Azusa Pacific University (APU)

As a “God-centered Christian university” in Southern California, Azusa Pacific boasts “awesome” nursing and music programs, “small” class sizes, and a “friendly” campus atmosphere, not to mention the added benefit of year-round “California sun.” One student explains that, in addition to being accomplished in their fields, the faculty at APU are also “passionate about the students and [strive] to see us succeed in the classroom, in our faith in Christ, and in life.” When it comes to the workload, “APU is somewhat challenging, depending on your major.” However, students reassure us that “professors do their best to make the learning experience enjoyable and not stressful.” “The classes are challenging yet manageable,” says one. To ensure that students don’t get run under with course work, professors at Azusa “try to make themselves accessible even in matters that aren’t academic.” Likewise, administrators play an active role in the student community. A freshman tells us, “I don’t think there is any place else in the world where you can walk around campus on a Saturday, and see the president walking around in his shorts and baseball cap, and ask to take a picture with him.”

There are many common threads throughout the APU student body, one being a shared Christian faith, another being a “typical Southern Californian” attitude. Most students come from middle-class families, and many “share similar worldviews, theologies, and religious convictions.” But don’t judge a book by its cover: “Although many students look quite similar, everyone has their own unique life story, and oftentimes the least-suspected person has the most incredible stories.” Students further insist that the open-minded community at Azusa tends to have a positive effect on their classmates. A sophomore explains, “Many of the students come from similar backgrounds and places in life, but all of them change once they get here. College helps people to grow and find themselves, and therefore, those typical students become quite atypical by the time they are ready to leave the APU bubble.”

Boasting new and spacious dormitories, residence life at Azusa is a blast---so much so that some students compare the experience to “living in a hotel with all your friends!” Get ready for some serious collegiate bonding as “Dorms are literally open door . . . families and freshmen spill onto Trinity Lawn where they remain talking or throwing the football or studying until 3:00, 4:00, or 5:00 A.M.” Thanks to an active arts community on campus, “the theater program here puts on around 10 shows a semester, and there are a few music performances both by individual students and performing groups a few times every week.” When they aren’t chilling on campus, “Students hang out at Starbucks” or “go to the movies, Disneyland, the beach, hiking, or to the mountains.” When it comes to partying, the school maintains a “very strict” policy when it comes “to parties involving alcohol or drugs,” and, as such, few students indulge. Even so, you can expect your share of silly antics at APU: “Some people party; others run around dressed up as ninja turtles completely sober.”