<p>I posted my message below in the College Search forum and got a couple responses. Hope it's OK if I also post here too in hopes of getting more replies.</p>
<p>I happened across GVSU while searching for schools with low OOS tuition. Living on the east coast, I have never even heard of the school. Would like to learn more such as:</p>
<p>-Is this a commuter/suitcase school or is there a lively on campus community?
-How much of a pain is it to shuttle back and forth between campuses? My DD would be a nursing major and that school is located on the Grand Rapids campus. Would she feel detached from the school if most of her classes were not on the main campus?
-My DD wants a school with lots of school spirit at football games and such. Does GVSU fit the bill?
-I've read the campus is attractive. True?
-What is the surrounding area like?
-What is the rep. in terms of partying/substance abuse?
-Most important question: Why is the 4-yr graduation rate so very low at 19%? Is there a problem getting classes or are many students not serious?</p>
<p>The only thing I know about Grand Valley State is that they have a FABULOUS trumpet performance studio with trumpet players that routinely win or place in the National Trumpet Competition.</p>
<p>GVSU is the third most selective college in Michigan after UofM and Michigan State (and I would say after Michigan Tech which is predominantly an engineering school). Shuttling to the downtown campus from Allendale is not that difficult, alittle slow during rush hour, but otherwise pretty much a “straight shot” and the bus is free for students. GVSU has a very, very good football team with lots of supporters and have been NCAA Div II national champs at least 5 times in the last decade. The campus is newer and built in the late 60’s and it is very attractive. The downtown campus is on the Grand River and is also very, very new with walkways, patios and bridges along the river. The public museum and Ford Library are next door neighbors to the college. Grand Rapids is a very vibrant, hip city with a strong urban living/working/commercial environment and the full array of big city stuff like Opera, broadway shows, Symphonies a very strong “art scene” and is by far one of the nicest big cities in Michigan these days. Allendale and Grand Rapids are about a half hour drive from the Lake Michigan beaches. Michigan State just moved their medical campus to GR and the Van Andel Heart Center is relatively new. Grand Rapids has what they call the medical mile which would be great for a future nursing student. Allendale is more rural and the campus is pretty much self-contained. Hiking, camping, etc. within a half hour. Skiing within 2 hours. The pictures pretty accurately represent what it looks like. GVSU does not have the same reputation as Michigan State or Western in terms of partiers. I can’t address the grad rate but I"ll ask my friend who is a prof. I’ve also heard that GVSU is fairly generous with aid, but Michigan is in bad shape so I don’t know what the future holds in that regard. It’s a great bargain and is a nice way for an east coast person to enjoy the best of the midwest outside of Chicago. Chicago is about a 2.5 hour drive. Ann Arbor also about 2.5 hours. Lansing (Michigan State) is about 1.5 hour drive.</p>
<p>Thumper I didn’t know that about trumpet, that’s very interesting. I know they have a strong dance program. Perhaps the arts are strong because of Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and Interlochen.</p>
I’m not sure about that. My next door neighbor was accepted to Grand Valley but wait listed at Central and Western and turned down at Oakland Uniersity.</p>
<p>It is a very pretty campus though. It has a lot of school spirit unless you’re comparing to MSU or Umich.</p>
<p>3bm that is surprising. Collegeboard has the GVSU ACT as 21-26, Central at 20-24 and Western at 20-25. GVSU is reporting their average 2009 entering freshman GPA as 3.53 with average ACT of 24. Central is reporting a 22 average ACT, and a 3.28 while Western is reporting a 3.23 with a 22 average. I think GVSU as been on the upswing for two or three years with the new downtown campus, etc. GVSU has been talking much about increasing students and student yield and student caliber which might be what is driving up the numbers. Regardless I think your next door neighbor is at the better school of othe three frankly so maybe it’s all well that ends well. I don’t know that much about Oakland, my kids get “stuff” from them at college time, but it’s not as well known outside of the metro Detroit area.</p>
<p>Parent100: you might also look at University of Northern Colorado for your D. They have nursing, football team, skiing nearby, and a good scholarship deal for OOS students over a certain grade point. My D attended there as an OOS. </p>
<p>My cousin’s two kids graduated from Grand Valley and both like it. (Michigan instate.)</p>
<p>One last thought, Michigan State used to be a shoe-in for a 3.5 with a 25 ACT and that is getting tougher and tougher. I think GVSU is becoming a go-to school as an alternative for Michigan State. The costs are lower, it has a great campus and school spirit and Grand Rapids at over 700,000 people in the urban area excluding the lakeshore is a substantial city for students to “play in” compared to K’zoo or Mt. Pleasant. I dunno, it’s an interesting university to watch “grow” all things considered.</p>
<p>Thanks very much everyone for your replies, especially momofthreeboys for all the interesting details. Sounds like this could be a great fit for my DD if I can get a satisfactory answer from the school regarding the troublingly low graduation rate.</p>
<p>Check out the 5 and 6 year graduation rates too if you can. I know that at Michigan State they clearly tell the students that it takes at least 4 1/2 years to graduate for engineering so a lot depends on what you are taking.</p>
<p>Parent100, OK, the 52% is a 6 year graduation rate. 5 year looks to be 43% but most of the data I’m finding is from the 2001 cohort. It will be interesting for you to see why and what the rate is for full-time students and if the 15% reflects part-time degree seeking students.</p>
<p>GVSU is <em>the</em> hot school in our area of MI these days. The students I know who go there love it. The dorms in the Honors College are amazing, from what I hear.</p>
<p>MO3B: I agree that Grand Valley is an excellent school. My son also looked at it. Mine got into both Grand Valley and Oakland University and chose OU because it was closer to home. Some kids don’t want to go that far. Yes, I know three hours isn’t that bad.</p>
<p>Most kids I know who couldn’t get into MSU chose Western. I think they considered it closer to the same. From our high school, most kids went to MSU, then UMich, then Western and Central, then GVU and OU. We are really lucky to have so many choices in MI.</p>
<p>There are a lot of great schools quite close to one another in that neck of the woods. GVSU (I enjoy their public radio station when I visit MI…great jazz programming), Hope College in Holland (where my D attends), Kalamazoo all have great reputations. </p>
<p>If you head out that way I suggest visiting a few of the schools.</p>
<p>As a high school senior in Michigan, base off the recent years I’ve ob served most students attend: University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Western Michigan University ( all three which were high on the validectorians list).
Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Grand Valley is popular, just not as the three. Ofcourse one school may have higher student stats, but you also have to factor in the teaching, courses etc…</p>