<p>I got into Penn and Duke (latter obviously not an Ivy but still Ivy calibre…) I personally loved Pepperdine the most out of all the schools I applied to save Stanford (which I didn’t get into,) but I’m really worried that the academics and opportunities won’t be as strong at Pepperdine as Duke or Penn. What can anyone say to this? I got into Regents. </p>
<li>Grad school placement? Particularly Harvard/Stanford MBA or PhD…</li>
<li>Job opportunities? Do you think Pepperdine’s top students can compare job wise with the Ivies? </li>
<li>If I don’t like it the first year, would there be any hope of transferring back to Duke or Penn for sophomore year? </li>
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<p>WOW! Nice group to select from. I think most of us are not as familiar with east coast schools and that may be why not too many posts. But here is my shot at it. Penn and Duke have longevity in their reputation and prestige. Pepperdine is fairly new to the malibu campus (1972) when they really began to move up on the rankings. Duke and Penn are larger schools and my guess is that when you visited Pepperdine you may have been drawn tot the friendliness and small community feel. It is a really welcoming campus and a spectacular view! If you are not from California, just visiting can be a great experience...Being a native...I tend to be bias!</p>
<p>So I guess Duke and Penn with their reps are definite draws, but Pepperdine is definitely forging it's way out west. I think you need to do some research if grad school is in your future. Check their grad stats, contact the dept chairs at each school in the major you are planning to focus on and get a feel for where their grads are headed. Good luck!</p>
<p>Personally, I'm from a VERY small southern town and I can't imagine going to a big Eastern school. I feel that Pepperdine is a much better fit for my with my faith and my personality. I think it is so important to pick a school that suits you well, not just a brand-name school. Plus, Pepperdine is the highest-ranking Christian school!</p>
<p>I'm bringing this up because my D will have to choose between Duke and Pepperdine and "we" would love some imput. One of my concerns is a 4 day visit courtesy of the "Black Student Alliance" really solid her on Duke, and she will only have the four hour "admitted students day" at Pepp to compare it with. I hope it can do the job!</p>
<p>Shrinkrap, I know that you were looking at a personal favorite of mine, Scripps College for your daughter. In view of that, I think Duke's women's history might be of interest to you. I like Pepperdine very much, but I would have a hard time turning down Duke. Very different schools, that is for sure. I think the visit to Pepperdine will solidify your daughter's decision, one way or the other. (Four hours will be enough time to see the campus, as it is small and compact.) Your daughter really has some outstanding choices.</p>
<p>I found Duke to be a more segregated campus than other schools with which I'm familiar. Many schools, like Duke, segregate along the lines of haves and have-nots, but Duke is also (in my opinion) starkly segregated by race. On the other hand, Pepperdine has a warm and inclusive campus atmosphere. The majority there are haves, as they are at Duke, but students make an effort so that nobody feels excluded.</p>
<p>Thanks both of you! And Scripps is still on D's list, but for me and dad, paying full price for Duke seems a better deal then paying full price for Scripps. I know that may be unfair. The fourth choice at this point is Santa Clara, where she got a really nice scholarship. She does not seem to be considering the 6 UC's she got into.</p>
<p>P.S. dntw8up, I know about the segregation thing, but I must admit, my D has met very few Blacks outside of our family in her lifetime, and I feel sort of bad about raising her in a California suburb for that reason. She was blown away by meeting so many "people like her" at Duke.</p>
<p>P.S.S.Adultparent mom, I didn't understand this...</p>
<p>"I think Duke's women's history might be of interest to you."</p>
<p>Maybe if I think about it? Look it up? PM you?</p>
<p>Ah! She did also get accepted to Mills and Spelmsn, but had no interest, so I'm still a little uncertain about the appeal of Scripps. She absolutely loved the girls she met at their diversity invite ( again with the "people like me") , but those girls will have a lot of options, so who knows where they will end up.</p>
<p>Santa Clara with a nice scholarship is also a great option. Lots of diversity (racial, economic, etc.) and another inclusive student body. Silicon Valley facilitates lots of internship options too.</p>
<p>I am in a similar situation (although the other school I am considering is not nearly as "prestigious" as Penn or Duke), and even though I have not yet reached a decision I believe I will eventually end up at Pepperdine. I have debated a lot over the issue, so I'll share some of my thoughts. Although Duke and Penn are "better" according to the rankings, from what I hear Pepperdine offers a lot more personalized attention than either one of those schools do. Also, because it sounds like your academics are above average for Pepperdine and because it is a much smaller school than either Duke or Penn, it will be easy for your professors to get to know you and, thus, help you pursue whatever career track you wish (Ph.D, MBA, etc). In terms of getting into a prestigious grad school, I would think that being at the top of your class at Pepperdine is probably just as good as being a decent student at Penn or Duke. I understand how people are automatically drawn to the Ivies and other comparable schools; however, I think that in the end the education you receive at other schools can be just as good, so long as you make the most of it.</p>
<p>UPenn and Duke are both AWESOME schools. Congratulations on getting in! I think you have to consider what major you'll be. Again like Lucky said, Penn and Duke are considerably larger than Pepperdine, meaning you may not get as much individual attention. This can either be a good or bad thing, depending on what your preference is. As far as internships, again, I think it depends on what your intended major will be. Although Pepperdine may have less of a prestigious reputation than Penn and Duke, LA <em>is</em> right there...and so is Santa Monica. Another thing to consider is the fact that at Pepperdine school ends late April (correct me if I'm wrong), meaning you'll be the first one out there to go look for an internship as opposed to waiting till late June like most universities.</p>
<p>I can address that Pepperdine works with students from sophomore year to help them build toward internship programs throughout the LA area. They also have great semester (might be a year now) program in DC with internships in the politcal arena. Many of my D's friends have internships. </p>