Timelines

A lot of students have been coming through over the last couple months who have been scrambling to take care of application and admissions requirements at the last second, so today’s topic is…

Stuff to keep in mind when considering an application to Grand Valley.

The smartest thing to do first is probably check us out online. If you’re reading this, the chances are good that you’ve already done that, so the next step is to visit campus. There are lots of options for visiting the campus, but the standard choice is just a tour of the Allendale campus. We give tours at 10:00AM, 12:00PM, and 3:00PM during the week close to year round, and on non-holiday weekends during the school year. We also offer appointments with admissions counselors (not academic advisors), as well as group visits called “previews.” Keep an eye out for our Student Visitation Days during the school year, which are larger group experiences.

If you’ve decided that Grand Valley could be the place for you the next step is to apply for admission. We accept both paper and online applications, with no particular preference for either. There is a $30 nonrefundable application fee, and students have to be finished with their Junior year to apply. If students apply for admission and submit their ACT/SAT and GPA information before December 31 during their Senior year, it is possible that they could qualify for a few scholarships offered through our office. Once students are accepted, we suggest that they apply for housing quickly, because the different styles of living centers are first-come-first-serve. There is also a $150 application fee for housing, but this one is 100% refundable up until May 1, and if students apply for housing before March 1 they’re guaranteed a spot on campus (both dates apply to the student’s Senior year). May 1 is also the deadline for scheduling Freshmen Orientation, which has a $75 fee attached to it (also refundable before May 1) and is essentially the equivalent of a student’s commitment to GVSU (although you can still cancel later).

Personally, I suggest that students visit at the end of their Junior year, over the Summer, or very early in their Senior year, so they have the information they need to meet the deadlines. And always remember that sooner is defiantly better than later for college. If you want to schedule a visit you can call our office at (616) 331-2025 or 1-800-748-0246. If you have any questions about this information feel free to call us at those numbers or post your questions here.

At this point though I wanted to ask any readers what they’re concerned about. I’ve listed quite a lot of things to think about up here, but is any of it unclear, or perhaps do any of the parents or prospective students reading this have questions I haven’t addressed? Don’t hesitate at all to post those.

-Kyle