Pensacola Christian College

Academics: PCC is an excellent preparation for law school. Their curriculum is very strong on the basics; it's not Ivy League quality or difficulty, but it is still very sound. I was well prepared for law school. PCC's non-accredited status does NOT hurt your chances of getting into a good law school. It just doesn't help them. Law schools will put more empahsis on your LSAT score since they don't know anything about PCC. If you do well on the LSAT (relative to the school's statistics that you wish to attend), law schools won't care about PCC as long as your GPA is good. I know a number of graduates who have been accepted to numerous top 25 law schools and received scholarships to these schools as well. For example, my friend was told by the admissions office at University of Southern Cal (#18) that the undergrad had to be accredited. My friend applied anyway, got accepted, and was offered a partial scholarship. So just look at the school's median to 75th % LSAT score. If your score is in the range, PCC's not being accrdited will not affect you. Once you're in law school, your ability to get a job will be based on your law GPA. Once again, going to PCC won't hurt you in interviewing, but it probably won't help you either. However, the strong writing skills and basic understanding of a variety of subjects that you learned at PCC may improve your law school GPA.SOCIAL LIFE: Unless you were raised in a VERY sheltered home, the rules will seem unreasonably strict. So you might as well spend your time studying. Make sure you understand what you're getting into before you go there. If it's too strict for you, there is no point in being miserable. Alot of this can depend upon the friends you choose and the roommates/floorleaders you are stuck with. If you can handle the rules, the low cost and good education is a benefit. But don't fool yourself into thinking the rules "aren't that bad." They are. Just decide before you go whether you can follow their standards for four years.

3rd Year Male -- Class 2002

Perceived Campus Safety: A+, Social Life: F

My experience at PCC sucked big time, for various reasons. Mostly, it was the fault of the deans and administration. Our military isn't as strict at PCC.

You can read all these positive notes from people who say "there will always be rules", and "the world is tough, too". C'mon!!! PCC borders on dictatorship, because they go way overboard with their authority. Their education isn't bad, but the student life is so restricted and discouraging, that you have to be really numb (or just plain stupid) not to be affected by the way you're treated there. I got treated better in high school, and I'm not lying.

Two good places on the Internet to visit are The Student Voice (pensacolachristiancollege.com) and PCCBoard (pccboard.com) You will get a real sense for what PCC is like from those places, so I encourage you to visit them. Note: PCCBoard.com is more strict about language and stuff than the Student Voice, so take it easy if you choose to answer any of their topics. Finally, if you are considering enrolling there, or know someone who is, tell them about this site and the two sites listed above before they make any firm commitments. You'll be doing them a big favor.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000

Yes, I went to school here. I won't harp on rules. My father made me come to PCC to keep me out of trouble ( his rules were just as demanding )and to please him, I stayed and graduated. However, this isn't an endorsement for the school. All I can comment is about what I was after the experience. I left this institution drained physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. I had no idea who I was or should be. Working there as an adult was more oppressive than attending school. Give me a break - college students of this age are about as responsible as junkyard dogs. I have to say it tethered me enough to responsibility so that I could hear God speaking through the cares of this world. But that was God's grace not PCC's. I worked there day in and day out with no appreciation and even with no friendliness with other coworkers. The majority were backbiting, vicious, power-hungry people whose main goal in life is to get ahead by stepping on others. For three years, I battled with Depression, Anorexia, and downright despair for feeling I wasn't productive at all in this world - not for helping others, not even working diligently to please God. After spiritual analyzation, there are reasonable justifications for students complaining about legalism and control issues - they are imposed harshly on the faculty/staff! Everyone there now lives in a constant state of tension unless you have become successful at repressing your emotions, soul, and personality ( which is what you would need to block out treating other fellow CHRISTIANS LIKE DIRT!). If you are saved, we are all going to be in heaven together someday as equal worshippers of CHRIST - no more, no, no less. God likes no one who steals HIS GLORY and treats HIS children wrongly. Thus HE deals harshly with those who do.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000