Ashleigh
Biola University is a perfect pick for someone like myself. Coming from a small town, I was really looking for a place that fostered solid relationships and close ties within the campus, and Biola provides just that for every student. From floor retreats to campus led activities, Biola encourages a strong and close-knit community. Despite our lack of a football team, Biola still presents school spirit with fun activities such as Nationball, Midnight Madness, and the support of all collegiate sporting events.
Biola is located in La Mirada, California, which is a small town just south of downtown Los Angeles and north of Disneyland and two hours away from San Diego. This particular location is prime for college-age students, for they never run out of things to keep them entertained, but do not let the entertainment surroundings fool you; Biola University is known for its sound academics, especially in Biblical Studies.
One of my most favorite aspects of Biola is the close relation each student has with their professor. With the average of each class coming out to around 17 people, one-on-one relations with a professor is a daily occurrence. Not only do the professors believe in each student, but they also aid each one heavily in the job search by sharing information about numerous job opportunities throughout the year.
Shonette
I love Biola. Everyone gets along for the most part and no, it's not too big but because of that, it has become a bit overcrowded. It is a school that has the size of just right with almost too many people. I am on campus a lot...when I'm not at home. I try to stay on campus as much as possible during the week to get homework done and work for other things I participate in.
Matthew
Biola University has an excellent dorm/resident life on campus. There is little to no violations of the school code that take place and through my dorm, I've met a variety of nice guys that have helped me get adjusted to college life. The campus/meal plan program is in desperate need of improvement, as the dining times are not fit for a university campus, and compared to other colleges, it's hardly ever open! However, the actually size of the campus and number of students enrolled seems like a good fit. People usually haven't heard of Biola, or I have to go a little deeper in explaining it to them. I spend most of my free time in my dorm, talking with floor mates, studying, or sleeping! The biggest recent controversy, would probably be about whether or not our Jesus mural does justice to what he actually looked like historically. There is definitely a lot of school pride at Biola, however, and attendance to soccer, basketball, and baseball games is a must.
Amy
Biola University is an amazing school for many reasons. The student body is unique in the sense that almost everyone at this school absolutely loves it. When you go on a school tour, people who you've never met will walk by and encourage you to "Come to Biola!" The professors also take a personal interest in their students, and it is so nice to be able to email or set up a time to meet with any professor during their office hours. The campus is beautiful, and although it is smaller, it doesn't feel cramped. There is also the perfect amount of students. I believe our undergraduate count is something like 5000 at the moment, and it is awesome to see familiar faces around campus after a while without feeling like you know everyone. One of my favorite things about Biola are the chapels. There is a requirement of 30 chapels, but there are so many awesome opportunities to go and there is also the option of doing "make-up" chapels that getting to 30 is hardly an issue. I also love sporting events. As a member of the volleyball team, I may be a little biased in this regard, but I absolutely love attending sporting events. The student body goes crazy, especially at men's basketball games, and it is such a fun time. La Mirada, the city in which Biola is located, is a small and relatively quiet town. However, just minutes away are cities like LA, Long Beach, and Huntington Beach. Who wouldn't want to attend an awesome college with the beach and big cities just a short drive away? The weather is beautiful, and the campus definitely has a "southern California" feel to it. The cafeteria, or the "caf" as students call it, is catered by Bon Appetit and there are so many options. Although it's hard not to miss home-cooked meals, there is always something good in the caf. Biola is also unique in that the student body loves the president of the school. Dr. Barry Corey, or DBC as the students lovingly call him, is a wonderful man whose passion for Biola is apparent. All in all, Biola is a great school, not only for academics, but for an all-around awesome college experience.
Adrienne
Overall, I would say my school is AMAZING!! Coming into my freshman year, the school didn't quite fulfill my expectation; it far exceeded them! Everyone is so nice here and there are so many ways for students to get involved. There is a a fairly large amount of school spirit. Everyone is proud to be a Biola Eagle. We have spirit-filled events, like dorm competitions, basketball games and so many more.
Biola University is located in sunny Southern California in the small town of La Mirada. It's a pretty quiet town, but we're just minutes away from plenty of fun things to do. The beach is 15 minutes away. Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm are only about 15 minutes away. L.A. is about 20 to 30 minutes away. So it's pretty easy to find something fun to do near campus.
The professors are also amazing. Most of the class sizes are pretty small, so you have a larger opportunity to get to know your professors on a one-to-one basis. All of them are so invested in their student's academics and overall well-being.
My school is the best. I could go one and one...
