Which would you choose? Planning to go to law school afterwards…Looking for balanced, supportive environment, great relationships with professors, decent class sizes. Prestige does matter to me to an extent but I turned down Berkeley because I can’t move from So Cal right now.
UCI-Literary Journalism Major
Pitzer-English/International Studies
Chapman-Journalism and in honors program
UCI-free, Pitzer-don’t know yet and Chapman-17K per year
I look forward to hearing your thoughts and appreciate your help!
If cost is not an issue, then Pitzer. If it is, then UCI. But if you really want decent class sizes and relationships with professors, then it’s either Pitzer or Chapman. All good choices, though.
Have you visited? I have toured both Pitzer and Chapman and they have a very different vibe. Also Pitzer is a more removed from LA whereas Chapman is much closer in. What exactly are you looking for?
@MamaBear16 I don’t mind the location in terms of proximity to LA. I’m looking for a strong academic environment within a supportive, diverse and intellectual community. Prestige is also somewhat important to me, as is opportunities for grad school placement. How would you describe the vibe of each??
I haven’t been to Pitzer when School is in session and I won’t be able to. I did visit Chapman for preview day but I’m more familiar with it anyways because I live somewhat close by.
Our visits were one day apart a few years ago. Things we noticed were just from a quick snapshot, but I’ll share my thoughts. The student body at Pitzer seemed to be more diverse and not nearly as fashion-conscious as the students at Chapman. Both sets seemed happy and somewhat laid-back (in contrast to some of the other places I have visited). Greek life also is a big thing at Chapman - every kid I know there is in a sorority or a fraternity. From what I have heard (this is coming from current and past students) the social scene is big at Chapman. There are pluses and minuses to that, depending on what you are looking for. Pitzer is part of the 5Cs, so I think you’d get a larger list of classes you could take. It’s more of a LAC environment there, so it looks like your major would be different too. Which one appeals more to you? Have you checked out the courses you would take at both?
If cost is not a major criterion, I’d pick Pitzer any day over Chapman. The 5-C consortium will allow for many more options in terms of classes to take, and the mentoring you will get from faculty will be outstanding.
Chapman is great for performing arts, film, and pre-PT… but for an academic pre-law degree I would absolutely choose Pitzer unless there were a prohibitive cost difference.