Univ. of Southern California (USC) and Pepperdine
University of Southern California (USC)
Lisa Bleich
Last week I toured the University of Southern California while visiting my family in Los Angeles; my parents accompanied me on the tour. My dad is an alum, so it was fun for him to see how much the university had changed in the past 50+ years. He asked one of the Admissions Counselors, how did USC go from being a not so great school 50 years ago to one of the preeminent universities in the country. The Admissions Counselor attributed the meteoric rise in popularity and selectivity to President Sample who served during 1990’s through 2010 who focused on attracting a more select group of students and investing heavily in the programs. His strategy worked, as USC is very heavily endowed and the students have great pride and enthusiasm for the school.
Pepperdine
Lisa Bleich
Inside Pepperdine Chapel
Pepperdine has a gorgeous campus that sits on top of a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Malibu. There are beautiful vistas everywhere you look from the mountains behind the campus to the pretty Malibu homes below to the deep blue Ocean. The buildings are all white with red tile roofs built circa the early 70’s. Some of the interiors of the buildings are somewhat tired, but there is a strong homey feel within the dorm lounges. They were decorated with sofas, hand-made posters, and Christmas decorations peppered throughout given the season. The athletics facilities are top notch as is the cafeteria, which is airy and filled with light with a phenomenal ocean view!