A Call to Action

Dear President Doti,

Today, I was looking over U.S. News Edition's list of the Top 200 colleges in the world. Harvard University was at the top, with an 100% approval ranking. Being a little biased, I decided to look through the list and see where Chapman University fell. Chapman's tuition is only $248 less than Harvard's. So if we cost as much as Harvard, we should be right up there with them, right?

So you can see why I was absolutely stunned to discover that our school was not even on the top 200. How is this possible? Aren't we currently boasting that we have Nobel laureates coming to research and teach at our school? That we have a brand new dorm, cafeteria, and sports complex to draw new students in? Isn't our film school supposedly one of the best in the country?


Actually, I will confess that I was not too surprised. Chapman is NOT Harvard quality. And it wouldn't be fair to compare it to Harvard, seeing that we do not have its 350 year old history. We also do not have the endowment that Harvard has, which is what causes the increase in Chapman tuition.

However, the one thought that keeps me up at night is this: if Chapman University is not the quality of an Ivy League school, why am I paying for one?

President Doti, I don't hate Chapman. I love the beautiful campus, my public relations and advertising major, the small classes, and all of the friends I've made here. But do these minute factors add up to $36,764? I do not think so. And after having almost half of my financial aid taken away from me this year, you can see why I am harboring a certain bitterness towards your institution.

As much as we can try to deny it, Chapman will never be the Harvard of the west coast. But let's try to figure out ways to make it worth our while. Because during this time of economic crisis and the job market being at an all-time low, is a $36,764 tuition going to be the answer to my prayers?

Sincerely,
Kara Rutkin
aka "The Picky Panther"