Nondescript summer post

Summertime is moving slowly forward, and we’re not terribly busy here in admissions, at least not just yet (things usually pick up once high school break starts). There really aren’t any major events approaching this summer, but we still have some important activities going on or starting up soon. Orientation is going to continue through August, we’ll have the office open for tours and appointments all summer long, and we’ll have previews every day starting in late June. One thing that might slow down, however, may be larger group visits. In most cases, these groups are organized through high schools, so they usually diminish during the summer (but they won't not stop altogether).

Speaking of which, I’ve given tours for some of these groups lately, and a pretty common question they’ve been asking is “how’s the food?” Well, it’s great, but I didn’t really want to write about dining again just yet. Another frequent question is “why did you choose Grand Valley?” There’s several reasons to attend GVSU, but mine are kind of odd. It’s not so much what made me decide to come here, but what has made me satisfied, and kept me from transferring out. I didn’t do a particularly good job of researching colleges before attending, I only made a small handful of official visits. This was kind of a mistake; I didn’t really let myself know what was out there, and what was available. I didn’t know what I wanted to major in, and thought that I had to know that to choose a college (you don’t). As a result, I didn’t take to the college search with much enthusiasm, but I wound up getting very lucky in selecting Grand Valley. I know that I made the right choice, mostly due to my academic experience. So far, the time learning in and out of the classroom has been my favorite and the most notable experience, on account of the focus on the student; small class sizes and attention from the faculty have meant a lot to me. One feature that I overlook a lot is the fact that classes here are only taught by faculty, not teaching assistants, which I love (not that I have anything against TA’s).

Again, Grand Valley was the right choice for me, but I’m not suggesting that it’s the best college for everyone. What I am suggesting is that any of the readers here who happen to be starting their senior year should learn from my mistakes, and start visiting any college their thinking about (though we would certainly love it if you started with a tour here). This summer or early this fall is a great time to do so, because it will most likely leave you with enough time to take everything in and make the best possible choice for yourself. Don’t get me wrong, we would love for all of you guys to be students here (hence why I’m suggesting you start your college tours here), but I will still say that it’s important for a student to see all of the options they have.

Let me know if you’ve got questions,
-Kyle