Admissions

Make sure you sign up for one of the new student outdoor retreats at the beginning of your first year. Although I was unable to attend one I have heard from many people it was one of their greatest experiences that year. It gives you a chance to meet a handful of new students like yourself, as well as several older students, before you even start school.
I would also advise that students make use of the great camping equipment available for rental, were so close to Joshua Tree National Park it would be criminal not to go!

Like I said, whatever questions you may have, ask, and I guarantee that the staff or students here are more than happy to help you. I would say do a little research about the university. I was glad to hear that the professors actually help you find internship opportunities especially since I am a Business major. Visiting the college also gave me a better idea and “feel” of how the campus environment would be like for me. It also helped me decide which college to choose as well. If you know anybody that attends at the University of Redlands, take the time to either meet up with them to ask about their perspective or just give them an e-mail. This will definitely make it very helpful to see if you could imagine yourself being a potential Bulldog here at University of Redlands.

- Get to know your College advisor, once you are accepted they will call you around once a month to help get you ready for college until around July, when they will hand you off to your Orientation mentor (an upperclassman that applied and went through training to help you through your first few months!)

- Make sure to read through the housing opportunities. In addition to the normal communities, there are 'themed' communities open to Freshmen as well. Some of these include the Wellness, Catalyst, and Environmentally Conscious communities.

-Don't let the price get to you, they offer a lot of financial aid and if you are eligible for work study they will make sure you get ten hours of work a week.

- -DEFINITELY- get involved with Outdoor programs. It's a program on campus that offers cheap outdoor workshops and adventures. These can go from backpacking to rockclimbing, beach bumming, and more. I personally didn't do a First Year Journey, but those are run by the same people that run Outdoor Programs.

-This isn't a place you'd want to bike around. San Bernardino nearby gets a lot of crime, and you don't really want to be off campus alone if you are a young female. Driving and shopping at stores is perfectly safe, you just want to be smart and not walk alone down non busy streets.

Make sure you read the UR notes that you receive by e-mail. They keep you tapped into what is going on in campus. I would also recommend that the new incoming students try to get themselves involved in many clubs and organizations in order to meet the older students.

Be careful not to become over involved. There is something for everyone and if you can't find something, you can always start clubs with friends.

Like most colleges, try to purchase your textbooks on ebay or through other online resources. Roommate draw is just a matter of luck, otherwise you can pay a bit more for a single. If you have a car, you'll find being on campus more bearable since Redlands is small and limited as a town with a few good restaurants and fewer entertainment options (dance clubs, bars, etc.). There's a shuttle to take you around Redlands for free, use it! Take advantage of the OP (Outdoor Program) Trips

Attend one of the informational sessions and ask any questions you may have. Most times you also have the opportunity to sit in on classes to see what the program will be like.

If you're looking for small class sizes, great financial-aid packages, and a great all-around place, Redlands is for you!
Here at the U of R, we have a 12 student to 1 professor ratio. That's a small class size! Small class sizes allow students to have a name in the class, and builds good relationships with professors so that they can help you do your best and succeed!
Also at Redlands, if you weren't aware about 90% of our entire campus receives financial-aid from the school itself or government funding of some sort. That's one of the perks of going to a private liberal arts college: more money to help fund a great education!
Aside from class sizes and financial-aid packages, Redlands is just awesome in general. Everyone here is so friendly! All your professors sincerely care about you, they want you to succeed! There are nothing but smiles exchanged from student to student all day, everyday!

If planning to attend, I would highly recommend living on campus for the first year. If you will not be living on campus like I did, I would strongly suggest getting involved in clubs and spending a lot of time on campus.

The school is not as academically challenging to get into as an Ivy League college, but the school is looking for students with open minds, positive attitudes and a desire to participate in community service, as well as firm discipline towards hard work and academic honesty.