Information For High School Guidance Counselors

Overview of our Holistic Review Process

At Pepperdine University, we utilize a holistic review process when making admission decisions. While academic achievement is weighed heavily, the Admission Committee also strongly considers a variety of other factors. An applicant’s academic performance makes up the majority of our decision, which is based on a student’s unweighted high school GPA calculated from the beginning of 9th grade to the end of 11th grade and demonstrated course rigor in the context of their school. Please note that Pepperdine is test optional furthermore for both admission and scholarship considerations.

The Office of Admission will superscore both the SAT and the ACT, meaning we will combine the highest section scores from each test date to create the highest total composite score per test. It is therefore to the student’s advantage to send our office the results from each time you took the test. If a student chooses to apply with test scores, these can be submitted through the self-reported test form on the student’s application portal or sent directly from the testing agency. If a student decides to not send their test scores, there will be no penalty for them.

The remaining portion of the admission decision is based on a student’s extracurricular activities, letter of recommendation, leadership roles, and response to our essay prompts. We value an applicant’s achievements outside of the classroom and a sustained commitment to school and community activities. The content of a student’s essays, in addition to demonstrating writing fluency, conveys to us the applicant’s creativity, uniqueness, character, and intellectual vitality. We look for strong leadership qualities, intellectual and spiritual curiosity, as well as a student's potential to make a significant, positive contribution to the Pepperdine community. All of these elements contribute to the outcome of the admission decision.

Pepperdine University is a member of The Common Application, which is due along with your supplemental materials no later than November 1st for Early Decision I and Early Action Applicants, or no later than January 15 for Early Decision II and Regular Decision Applicants. Additionally, the admission process requires an official high school transcript and one academic letter of recommendation. The letter of recommendation should be submitted by a teacher who has observed the student’s performance in a core academic course and can attest to their character inside the classroom. We encourage students to ask someone who truly knows them, and has witnessed their successful academic progression.

First-Year Applicant Requirements

Common Application

Please be aware that there are multiple steps to complete your Pepperdine application via the Common Application.
$70 Application Fee (Non-Refundable)
Common App Personal Essay
Pepperdine Essay Question
In addition to the Common App Personal Essay, applicants are required to submit a written response via the Common App to the following Pepperdine question:
- Pepperdine is a Christian university where all are welcomed and encouraged to challenge each other in the pursuit of truth. Students, faculty, and staff members from all backgrounds participate in conversations of faith inside and outside of the classroom. Considering that Pepperdine is a Christian university, why are you interested in attending and how would you contribute to conversations of faith on campus? (300-500 words)
- It is important to note that Pepperdine welcomes students from all faith backgrounds. Knowing that Pepperdine is a Christian university and that we have built an environment for students to dialogue about faith, we want to know why you are interested in being a part of this campus community.

Official High School Transcripts

Transcript Submission

Official transcripts must be sent directly from the school through the electronic services of Parchment, National Student Clearinghouse, or SCOIR. If your student is sending a transcript via SCOIR, please have them request that their transcripts be sent to the undergraduate Pepperdine University account at admission-seaver@pepperdine.edu.
Otherwise, if they are submitting via Parchment, please have them request that their transcript be sent to the Pepperdine University Seaver Undergraduate account at admission@pepperdine.edu. If they will submit via National Student Clearinghouse (NSC), please have them request that their transcripts be sent specifically to the Pepperdine University undergraduate admissions account within the NSC platform.
Official transcripts may also be sent in the mail (signed and sealed) to:
Pepperdine University
Office of Admission – Seaver College
24255 Pacific Coast Hwy
Malibu, CA 90263-4392

Academic Recommendation

The Academic Letter of Recommendation must be from a core subject (math, science, English, history, foreign language, religion) teacher or counselor who is familiar with the applicant's academic standing.
Include your Common Application ID on all documents you submit. This will assist in the accurate and timely processing of your application file.

Ways to Submit Academic Letter of Recommendation

Option A: Pepperdine Recommendation Form
You can use this form to submit a request for your recommender to complete your recommendation.
Option B: Common Application Recommendation Form
Once in the Common Application, select "My Colleges" in the left-hand menu, and then "Assign Recommenders." Enter the required information for the form. Please note: you will need your recommender's name, position title, email address, and work phone number to complete the form. Your recommender will then be contacted and invited to submit your recommendation through the Common Application system. If your school official has already submitted your recommendation via the Common Application, please do not send additional hard copies as this will delay our ability to process your application file. Instead, please verify that these items were submitted on the School Forms tab in the Common Application system. Please see the video walkthrough for more information.
Option C: Scoir
You can submit a request for your recommender to complete your recommendation through Scoir.

Please note that in order for Pepperdine to receive your recommendation, you must correctly assign your school official(s) to your Pepperdine application. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all required materials for the admission application file are received by the Office of Admission by the applicable deadline in order to be considered by the Admission Committee.

SAT I, ACT, and CLT Test Scores (Optional)

Pepperdine is test optional, and students will receive the same consideration for admission regardless of whether they submit test scores. However, please note that SAT/ACT/CLT scores are required in order to be considered for the Regents Scholars Program scholarships. Please visit the FAQs page for more information.

Test Optional FAQs

If you choose to submit test scores, you have the option to submit scores through your Common Application, an official score report from the testing agency, or the form in your Pepperdine Application Portal. If test scores are self-reported at the time of application, official test scores will be required upon enrollment at Pepperdine. Please note that we do not accept test scores sent by email or through your school.
Fall applicants must take the SAT I, ACT, or CLT by October in order to meet the November 1 early action/early decision deadline or by December in order to meet the January 15 application deadline. The optional ACT writing test and SAT writing/essay section are neither required nor recommended. The optional ACT science section is not required, but it is recommended for nursing applicants.

Admission Interview (Optional)

First-year students applying for fall have the option to sign up for an admission interview as part of the application evaluation process. Visit the Admission Interviews webpage for additional interview information and FAQs.

Requesting Information for Your School

If you wish to request information for your school, please e-mail admission@pepperdine.edu. In the body of the e-mail please include:

Your name
School
School Address
Phone Number
and the quantity and type of information that you are requesting.

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