Originally Posted by IUHoosiergirl88
Obviously I didn't go to Valpo, but I know a decent amount about the school.
-As a freshman you do take what's called the "Valpo Core" in both the fall and the spring--it's basically the equivalent of a freshman seminar.
-VU is lutheran. You also are required to take 2 full-semester theology courses, so if that's not appealing to your D...might be better to know that now. They're not strictly Bible focused (I know a friend took one on Islam), but that's still not appealing to some students.
-VU is small, only 4500 students including graduate+law. Subsequently, classes are also small and rarely, if ever, taught by grad students.
-65% of students come from Indiana or Illinois, so she should be outgoing enough to find friends that may already have established friend groups.
-Dorms are meh, from what I've seen. Sororities live in Scheele Hall, along with other upperclass women.
-Very welcoming campus, small to medium greek life
-Sports...SEC they are not. Valpo basketball can be OK, their claim to fame is the Bryce Drew sweet 16 shot.
In terms of the surrounding area, Valpo is the more white-collar area of the area colloquially known as 'The Region.' There's a cute little historic downtown with restaurants about a mile from campus, and campus is within walking (although I personally would drive) distance of a shopping area with Target, Kohls, Best Buy, Starbucks, Noodles & Co, etc.. There's more shopping out in Hobart/Merrillville, but you'll definitely need a car to get there. Hobart/Merrillville is more truly 'Region,' but as long as she stays in the US 30 corridor, she'll be fine. Getting to O'Hare or Midway should be pretty easy--she can either get a ride up to the South Shore commuter line into Chicago and navigate Chicago public transportation into either airport, or she can catch a coach bus to either airport for roughly $30 leaving from some of the neighboring towns.
ETA: I forgot to mention the weather. Having grown up here, winters can be BRUTAL. Assume you'll need a winter coat from late October through at least March, usually into April. The weather doesn't truly break until late April, early May. Lots of snow and cold since Valpo is not far from Lake Michigan. It's something she'll get used to, but the first winter might be a really rough transition
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