Valparaiso University
Reviews

Dorms

The campus is extremely small. The dorms are decent and all are an equal distance from the Union. They're clean. Alumni, Lankenau, and Brandt are typically freshman, sophomores, and some juniors. Most upperclassmen live in Memorial/Guild or the Uptown East apartments, which are still considered on campus and have RAs. Uptown is very expensive and farther from the Union.

Experience

My experience here at Valpo has been awesome! All the guys on the soccer team are my best friends and I always have a great time with them. It also seems that everyone else on campus is pretty nice for the most part too. I have made a lot of new friends in all my classes to and the classes all seem to be fun most of the time. The only down side for me is my roommate who basically just sits around and plays video games all day. It doesn't effect me too much besides making our room smell bad quite often. Besides that I love it here and would definitely come here if I had to decide all over again.

Not Crazy

There is definitely alcohol on the campus as well as in the frat houses, but it's pretty well hidden to the outside. The frats are very cautious about making sure everyone is inside and in a safe place. Policy enforcement has gotten better over the years (so I've heard) THey can and will arrest but you usually have to be pretty messed up to get pulled over. Drugs aren't a big thing - marijuana is the most common, but I feel that will be everywhere.

Girls Girls Girls

almost every girl is just out for the looks, there are not that many good looking girls on campus, the ones that are not even that good looking think they are drop dead gorgous. Alot of them have mommy and daddy pay for everything so alot of them are stuck up. And if you try holding the door open for one of them about 1/3 will say thank your or smile, the rest will just keep on walking or talking on their cell phone.

A Variety of Dorms

The freshman dorms aren't the greatest, but it is very easy to make friends there. The Resident Assistants do a great job with social programs so you can meet new people. There are three options for the upperclassmen. You can either live in a building that has recently been updated or one of the oldest buildings on campus. Both are good in their own way, and it is whatever you prefer. There are also campus owned apartments right off of campus and they are extremely nice. You can have your own room and bathroom.

Transportation Not an Issue

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Convenience-

There is always a bus going around that you can call for a ride, and it is still free.

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Cost-

The most popular mode of transportation is personal car which many students have. If you do not have one personally, just make friends with someone who does. Not a big deal. The cost will be for your own gas.

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Need for Campus-

Little need for transportation because we are not a big campus.

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Local-

They have buses that will go to the nearby Target and other destinations if you need to do shopping. This comes in handy during the winter months.

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Long Distance-

On weekends they have a bus that goes to Chicago which is pretty cool, but I don't know how much it costs. I would assume that it is reasonable for college students. Other than that you have train options both Metra and Amtrak. I have used these trains to go to both Chicago as well as MSU, and it's fantastic.

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Spirit Lacking. Talent Lacking

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Student Involvement In Sports-

Our basketball games are pretty well attended, but all of our sports are a joke and everyone knows it.

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Team Performance-

Reliably terrible

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Fan Support-

Well you will find people more supportive than I, but overall the support is little.

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School Spirit-

Ask any student how our school song goes and I guarantee you they won't know it... unless they were a part of freshmen orientation where they lie to you about things such as School Spirit.

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Athletic Facilities-

For non-sports people there is a new workout facility that is completely free AND it isn't half bad (not great though). +0.52 for Valpo. For athletes I have no idea what you get. It's better than what I get. That's all I know.

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Don't come here for the athletics, and I don't just mean for people in the stands. Potential athletes beware. We really aren't a good place for you to be if you want to go somewhere with your sport.

Downtown Valpo

Within walking distance of campus, downtown Valpo has coffee shops that allow student musicians to make appearances and other great dining location for students. Beyond downtown, there isn't much more for students.

Cars Are Nice, but Not Necessary

First of all, freshman are not allowed to have cars unless they live more than 500 miles away. Everything is fairly close to campus and I survived my freshman year without a car. Now, they have a city bus that will take students to Walmart and Target for shopping.

