Tucked Away in the Bluff = Treasure!

Introduction
LMU is one of those schools that is overlooked consistently. It's a hidden gem with so many positive attributes. When I applied to LMU, I didn't hear much about it beyond that it was located somewhere in Los Angeles. Here's the rest of the story.

LMU is a campus where there are things to do, academics are better than you would initially think, and people are extremely friendly. That's the one thing that hit me over the head when I showed up: how friendly everyone is! Granted, there are bad seeds as there are at any college, but the immense amount of hospitality and friendliness overshadows that in an instant.

I think the only people who should really stay away from this school are those expecting a typical, partying college life right at their fingertips. LMU is more unique than that: we may not have all the conventional aspects of a college scene, but there's literally something for everyone here. It just takes a little while to find your niche. If you can handle that, it's all good.

Campus Life and Social Life
I think the best part of this campus is the events, including concerts, dances, and socials for all students. There is always something random to do on campus or get involved. Sometimes, though, this becomes taxing because you have to search really hard to find opportunities that cater to your interests.

There is a party scene on campus (so I've heard), but I've never seen it firsthand. Many clubs and organizations host their own parties so it becomes somewhat exclusive, but since LMU has the reputation that everyone knows someone who knows someone who's having a party, as long as you're social you'll have easy access to the social scene here.

Clubs and organizations are unique on campus, from the common clubs that exist in every school to service organizations (which have been hailed as a proud tradition at LMU) and your Greek organizations. What is interesting about the Greek life at LMU is that there are no frat/sorority houses. So instead of house rivalry, there's a clear sense of unity amongst all Greek members. Greek events are also welcoming to the entire student body, so it's inclusive as opposed to other schools' exclusive Greek scenes.

As for sports, the only big competitive sport we rally around is Basketball! There are a few club sports that are picking up support fast such the Rugby team, but sports don't dominate the school scene.

Weekends here are, I have to say it, horrible. Everyone goes home because the vast majority of students are commuters from within the county of Los Angeles or neighboring counties. There is not much to do because everything closes so early on the weekend. It leaves the stranded wondering what is left, and searching for fun in the outside world that is the beachside town of Marina Del Rey. And while that's great once in a while, it's a fact that college students don't have some magical money generator. It's hard to have to pay for a social life. Advertisement
Academics
There is such a hodgepodge and wide range of classes and quality when comes to academics. From what I hear, the Business School is excellent. Many people major in Communications but I don't think it's the best major because it offers only the basics. I've heard that the Film School is amazing due to the limitless connections we have to the entertainment industry right outside our door in Hollywood.

The required General Education courses suck. Professors know we don't want to take the class and would rather be elsewhere. If there are some great GEs they are few and far between.

Professors are very accessible. Many of them try their best to get to know you as a person. In my major, Political Science, almost every professor knows my name or recognizes me. Most importantly, they all want to me to succeed in college and beyond and it shows in their devotion to office hours or advice on internships and life after graduation.

The workload is much like my high school: it's all about prioritizing your time. Though sometimes, I feel like I am not challenged enough at LMU. I'd tell prospective students that they can excel at this place fairly quickly if they put any effort whatsoever into their education.

Student Body
A lot of the students are from an upper-middle-class background and white. Of course, that's increasingly the case in American colleges due to issues of income-bracketing and "privilege."

At LMU, the privilege is most obvious when you look at the cars or clothing of most kids here. People dress to the nines just to show that they can afford whatever fancy new item. However, there are some really down-to-earth people here too, people who are just happy to have the opportunity to attend an excellent university.

Socially, much of the university is cliquey: people like to travel in packs and stay in those packs for the duration of the career here. While everyone is really friendly, there is something of an unspoken rule that you belong here and some else belongs there, wherever here and there are defined according to the clique network.

The school is geographically diverse, on the whole. My classmates (class of 07) hail from about 42 states. Everyone has a different story to tell and the stories and backgrounds that my friends and acquaintances represent are just mindblowing. Whatever your life experience has been, chances are at LMU someone else has experienced the same or something similar to it.

In Closing...
LMU is that beautiful campus on the hills near the airport. Check it out next time you're in town.