Introduction

The speaker introduces the topic of Pepperdine University and explains that they will be sharing their personal experience with the university.

Personal Motivation for Attending Pepperdine

• The speaker wanted to force themselves to become more independent by attending a university far from home.

• They loved Pepperdine and wanted to take advantage of everything it had to offer.

Getting into Pepperdine

The speaker shares their academic background and how they got accepted into Pepperdine University.

Academic Background

• The speaker's high school GPA started at 2.8 freshman year and ended at 4.0 senior year due to undiagnosed ADHD.

• After receiving proper treatment, the speaker was able to focus on academics and improve their grades.

• Despite having an overall GPA of around 3.5, the speaker believes that Pepperdine looks at applicants as individuals rather than just scores and data.

ACT Scores

• The speaker submitted a 34 super score and a 32 regular ACT score.

• Their biggest advice for taking the ACT is not to stress, as they did not study but performed well by going in without pressure.

Common Application Essay

• The essay is an opportunity for applicants to show who they are as a person and clarify any issues on their application.

• The speaker reads their essay, which discusses their struggles with focus in class due to ADHD.

Struggles with Focus in Class

The speaker discusses their struggles with focus in class due to ADHD.

Personal Struggle with Focus

• Due to lack of focus in classes and struggle with reading comprehension, it seemed impossible for the speaker to achieve academic success.

• They felt different from others who didn't face this problem and wondered what was wrong with them.

Finding Self-Expression Through Photography

The speaker discusses how they found a creative outlet through photography, which allowed them to express their emotions and overcome challenges.

Childhood Inspiration

• A childhood memory of a photograph of a walrus on the wall in their grandmother's house ignited the speaker's interest in photography.

• The simple colors, encapsulating textures, and organic shapes of the photograph inspired awe and excitement within the speaker.

Capturing Emotions Through Photography

• Photography allows the speaker to escape distractions and feel completely present as their creativity flows out of them.

• The speaker is able to portray their emotions through subject position, camera angles, and lighting.

• Reviewing their photographs fills the speaker with pride for their accomplishment.

Overcoming Challenges Through Photography

• By liberating suppressed emotions through photography, the speaker was able to put more energy into school and raise their grades.

• The resilience gained from overcoming challenges in photography has helped the speaker achieve success in other areas of life.

Attending a Christian University

The speaker explains why attending a Christian university is important to them as a Catholic student.

Trusting God's Plan

• As a Catholic, the speaker believes that God has plans for them even when things do not go according to their own plans.

• The speaker's Catholic education has given them a strong foundation of faith rooted in Christ.

Growing Spiritually and Academically

• Attending a Christian university will allow the speaker to continue to grow academically and spiritually.

• The speaker values listening to alternate opinions and beliefs regarding religion, which they believe they would have ample opportunities for at Pepperdine University.

Expressing Religious Identity

• The convocation program at Pepperdine University would allow the speaker to freely express their religious identity by engaging in discussions of faith with other students of differing religious backgrounds and identities.

Why Pepperdine University is the Right Fit for Me

The speaker discusses why they chose Pepperdine University and how to approach writing an essay about faith in the application process.

Choosing Pepperdine

• The speaker chose Pepperdine because of its emphasis on spiritual life.

• Applicants should focus on expressing their feelings towards faith rather than labeling themselves as a certain religion.

• Religion classes and programs are required, but it's more about building identity and discussing how biblical passages can be implemented in daily life.

Social Life at Pepperdine University

The speaker talks about their experience with social life at Pepperdine, including making friends and weekend activities.

Making Friends

• It was initially difficult to make genuine connections due to stereotypes of Californians being fake.

• However, there are many caring and nice people at Pepperdine.

• Finding true friends takes time and involves going through the process of identifying those who are not genuine.

Weekend Activities

• Students often leave campus on weekends since it is a dry campus.

• Parties and clubs are available off-campus at places like UCLA and USC.

• Social life is not built around partying; students are academically driven but still know how to have fun.

• There are many fun things to do in California, such as going to the beach or meeting celebrities in Malibu.

Personal Likes and Dislikes About Pepperdine University

The speaker shares their personal likes and dislikes about attending Pepperdine University.

Likes

• Enjoy walking to class and seeing familiar faces due to small size of university.

• Appreciates academic dedication of students while still knowing how to have fun.

Dislikes

None mentioned.

Pepperdine University Experience

In this section, the speaker talks about their experience at Pepperdine University, including the NSO experience, food options, professors, and acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals.

NSO Experience

• The NSO experience was fundamental to building relationships with friends and people on campus.

• There was a whole week dedicated to activities where you meet with your classes, different people, professors, resident directors and advisors.

• It was fundamental to a good social experience.

Food Options

• The food started out really bad but is getting better. However, there aren't many good food places around Malibu for cheap.

• Cheaper food options are available in Thousand Oaks.

Professors

• All professors are nice and willing to help. They respond quickly to emails and are accommodating.

• Some classes have a lot of work while others don't. Assignments need to be completed on time or penalties will be given.

Acceptance of LGBTQ+ Individuals

• Pepperdine is accepting of every individual regardless of sexual orientation or gender.

• However, some people at Pepperdine can be judgmental.

Parking at Pepperdine University

This section discusses parking at Pepperdine University.

Securing Parking

• First-year students get two rows in the parking lot because many students have cars due to the lack of activity on weekends and Wednesdays.

Studying Abroad at Pepperdine University

The speaker discusses the process of applying for study abroad programs at Pepperdine University and the university's expectations regarding faith and relationships.

Applying for Study Abroad Programs

• Only 50 students can study at each location per semester, with a total of 600 students studying abroad per year.

• Students must apply and explain why they want to go, how it will benefit them, and how it relates to their major.

• The speaker's top choices were London and Lausanne, but she was accepted to Heidelberg, Germany instead.

Expectations Regarding Faith

• Pepperdine does not require students to agree with their statement of faith but expects them to be open-minded about exploring different religions.

• Students are expected to be open about learning about all the different religions on campus.

Rules Regarding Relationships

• No men and women can stay together overnight in dorm rooms past 1:00 am.

• LGBTQ relationships are accepted at Pepperdine as everyone is loved by God.