Michelle
Biola University is truly a one of a kind school. I cannot express how much I love being a student here. The best thing about my school is the community. The faculty truly want to help you succeed not only while you are a student but want to prepare you for the rest of your life. If I ever need any help or want any advice there are hundreds of faculty members that would sit down with me and really listen and help me out no matter what questions I have. I have also made some of the best friends who have the same goals in life as I do and love doing the same things i like to do. Biola has about 6,000 students including the grad program and it is the perfect size! Its small enough so that teachers have time for each and every student but big enough to where you don't know everyone. We are also big enough to have really awesome sports teams and have such great school pride and spirit in our athletics.
Biola is also located in one of the best places! It is right outside of Los Angeles so I have been able to go to so many concerts, plays, and even be on some TV shows! Also, Disneyland is about 15min south of Biola and so tons of my friends have passes or just hang in Downtown Disney on weekends. Angels stadium, Staples Center and Honda center are also so close and I have been to games and concerts at all three of those places. The beach is also just 15min away as well for surfing and late night bonfires. There is so much to do and it is all so conveniently close.
Jacob
My experience at Biola University has been everything I wanted from a college when I was first looking at my options in high school. The relatively small size of Biola really gives students a chance to really get involved in the community of the school, and to feel like they belong. The best thing about Biola hands down is the community. Ask a current student, and this will probably be their answer. Biola is the perfect size where you can know a lot of people and recognize a lot of faces, but not too small so that it feels restricting. The area around the campus would not be considered a college town per say, but there are many things in neighboring cities that Biola students frequent and Los Angeles is only a half an hour drive away with endless possibilities for college students to explore. Biola is a rapidly growing university, so a frequent student complaint might be that there are too many students and not enough resources/dorms/spaces to study on campus. Biola is unique in that students are required to take 30 units of Bible classes, which amounts to 10 classes over the course of earning a degree, but generally students really enjoy taking these classes. Another requirement that sets Biola apart from other schools are the 30 chapel attendance requirement that students must complete each semester. These requirements set Biola apart but also help to bring students together and foster the community of Biola. Overall, Biola lives up to its name as a private Christian college in Southern California by providing students a solid education in a Southern Californian environment.
Jacob
My experience at Biola University has been everything I wanted from a college when I was first looking at my options in high school. The relatively small size of Biola really gives students a chance to really get involved in the community of the school, and to feel like they belong. The best thing about Biola hands down is the community. Ask a current student, and this will probably be their answer. Biola is the perfect size where you can know a lot of people and recognize a lot of faces, but not too small so that it feels restricting. The area around the campus would not be considered a college town per say, but there are many things in neighboring cities that Biola students frequent and Los Angeles is only a half an hour drive away with endless possibilities for college students to explore. Biola is a rapidly growing university, so a frequent student complaint might be that there are too many students and not enough resources/dorms/spaces to study on campus. Biola is unique in that students are required to take 30 units of Bible classes, which amounts to 10 classes over the course of earning a degree, but generally students really enjoy taking these classes. Another requirement that sets Biola apart from other schools are the 30 chapel attendance requirement that students must complete each semester. These requirements set Biola apart but also help to bring students together and foster the community of Biola. Overall, Biola lives up to its name as a private Christian college in Southern California by providing students a solid education in a Southern Californian environment.
Julia
The tight-knit community is the best part of Biola. Students genuinely care about each other and in many cases, they go out of their way to connect with people and form lasting friendships. The school is pretty small, but that just gives you more opportunities to get to know everyone better. People who don't go to Biola have a lot of respect for it and highly esteem its reputation. On Campus, I spend a lot of time in the dorm lobbies doing homework, cooking, or talking to people. La Mirada is by no means a college town. It is very family oriented because it is next to Disney Land and Knott's Berry Farm. A lot of people like to get season passes to the theme parks and hang out there on the weekends. Personally, I prefer going to the beach and surfing. The school administration is very approachable, easy to contact, and extremely helpful. I have never gotten the run round here. All information is direct and easily available. The school president friends students on facebook. The greatest recent controversy was over chapel attendance. The rules have gotten more strict and the penalties heavier for not complying with the requirement, but chapel is so awesome. Why would anyone not want to go? Biola is bursting with school pride. Nation Ball and Midnight Madness are two of the best events to observe just how much school pride Biola has. Students most frequently complain about open hours in the dorms. The opposite sex is only allowed in your dorm room with the door or window opened every Wednesday and Friday evenings from 6-11, and Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 2-11. This helps students focus on God and their studies, not just who they think will be their future spouse. Nation Ball is definitely something I will never forget. It is a university-wide dodgeball game among the dorms. It is epic. The thing that is most unique about Biola is that the faculty and students really do care about each other and help one another out in any way possible. I know that I am safe here and have friends and professors I could call at any time of day or night for help or advice.
Abbey
I have not been disappointed with Biola. I love the people, the opportunities to excel, the education, the professors and most of all the lifelong friends I have made. One of my favorite things is the way God and the gospel infiltrate everything from journalism class to staff meeting to chapel. God is present on our campus, and many people evidently love and serve him.