A campus visit can tell you much more than a brochure...

Visiting a college campus is very important. A visit can tell you a lot about the people, the location and the overall environment. Whether you are a high school sophomore, junior or senior, a campus visit will play a big role in your college selection. Yes, while the beautiful pictures on the websites and shiny brochures are attractive, they don't tell you everything you need to know about a college or university. Flashy statistics, high rankings, famous alumni, and the other information in resources such as US News & World Report can be impressive, but other parts such as the location, the classes, the professors, the students are really what make the community at each college/university. Don't go by word of mouth, reputation or the name of the school alone.

Sophomores: It's never too early to start visiting campus. If you are unsure of what you'd like to major in or where you even want to go to school, a campus visit can help you discover what types of schools you like and don't like and the qualities you are looking for in a college.

Juniors: This is a great year to visit campuses. This will help you figure out which schools you really want to apply to your senior year and not feel overwhelmed by your senior schedule and the whole application process.

Seniors: If you haven't already visited the schools you've been admitted to, you will want to do so soon. May 1st is just around the corner and you will want to make an educated decision you are comfortable with. If you've already visited, but maybe you're between 2-3 schools still, sometimes a second or third campus visit will help make that final decision. Often times seniors will come back to campus for a second or third visit to stay overnight. This allows you to experience what it's like to be a real Valpo student or X, Y or Z University student. Attend a class, speak with a professor or meet with a coach - get all your questions answered and experience that college/university beyond an open house visit day, college fair meeting, and the many fancy brochures out there.

So, step away from the computer and get your nose out of all those college brochures/magazines and step foot onto campus - explore the many college opportunities out there.

Valpo Receptions in your home town...

What is a Valparaiso University Area Reception?

Every year Valpo typically hosts two types of area receptions: 1 in late summer/early fall for prospective high school seniors and 1 in the spring for the admitted h.s. seniors. The receptions typically consist of food, mingling and sometimes brief information presentations.

What is the purpose of these receptions?

The purpose is to bring a little bit of Valpo to high school students and give them a more personal introduction to Valpo with the help of current Valpo students, alumni, and deans/faculty. This type of visit goes beyond the college fair and high school visit where a "grab-and-go" method is practiced and minimal questions are asked and answered due to limited time and availability. A reception brings all the people, experiences and words seen in our brochures and on our website to life for high school students and their parents. Words and pictures only give you so much information - the people and the experiences are what make it real.

My Indianapolis reception...

I have hosted several receptions for high school students in the Indianapolis area and they have become more popular and highly attended every year. This spring (March 1) I decided to try a new location: Kincaid's in Carmel, IN - just north of Indianapolis. The reception consisted of lunch, mingling with a few current Valpo students and Valpo alumni, and a chance to ask questions about student life at Valpo, the FAFSA, visiting campus, FOCUS (frosh orientation), etc. I had 18 admitted students and their parents attend and everyone seemed to really enjoy it. The location, the restaurant, the service, and reception itself all went extremely well. I hope we can start a tradition of Valpo receptions at Kincaid's.

My Michigan reception...

Michigan was a new territory for me last year. I hosted my most successful admitted student reception thus far in Grand Rapids, MI last spring. The bar was set pretty high last year when all 5 admitted students who attended the lunch decided to deposit and enroll at Valpo. My next admitted student luncheon reception is Saturday, March 14, 2009 in Grand Rapids, MI at Macaroni Grill.

My favorite...

Area receptions are my favorite! I enjoy watching families (essentially strangers) connect with each other and seeing their eyes light up when listening to an alum's story about why they chose Valpo. Overall they are simply fun and informative.