My son is very interested in Chapman and plans to apply EA this year. He is interested in english as a major and possibly theater as a minor. He may also consider communications.
I wanted to know from a parent’s perspective, how you feel about the school and how well you feel the experience has been for your student? Is the environment friendly? preppy? greek? clique-ish?
I also wanted to know from parents who talked about the sophomore housing problems how those issues were resolved.
I hope my questions aren’t too vague. Just trying to get a grasp on it. We did visit and both loved it, but it was during the summer so we couldn’t get a true feel of the campus vibe.
Thanks!
My son also interested in Chapman after I read on “niche” it is known for the prettiest girls. However, it’s crossed of the list due to private school price.
I also have a son interested in Chapman. A family friend recommended that we check out the campus, which we really liked. New science building and the town is so quaint and within walking distance. His daughter graduated Chapman with a business degree and really enjoyed her time there. She was not involved in greek life. I know greek life is active, but they don’t have houses, so I don’t think it is as overbearing as it might be elsewhere. There seem to be many opportunities to get involved with various activities though.
Not sure about sophomore housing, but I was told when we toured that most of the houses near campus are rented out to students. Seems like many students find housing with their friends following freshman year.
Hope someone with first-hand experience can comment.
My daughter (about to start her sophomore year) loves it and my husband and I also enjoy it when we visit. It feels more homey because it is nestled in a residential area and the Orange Circle has many fun shops and restaurants. My daughter has enjoyed her classes and most of her professors…two of which have really connected with her.
My daughter is not a party girl and did not join a sorority but has some great friends who have similar lifestyles. There are not traditional cliques because everyone just seems to find their niche. Yes, there are wild parties and the typical SoCal beautiful people…join in or not.
My daughter and I were upset about the housing process but she ended up with her best friend in a double (they wanted a quad) and the other girls found off-campus housing. I know all of her friends ended up somewhere even if it was not their first choice. I’ve seen her housing for this year and it is very nice…and, most important, my daughter is now fine with how it ended up. I imagine she will live off campus next year.
My daughter just fell in love with Chapman and the merit package made it possible for us. We looked at many similar schools and it came down to UC Irvine and Chapman, but there really was no contest for her.
Hope this helps. Let me know if I can answer any other questions.
Hi, OP here.
thank you for your response. I was most concerned about housing. My son is socially awkward so I am hoping he will find his “tribe” and be able to navigate the social scene enough to find friends to live with after his first year.
outwhere, how accessible are the professors?
My daughter hasn’t had any issues meeting with her professors. In fact she needed to contact a few before the fall semester to make a special arrangement and they were very nice. And one of her professors from last year wrote a recommendation for her. She’s been thrilled with them except for one dud. Lol.
My daughter is a freshman at Chapman University and is having a blast. It is key for your son to visit campuses during the school year to feel the vibe to see if he feels on the same wavelength as the students. I cannot stress this enough, as my son attended a large, public school because his dad felt the reputation was better. After two years of trying to make it work, my son transferred to the private school that he wanted to attend initially and is now having a blast.
Everyone we know who has graduated from Chapman or is currently attending has always spoke well of it—they LOVE it, not just like, but love. We noticed that the students have good social skills and are friendly and welcoming. There are a lot of attractive students too. Even the hot girls don’t seem like bitches.
Have your son attend the Chapman visit to his high school and connect with the representative. Ours told my daughter to definitely apply EA. Also, go speak with people from the English dept. when you visit again. And ask to sit in on a class (email them prior to your visit for an appt. with chair and to sit-in on class).
Chapman really cares about their students vs. big, public schools. I actually sat-in on a class with my daughter (as the prof welcomed me to) and when I was walking on campus later, he said, “So, how did you like the class?” I was blown away. We spoke with admin and other profs and they all spent a lot of time with us.
Again, if he feels comfortable with the students, that’s the most important. If he does not, search elsewhere. The vibe needs to feel right.