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Grand Valley State University
- Inside Scoop

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Inside Scoop

Quick Stats

School Slang
  • The 37/The 48: The Rapid bus that serves students living in the off-campus apartment complexes surrounding the Allendale campus
  • The 50: The Rapid (Grand Rapids public bus service) that serves Grand Valley students commuting between the Pew and Allendale campuses
  • C-Store: "C3" lobby shops, or convenience stores, throughout campus
  • Fresh: Fresh Food Company, a dining hall on campus
  • Kirkhof: The Kirkhof Center, the hub of all things Grand Valley, located in the heart of the Allendale Campus
  • Laker: Anyone who attends GV
  • Little Mac/Lil' Mac: The bridge that traverses a large ravine running through the middle of the Allendale campus
  • Mack/Mak: Mackinaw Hall
  • Michigan/Ontario/Huron/Superior: Shortened names of classroom buildings named after the Michigan Great Lakes
  • SOC: Student Organization Center located downstairs in Kirkhof Center
  • UBS: University Bookstore, located in Kirkhof Center
Things I Wish I Knew Before Coming To School
  • Being politely persistent will help you get what you want when dealing with University departments or individuals.
  • Buying a printer isn't necessary because printing in the computer lab is free.
  • Debit Dollars cannot be used at the University Bookstore.
  • Snow days are very rare.
  • The Rapid’s Route 50 has roughly a dozen stops along Lake Michigan Drive between the Pew and Allendale campuses.
  • The University Bookstore's website has a system that allows students to see which books they will need for their classes.
  • Very little is open on campus during academic breaks.
Tips to Succeed
  • Bring an abundance of layers for winter.
  • Contact your roommate before moving in so you don’t end up with two of everything.
  • Join student organizations.
  • Pay close attention to financial aid and tuition deadlines.
  • Ration your Debit Dollars throughout the semester.
  • Register for classes with good professors (ratemyprofessors.com).
  • Take electives.
  • Triple-check credits you plan to transfer.
See how you stack up against students who were accepted to this school . . .And calculate your chances!Register to get started

Grand Valley State Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Inside Scoop at Grand Valley State University

AliJacobs1989

English Language Studies '13

4.6
A

Ride the Rapid

GV has an amazing bus system set up with the Grand Rapids public transportation. It's completely free for GV students to ride on ANY Rapid bus and the choices of routes are endless. The most popular route is from PEW campus to Allendale. In the regular school year buses come every 7 minutes to take students back and forth. I love it!

May 10, 2012

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Inside Scoop at Grand Valley State University

ajnest

Biomedical Sciences and Molecular Medicine '15

5.0
A+

Grand Valley Is Great

The best part about GVSU is that it is student focused so if you ever need help GVSU can hook you up with so many option from ms3 to free tutoring and tons of office hours from your Profs.

Feb 21, 2012

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Inside Scoop at Grand Valley State University

JMel

Communications '12

5.0
A+

Easy Going

Everyone is friendly and willing to give you a smile when you say hello. There is a sense of belonging even when you don't know any of the people you are with.

Jan 30, 2012

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User rating for Grand Valley State University - Inside Scoop is 4.6 out of 5 based on 19 user reviews.

Facts

Traditions
  • Battle of the Valleys: Competition with Saginaw Valley State University to see which school can raise the most money for a local charity
  • Blackout Football Game: Usually the first football game of the season where all the students are told to wear black clothing
  • Homecoming: Homecoming at GVSU is a week-long event with games and competitions for the student body. The week culminates in a football game.
  • Presidents' Ball: A dinner and dance, roughly related to prom
Urban Legends
  • Allegedly, the traditional residence halls were once a prison.
  • The ghost of someone who committed suicide is said to haunt the ravine under the “Little Mac” bridge.
  • Tunnels supposedly connect all the buildings on campus.

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Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Audrey Rosenau
Hometown
Rochester Hills, MI
Major
Hospitality and Tourism

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
For additional information we encourage you to visit school websites or contact the schools directly.