Why I Chose Pepperdine

A couple of days ago I was in a meeting with the Dean, Associate Dean, and several student leaders talking about the school’s strategy for 2015. In discussing different aspects of marketing, I realized I never wrote in my blog about why I decided to come to Pepperdine. I might have mentioned bits and pieces, but I could not recall writing specifically about that.

As cheesy and as ironic as it seems I knew I wanted to come to Pepperdine. I liked the school and the program before I even had my first thought about getting an MBA. Five years ago, one of our friends was going through the JD/MBA program at Pepperdine so he would always tell us stories about the school. He was not thrilled with the work required by the JD program, but he kept raving about the b-school: small classes, very diverse student body, personal attention from administration and faculty, and industry-experienced faculty. All those things sounded great to me! Our friend is also a very gifted storyteller, so by the end of his 4 years of JD/MBA I felt like I had been through the program and I was on a first-name basis with everyone there. So when the time came to pick a school, I just knew I wanted to go to Pepperdine.

Then I got in contact with the recruitment office and received quick and personal, not cut and paste, responses from the Executive Director himself! The first time I received a message from Paul, I was very pleasantly surprised. I liked the personal attention and the tailored responses. And then there came the time for the interview. Like any other aspiring MBA student I did my research on what a b-school admissions interview entailed, bought a new suit – not before shocking the ladies at Ann Taylor by disregarding the b-school law that says you have to buy a black suit – and when the day came, I was admittedly nervous. I met with Kathy Holland, who welcomed me with a big smile and explained that the interview is more like a chat to see if I am a good fit for the school and if the school is a good fit for me. Is she joking, I remember thinking. Where is the business scenario question? Or other ridiculous questions about how I am going to change the world? It did cross my mind for a second that maybe she was just trying to trick me. But no, she was being serious! The interview was more of a conversation about finding common grounds and making sure that the program was exactly what I was looking for. And it was!

Fast-forward almost two years, my opinion about the program has not changed a bit. I still like the small classes because it allows me to get to know my classmates and the professors and it makes for a very dynamic and rich class experience. I like the applied learning and occasionally frustrating group projects because it constantly challenges me to find new ways to solve problems. I also like the easy access to our industry-experienced faculty. Their door is always open for advice and sometimes projects that students can get involved with. Oh and the campus is just gorgeous! That is the true perk of the program. Although I never thought that I would ever say these words, I love my commute! Taking the Malibu Canyon every day and seeing the low marine layers in the morning sometimes creates the most unbelievable colors. It is the best commute ever! It would make for National Geographic pictures if only I wasn’t driving. And then there is Bambi’s family - our campus deer - and Mr. Fox that decide to occasionally say hi on my way to class.


But let’s not digress. As much as I love this program, it is not for everyone. Whenever a prospective student asks me if they should choose Pepperdine, I always say that it depends what they are looking for. It is not a cop-out, it’s the truth! There are plenty of people that want to be in a big program, they want to get in, get the info and get out without being part of a community. Or maybe they want to be in a cutthroat environment. And that’s perfectly fine! Different people have different needs. And if that is the case, then those people would hate Pepperdine. The MBA program at Pepperdine is definitely an experience and the paper at the end is just the byproduct.