Azusa Pacific University

At first, APU was the place for me! I mean, I was completely an outcast, but I was welcomed with open arms and loving people. I came here because I was offered scholarships (I wasn't Christian at first). The friends I've made have kept me there but the campus security officers are complete jerks. I was called into the office of the chief (Terry Meyer) because a student and their parents were talking badly about me as I was next to them so I starred at them and they went to him. He came and got me and told me to remove my cross necklace from my neck and turn the other cheek. This is only a SMALL encounter. I'd never recommend this school to my worst enemy. The acceptance rate is super high so don't feel special when you get in. It has not been an honor to be a student there and I dread every day being there.

2nd Year Male -- Class 2016

Innovation: B-, Education Quality: F

I went via their online program for working adults, and was in a "cohort" that takes one class at a time online, for 5 weeks, then the nexty class starts. Everyone is auto enrolled in each class, and the books are mailed to you, and you are billed accordingly. Each week we have one homework assignment, one quiz, and one "forum post" to make. The forum posts are a significant portion of the grade, and to get full credit we have to reply to the posts of others. The Quizzes are just ripped straight from study guides available on the internet, word for word, there is no lectures, only powerpoints taken directly from the textbook. The teachers do nothing but grade your work and they take their sweet time doing so.

I want to withdraw from the program.
I am not happy with the way the program works. Maybe I had a misunderstanding on what it was supposed to be, but I expected to be taught something. The majority of the classes provide no instruction whatsoever. The only materials are the book, and the powerpoint slide show that is provided by the book. The instructors are basically glorified teaching assistants, all they do is grade papers (slowly I might add) and never actually teach anything. Also, the requirement for posting in the forums, by making it such a huge part of the grade, you took away any sincerity in the posts. Almost every post I received was a "I agree with this post" type of reply. It is forced, and not believeable. I guess I expected more from a Private Christian University, but all I got was content drawn directly from the book, which anyone could have done. I don't feel like sending money to a college for not doing any teaching. I expected something like video recorded lectures, with real professors really teaching something, not reading from published slides. I can't in good conscience send any more money to a place that treats their students like cash cows and sucks them of their money, while expecting them to teach themselves, all for a piece of paper that says we learned stuff aka a Degree.

1st Year Male -- Class 2018

Collaboration/Competitive: A+, Education Quality: F

First off I like many people thought it would be a good idea before coming to APU to attend a preview weekend. The preview weekend was awesome, there was games and lots of activity that made you feel like you were actually at college, but reality soon hits you right in the face on your first weekend at APU. Everybody leaves there is no such thing as, "community" which they highly pride themselves on. I love going to church but I don't pay 40,000 a year to be forced to go to chapel. Also they force you to volunteer in the community getting 120 credits before you are allowed to graduate. Personally after attending APU and being forced to, "volunteer" is greatly discouraging and makes me not want to volunteer on my own free will. Honestly I don't know where all the money of our tuition goes to, APU is not the nicest school by any means if anything it is a glorified high school. A vast majority of the students here are perfect examples of why people resent Christians and do not believe in God. They are so hypocritical and judgmental. Many students complain about the school not being accepting towards certain subjects, obviously forgetting that it is a CHRISTIAN university and not a public university. Do not expect to get any outside speakers that are not pastors, APU is very sheltered and close-minded. I look forward to transferring so I can actually get into a decent medical school because APU is not as good as they claim to be and are actually lower in rank than my local cal state college at home. Please do yourself a favor and do not go to APU there are better places to go for your money that would be more beneficial to your future and overall enjoyment of college.

2nd Year Male -- Class 2017

Perceived Campus Safety: A+, Education Quality: F