Summer Tips for Juniors

Congratulations to my high school seniors, most of whom have made the final college decision this past week! I wish you all happiness and success this upcoming fall, and am thrilled that I'll be running into many of you on Valpo's campus come August!

As summertime is quickly approaching, I'd like to transition over to some tips and reminders for all of my juniors (Class of 2011). I know going to college still seems pretty far away, but it's never too early to begin planning. Here are a few things to keep in mind over the summer:

• PLAN YOUR ACT/SAT TEST DATES: A lot of students wait until their senior year to take these tests; however, I encourage you to start signing up as soon as possible. This will give you time over the summer and into the fall to test multiple times, if you’d like to. (Remember, some schools, including Valpo, will look at your highest score, so it can only help you!)


• PLAN YOUR COLLEGE VISITS: Summer is a great time to start visiting schools. Even though classes aren’t in session and few students will be on campus, take advantage of your free time to visit a variety of universities. If you’d like to plan a visit here to Valpo, just let me know.


• START THINKING ABOUT YOUR APPLICATION: In your free time over the summer, it’s not a bad idea to start thinking about the various aspects of your college applications—including references, resumes, and essays. Ask professors, coaches, or mentors for references with plenty of advance notice. Start putting together a resume, or “brag sheet,” that lists your various involvements and accomplishments. Finally, begin writing and editing preliminary drafts of your essay. Since these things take time and careful planning, it’s never too early to start!


• START SAVING FOR YOUR EDUCATION: This summer is a great time to start putting away money from your part-time job to help cover expenses associated with college, like books, travel, and spending money.

I hope these tips are helpful at this beginning stage of your college search process. If there's anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Keep up the great work!

-Laura@Valpo

Earth Week at Valpo

In this post I'm taking a break from my normal college search tips to share with you some exciting events happening at Valpo this upcoming week--

Next Monday, April 19th, kicks off Earth week here at Valpo! Academic departments and student organizations, as well as Valpo's Subcommittee on Campus Environmental Sustainability, have planned a variety of activities on campus to educate the community on ways to be more environmentally friendly.

The events start on Monday with a lecture by John Albrecht, senior sustainability director from the Chicago firm Nelson Architecture & Engineering Services, describing his work on various sustainable architecture and design projects around the nation.

The schedule for Tuesday includes a "Taste of Waste" presentation by student environmental advocacy organization, Earthtones. Earthtones members will sort through the remnants on students' cafeteria trays outside the Founders Table, and give information on how students can utilize the reusable options available in campus dining facilities to cut down on waste.

On Wednesday Dr. Young Choi will discuss the results of a recent survey he conducted of woodland and plant vegetation at our own local Taltree Arboretum and Gardens. Dr. Choi's talk will also focus on the value and importance of native plant species, and the challenges that exotic and invasive plant species present to our local ecosystem.

Earthtones members will present again on Thursday, this time giving information on recycling during their "Garbology" session. President of Earthtones, Sarah Tucker, said that, "The first Garbology [last year] was well received by the campus community. We had a representative from Able Disposal who clarified exactly what was and was not recyclable before it was thrown away. Many of the passing students were unaware of the sheer amount of material that is recyclable."

These activities are a great way for students and community members to get more involved in integrating environmental sustainability into their everyday lives. They also fit in nicely with the university's efforts in constructing LEED certified buildings on campus, including the Harre Union and Christopher Center Library (both LEED Silver-standard buildings), and the latest endeavor, the Donald V. Fites Engineering Innovation Center, planned to earn LEED Gold-standard status.

I hope everyone has a peaceful and happy Earth Day on the 22nd, and that your local community has some exciting events planned as well! If you'd like to learn more about Valpo's environmental sustainability efforts, or have questions about the university in general, just let me know! As always, keep up the great work with your college search!

-Laura@Valpo