so i posted a new thread but no one has responded so im going to try this thread! Here's a copypaste of what I asked:
Hey so I was admitted to Chapman w/ 15k merit aid. However, I am worried I am going to lose this. Has Chapman been known for taking away merit aid due to 2nd semester sr grades? My UW gpa was originally a 3.5 but has now dropped to probably a 3ish. Is this going to look bad and will they take away my aid??? Thank you for any responses!
Hi! Does anyone know how difficult it'll be to switch majors as a freshman? I was admitted as an English major with economics as a second choice, but now I'm thinking of doing one of the following:
Major in economics and minor in English
Double-major in econ. and English
Major in English and minor in screenwriting (I read that I need another application for any minors in Dodge)
Do you think any of these plans is feasible? For current students out there, did you get a lot of help from academic advisers during your first year?
rtkfjg, I suggest you to contact admission directly with that question. It can be one of those case by case situation.
nerves, I'm a parent of a Chapman student. According to their link: "Students may apply to change their major in the spring of their freshman year. A decision will be made once the spring grades have been posted (in early June). Students must have at least a 3.0 GPA at Chapman University to apply for a major or minor." Change of Majors and Minors | Chapman University
Whether is feasible to double major or do a major and a minor, absolutely. DS is doing a major and a minor, and still on track to graduate on time. Keep in mind that a student should consider the time commitment to each program before declaring a double major. Certain programs may have substantial time commitments outside the classroom which can be challenging for students to juggle with too many other activities. If you're a diligent student, take the maximum number of units allowed that you're comfortable with. It's wise to take full advantage of their free interterm period. Plan your classes and schedule out early. Check with your academic advisor regularly to stay on track. DS said the academic advisor has been very helpful.
Congrats to all and welcome to the Chapman family!
wow - what a great resource for prospective chapman students (and parents!). what can anyone tell me about merit aid offered by the school. my son has a 3.63 weighted gpa, 28 act, don't know sat yet. any thought would be great. thanks!
Chapman is very generous with merit aid. You don't even need to submit a separate application for it. I think there is even a calculator somewhere on their website. Aid starts with the Presidential scholarship for the highest achieving students at $25,000 per year (renewable annually if the student maintains a certain GPA, 3.3, I think.) Next is the Chancellor's scholarship at $20,000 per year, (My D with a 3.9 GPA and a 2210 SAT score was offered this one.) Then comes the Dean's scholarship at $15,000 per year. Sounds like your S would at least be eligible for the Dean's. However, be aware that Chapman does recalculate GPA using a somewhat odd method. Student's GPA gets extra weight for AP and IB courses, but NOT for honors courses. (So oddly, yes, students get the same amount of credit for the A they broke their backs to get in an honors course, as for the A they got merely by coasting in a gen ed course.)
Chapman offers additional "talent" and other kinds of scholarships for particular majors. It is possible to get both a merit and a talent scholarship.
Good job, S-fan! In the packet DS received, it said that a cumulative 2.75 GPA is required for renewal of merit awards. (It had previously been minimum 3.0, I believe).
teeniedeanie, joining a sorority at Chapman can be pretty expensive. The first semester you join is most expensive because you have to pay new member fees which is a one time expense. For my first semester, I paid $470 but next semester I will be paying around $350. The most expensive sororities will probably cost around $500 (not including the new member fees the first semester). I'm in one of the cheaper ones.
Will not take away a Chapman grant or scholarship:
It is my understanding from talking to the Chapman U Admissions & Financial Aid officers that they will not take away a Chapman grant and/or scholarship that has been offered to you as long as your admissions has not been revoked and you are receiving at least a C in all your AP classes during your 8th semester at high school (see below regarding receiving a single D in an AP class during your 8th semester). So if your GPA drops some during your 8th semester at high school it is not a problem. You do need to maintain at least a 2.75 GPA at Chapman U to keep your scholarship.
FYI- Some thought about GPAs and senioritis:
When Universities state the average GPA of their admits on their websites we do not know if it is weighted or unweighted GPA. I think that many/most state the weighted GPA to show that they that they are selective, top notch and have very smart students in their freshman class (but I do not know for sure). Thus if they have admitted you, you and your parents should feel good about you (as their child) going to this fine University with students having high GPAs that they are about to pour a lot of money into.
