<p>any of you guys applied and got into Pepperdine- how is the competetion compared to UCSD AND UCSB and USR?</p>
<p>I wish someone answered this question since i’m wondering too!</p>
<p>Competition? Do you enjoy a conservative atmosphere where church attendance is implicitly forced upon? If so, Pepperdine is the school for you.</p>
<p>Private universities generally have smaller classes, so that is good for students.</p>
<p>eyethink - Excuse me. Church attendance is NOT compulsory at Pepperdine. It might be useful to check your facts before trying to influence someone’s decision. Pepperdine’s graded convocation series requires attendance to speakers and presentations each semester out of a wide array of options. Many of them hardly relate to religion.</p>
<p>and to answer the OP:</p>
<p>ellomeno - Pepperdine is highly competitive compared to these schools. It is not even in the same breath as UCR, so the only reason to attend that school would be an out-of-this-world financial package. UCSD and UCSB are also excellent schools, but each has a dramatically different campus environment. Pepperdine students turn down offers from these schools and others because they are looking for a private education that boasts small classes and business connections incomparable to other institutions.</p>
<p>i would pick UCSD unless Pepperdine is offering you an insane financial aid package.</p>
<p>UCSD > Pepperdine. simple.</p>
<p>@gwu_girl thank you so much I plan on majoring in International Relations
how is Pepperdine abroad program i heard it is phenomenal but I will be entering as a transfer so I don’t know how that would hinge me?
How are the dorms for upperclassmen? and diversity?</p>
<p>and yes it is a tough decision between UCSD and Pepp i am mainly focused on the small campus pepperdine has to offer and the study abroad program?</p>
<p>ellomeno - </p>
<p>Having returned one month ago from studying abroad in a Pepperdine program in Switzerland, I can attest to why Pepperdine’s international programs are the first in participation and in the top four in quality according to the Princeton Review. Pepperdine offers campuses in Lausanne, Switzerland, London, Florence, Heidelberg, Buenos Aires and Shanghai. About 70 percent of sophomores participate during the academic year. Since you are a transfer, I would recommend attending a a summer program, which lasts two months during which you can choose to have an internship in your host country. Many transfers and sophomores who weren’t able to attend during the academic year choose this option, as do upperclassmen who miss their country and want to go back!</p>
<p>A study abroad experience would complement a degree in International Relations nicely. You probably wouldn’t be able to study abroad if you attended UCSD, because you would have to apply separately to an exchange program, be fluent in the language of the country, and find classes that SD would accept. You might want to weigh that in your decision if studying abroad is something you want to do.</p>
<p>The upperclassmen dorm options are nice. You may choose between two different apartment-style complexes, the Rockwell Towers (standard dorms), or one of the transfer/upperclassmen suite-style halls. All the dorms at Pepperdine are generally more spacious than other universities. </p>
<p>Diversity in terms of what?</p>