people able to go to Malibu reception if they find out they are accepted like just a few days before? I personally am not from California so it would require flying down there but I’m just not sure how I am supposed to be prepared for this.
Thank you!
Do you know when the reception is? I haven’t heard about it. We might just book a Southwest flight and cancel if need be.