There hasn’t been a post here for a long time so I’ll post a positive review for University of Redlands from a parent’s perspective.
My son is in his first year at Redlands and it has exceeded his expectations. As a high performer in high school, he received a generous merit scholarship and enrolled in the Engineering 3-2 program. He chose Redlands over 12 other college offers, many at Top 50 colleges.
There are some areas to gripe about:
Dining Hall tries hard but execution is hit or miss for teenage palates. You can look at the dining hall menu. Meal plan gives limited options for the Launch and Den as alternatives.
Bathrooms can be iffy if your hall mates aren’t considerate
There isn’t much to do within walking distance, but many students have cars and there are plenty of dining/entertainment options within a short drive or train ride away.
However, Redlands offers many great programs/advantages:
First Year Journeys was a great way for my son to meet friends before school started.
Outdoor Programs extends this throughout the school year. My son has gone surfing twice, to a rock climbing gym, and skiing with the Snow Club.
May Term offers many unique experiences and travel opportunities.
The relative small size of the university allowed my son to get a campus job in his area of interest that would have been nearly impossible to get during first semester at a larger school.
Seems like many/most of the classes have 20-30 students. My son’s largest class had 30 or so students.
MetroLink is free for the students so they can get to Downtown LA in 2.25 hours from the train station right next to campus.
Professors have been available and responsive.
Most kids get doubles in the dorms whereas other schools now have triples as the norm.
Campus appears very safe. That’s the benefit side of not having much within walking distance.
So nice to read this! Redlands doesn’t get much discussion on this site, but it is a great school! I’m an alum from the early 90s. They opened the ‘new’ dining commons right when I graduated. It was a HUGE improvement. Guess it’s not so new anymore! My husband was in the last engineering class to graduate before they got rid of the program.
So far we haven’t been able to convince 2 of our 3 kids to attend, I’m working on D25!
I’d love for you to come back and update the 3+2 journey throughout his time there. 3+2 is a scary step for many and there isn’t much feedback from those that have completed a 3+2 program.
Definitely don’t need a car. Besides the locals who have cars and the train, there is a shuttle that I don’t have much info on. I believe it runs on the weekend to a big box store mall with Target and plenty of other stores. Might also run to downtown Redlands which has some nice vintage shops. Here’s the link to the movie theater in the middle.
Cheaper to occasionally Uber/Lyft than to have a car with insurance rates for young adults. My son will occasionally use one of the food delivery services when he wants food from off campus. There’s also a local mom who will shuttle kids to the Ontario airport for a nominal fee.
Regarding the Engineering 3-2 program, there is a reason it is intimidating. I am not an expert, but I would not recommend it without plenty of AP results of 4 or 5. Redlands has a lot of GE style requirements. The Physics BA requirements take care of some of the requirements and some requirements are waived. Also some classes count towards more than one GE requirement.
With some careful planning and tons of AP credit class equivalents, my son should be able take take care of these GE requirements, Physics BA requirements, Combined Plan requirements, and still have the ability to get a math minor in the 3 years. I’m also encouraging him to study abroad for a semester. Redlands limits freshmen to 32 AP credits (mostly 4 credits for a score of 4 or 5).
If the 3-2 student isn’t committed to spending many hours completing the coursework to get a good grade, then this might not be the right major match. My son is crushing his physics and calculus courses, but it’s a lot of work. Basically, good for smart over-achievers who are willing to gamble on themselves to have the discipline to complete this program. I believe 8 completed it 2 years ago and 3 last year.