Azusa Pacific University

Date: May 08 2010
Major: Business - Management and Administration (This Major's Salary over time)
Some advice to students who are weighing a Christian school like APU vs. a non-Christian school:

1. The main value in APU lies in its religion classes. It is entirely different studying the Bible academically than going to an informal Bible study or Sunday School. It is true that your faith can be shaken by theology professors, but also that you learn a whole new way to look at the Bible. Theology classes really grow you up in your faith.

2. APU would be considered a more "liberal" Christian school, in that a wide range of Christian beliefs are tolerated. Professors, while required to be Christians, run the gamut in their personal philosophies. One may believe in female pastors, another thinks the Bible teaches against it, you get the idea. This is not true of some other Christian schools, like Biola, where they take a more unanimous conservative line. APU, since it is non-denominational, will not push a single denomination's theological interpretations on you - they encourage you to find your own beliefs. If you choose a Christian school, consider the theological stance of school very carefully.

3. As a Christian that grew up in public schools, I would go to APU again solely for the experience of going to a Christian school, but not for the reason you'd think. In public school, you are used to being the only real Christian there - it's like you grow up in your faith pushing against a huge boulder of the secular world. Then you go to a Christian school, and the boulder is gone. You're not the only Christian any more, and it's a shock. You're not different, or special for being Christian. And in fact, you look around and realize that this world you idealized is not so great. People are still human, and there are tons of bad, hypocritical Christians around you. You meet some good, legit people, and watch a lot of superficial people give lip-service to the faith. This is a crisis, and through the four years there you have to learn that Christianity is not about Christians, it's about GOD. Going to a Christian school is a different sort of trial, and if you stick it out, you come out with a faith that is hardened and strengthened - your faith is in God, and not wrapped up in the other Christians around you. Now, if you have grown up going to Christian schools, this may not be new to you - you've probably figure all of this out already. And maybe it'd be better for you to go to a public school and start honing your ability to push against the boulder, and live for your beliefs in a non-Christian setting. So if you choose to go to a Christian school (or any school populated by humans), expect to see hypocritical people, and know that it's not a bad thing. In fact, it is part of your learning experience. You'll find a few like-minded people - you'll learn to separate the legit Christians from the fakes - and you'll learn something about yourself in the process.

4. This may be an unpopular topic, but another thing to consider in your decision between Christian vs. Non-Christian colleges is your likelihood to find a Christian spouse. I'm not saying that you are going to college to get married, but I am saying that, from experience, this is the time when you begin dating as an adult, and the possibility of marriage is actually there. For Christians, it is VERY HARD to find a Christian spouse in the "real world" after college. Available Christian people who happen to make you laugh don't come around that often in the world of work. So going to a Christian school increases the chances that the people you date just might end up being people you could marry.

5. Seriously consider the location of your college or university, and think about whether you want to live there FOREVER. A lot of people consider their college choice to be a temporary thing, but over and over I've watched students graduate and get full-time jobs near their school. Often faculty will have nearby connections, and get you that internship your junior year, and surprise they offer you a full-time job after graduation, and you end up dating someone nearby, and there you are, putting down roots in the city where your school is. Four years is a long time, and there is a very good chance that you will stay there once you've started making a life there, so consider whether the location is one where you want to be. If your family is on the East Coast, seriously consider whether you want to be putting down roots in Southern California, because that is what you will be doing by going to APU. Likewise, if your family lives on the West Coast, and you're comparing APU to an East Coast school, consider whether the location of APU makes it more desirable.

Summary - APU is a good school. It is respected academically, and provides a solid education. It run by Christians who are trying their best to run it according to how God wants it, but it is not perfect. The experience is definitely what you make of it. You need to manage your expectations and weigh what you are looking for in a school. Most of all, consider where you are at in your faith, and determine if the spiritual, academic, and social challenge of a Christian university is what you need to mature and take your faith to the next level.