If a Senior in High School during their 8th semester has 5 AP classes and because of senioritis received all C’s in these classes he/she will have a weighted GPA of 3.0 (Note: some states like Wisconsin do not weight their High School AP classes). Now let’s assume in two (2) of these AP classes that tie closest to their admitted Major the student receives a B. The students GPA would be 3.4. Therefore this 3.4 GPA is probable not much of a drop off (in the scheme of things) from what you stated on your application for admittance.
If a student in High School during their 8th semester receives a C or God forbid a D in AP Calculus and they are not a Science or Business major a University does not care and will not revoke an admission. The exception is very top Universities such as one of the University of California’s (UCs) 10 campuses then a D in any class will most likely cause you to have your admittance revoked.
I would do everything possible to obtain at least a C in all of your 8th semester High School classes! Go to teacher office hours, go early to class, hire tutors, do extra credit, retake tests if this is possible and start studying again (the studying part will reinforce what you will need to at college even with all of the distractions you will face there). Dropping a class is not an option. Most Universities would rather you receive a D in a class rather than dropping the class. Also Universities do not want you to drop an AP class in exchange for a regular class in the same subject in order to receive a higher grade. If you do drop an AP class or exchange it for a regular class in the same subject you better get the University’s approval first. I hope this helps.
Note that universities state GPAs of admitted students -- this is the ENTIRE POOL of applicants to whom they've chosen to offer admission; not just those that end up being in the freshman class. That GPA would be lower. (They don't include the low GPAs of the pool of students they've denied. It's not applicants; it's admits.) Many high-scoring applicants who applied to a school as a match or a safety, and ultimately chose to attend a different school still get their high GPAs counted among the applicant pool. The GPA of the actual freshman class would be different, see.
If universities want to boost their advertised GPA of admitted students, they will automatically admit the strata of students with the highest GPAs (Ditto with test scores, obviously.) In this way, they can massage the numbers and appear more selective and prestigious in the ratings. Even though many of the students from the upper echelon may not end up actually attending. It's a numbers game, see.
More things to do around Chapman: Santa Ana Artists Village
For those of you looking to explore the area, here is an LA Times article on the nearby Artists Village in Santa Ana. It's 10 min. by car (slightly longer via bike) from the Orange Circle and campus.
<<Come sundown the first Saturday of every month, tree-lined 2nd Street in Santa Ana is jam-packed with crowds — sipping cappuccinos at the Gypsy Den cafe, downing cocktails at Lola Gaspar or pigging out at Memphis at the Santora's crawfish boil while listening to live music on the promenade. Others are busy gallery hopping. This is, after all, Santa Ana's Artists Village. Santa Ana has long taken a back seat to Newport Beach and artsy Laguna as a weekend destination, but first-time visitors to the Artists Village downtown will be surprised by the wealth of independent restaurants and bars, shops and galleries — not to mention the historic buildings along the way...>>
I posted to this thread because it has lots of "things to do around campus" posts.
My D is applying into Dodge, television and broadcast journalism major, concentration on tv, rather than sports or news. I initially thought she would be required to submit the same supplement as 'film' school applicants, but now I think I was mistaken. Can anyone tell me if I am correct? My D is sure she does not have to submit theses items.
She is also applying to USC SCA and NYU Tisch, which do not separate tv from film, so she will be applying to the film school (yikes). She is also applying to Emerson and BU as well as UT Austin and Drexel.
Yes my S was admitted to the TV production/Broadcast Journalism major this fall at Dodge College at Chapman U. There are no video or art work or interviews accepted in the application process for any major at Dodge College except for the Film Production major where they want a video to review. There are a number of essays and a resume that need to be submitted. This is very important: your D needs to submit her application by November 1 (the early action non-binding date) to have a chance to get in. All the best to you in your efforts to get into this incredible university.
Thanks for the reply sukahjoy! She is all finished with her application for Chapman and Emerson, which prompted me to double check the application requirements and post the question. Congrats so much on your S and his acceptance to Chapman. It is getting more and more competitive for those few spots. I have heard amazing things about Chapman Dodge and would be extremely proud if she could attend. Stay tuned.... !
