Housing

I've been trying to keep track of the questions that students and families ask me most often, so that I can share them with you here on my blog. One of the most frequent questions I get is about HOUSING. My main piece of advice is that when you visit a university ask if you can see a typical dorm room (it's usually part of the campus tour). I stress the word typical, because while a university may have gorgeous suites for their upperclassmen, you also want to see what your living environment will be like freshman year. Ask about what you can and can't have in the dorm room (televisions, refrigerators/microwaves, lofts, pets, etc.), and what kind of amenities the buildings have (lounges, kitchens, computer labs, laundry rooms). While I don't think you should make a college decision solely based on which school has the fanciest dorms, it is important to consider where you'll be living 24/7 for the next few years. I'd say as long as a dorm is comfortable, clean, and fairly up-to-date you're all set!

Here's a little more about Residential Life at Valpo--

• -Valpo currently has 9 residence halls and 2 apartment complexes for our students.
• -Students live on campus Freshman-Junior years, and have the option of moving off campus for their Senior year.
• -Freshmen CAN choose their roommate, if they'd like. If you have a friend from high school, church, or camp that's planning to attend Valpo as well, just request each other as roommates on your Housing & Tuition Deposit Form. In addition, housing is not finalized until later in the summer (after Valpo's June orientation, FOCUS), so if you meet someone at FOCUS you have the option of requesting them as your roommate as well.
• -Free 75-channel cable TV in all dorms!
• -Each residence hall has student lounges (used for studying, group meetings, or just relaxing and watching movies!) and laundry facilities.

To see photos and floor plans of Valpo dorms, as well as more Housing info, check out the Residential Life website here.

Well that's it for today... as always, good luck with the college search!

-Laura@Valpo