A parking permit costs $100 which I thought was high until I found out some of my friends at other schools pay $300-600. There is a good number of parking spaces on campus, but it is only close to the dorms. It is hard to park close to the Union or the Athletic Recreation Center. However, everything on campus is walkable so there is no need for a car.

Good Options, but I Don't Eat Off Campus

There are plenty of options off campus that are located fairly close. Jimmy John's, Subway, Dominos, Culvers, and Dairy Queen are located within 5 minutes of campus. Dominos even offers 1/2 priced Fridays! There are plenty of other restaurants located throughout town, but some/most require a car or long walk to get to.

AVERAGE

If you want a nightlife you can find a nightlife. Enough said.

LIGHTEN UP!

I feel that they take their job WAY too seriously. Honestly just let us have some fun once in a while. There isn't a huge threat, and they keep us safe, but it's a little obnoxious.

Go Here for the People.

The people are what make Valparaiso a good school. It's a dry campus, and that can be a big inconvenience and lead to some trouble for the party seeking crowd, but if you look and aren't dumb about it you can steer clear of any trouble. The university is a 'walking campus' so you're supposed to walk everywhere, but that's made difficult by paths that lead to nowhere and take you in roundabout ways to get to where you want to go. I highly recommend Greek life on campus, it allows you to meet a lot of new people and get involved with things on campus. Required classes such as 'CORE' and 'Theo 200' are a severe pain, but once you get into the classes that suit you, the teachers are knowledgeable and nice and will accommodate to your needs (for the most part).

Hard to Live Off Campus Prior to Senior Year.

Apartments and rentable houses can be found pretty close to campus, within the same range as Greek housing. I cant speak for the affordability of these housing options or how nice they are. Greek life is the best way to live off campus prior to Senior year.

Some Labs Are Not up to Date

While most of the computers and labs are up to date, there are others that still run very slow and are still in 2003. It is more difficult to do homework when some computers do not have the software or software that is up to date.

Drinking Accepted, Drugs Must Be Hidden

Drinking is pretty widely accepted even though it is a dry campus. It is visible and anyone can access it. Drugs are very much frowned upon as a whole and is very subtle when it takes place

A Lot of More Wealthy White Students, but Definitely Economic and Racial Diversity

Most of the students are white that have at least a middle level of income because tuition is high. But the university makes lots of scholarships available to everyone and of course admits people based on grades and not because of skin color.

Valpo Is a "Walking" Campus

Valpo has tried to become a more pedestrian friendly campus as of late. That, in turn, makes having a vehicle somewhat difficult. Parking around buildings for classes is limited. Most parking is a little bit of a walk from classes. Parking lots are typically taken over during sporting events by fans. There is only one parking garage, but there are plans for more in the future.

Diversity Is a Goal of Valpo.

Valpo has pushed diversity for a long time. There is a wide variety of students from different countries and religions. Valpo is very open to all different types of people.

Off Campus Housing Isn't the Greatest

The off campus housing near the campus is fairly old. There are some new apartments on the North side of the campus, but other than those, most decent housing requires driving to school.

A Nice Town :)

Cool cafes that I should visit more often before I graduate (Blackbird, etc.) Good fast food places somewhat nearby (Jimmy John's, Subway, Pizza places). There are also a few nice sit-down restaurants.

Really Strict

This school is strict about all of its policies. That cant be stressed enough.

Drugs easy enough to obtain

There is a fair amount of drug use but you won't see it unless you're going out to look for the drugs or alcohol. If you're looking, they're easy enough to obtain. Valpo is uptight, so it's easy to get caught. Most people drink more than anything.

Freshmen Can't Drive

Unless you live over 500 miles away or have an off-campus job, freshmen can't drive, but there isn't much need for a car on our campus. You can walk to Wal-mart or Target if needed, and you can always take the V-line, which is a bus service into town. There is a parking garage on campus, and I believe a permit costs $100 a year.

It's Pretty Average

I think Valpo has a great mix of every kind of person. Most people wear jeans and t-shirts, but it's not strange to see people dressed up or dressed down. I'd say we're a pretty average-looking campus, too.