GVSU International Admissions

International Student Club Dinner

2012-02-10T12:11:00.001-08:00

The third installment of the monthly International Student Club dinner at The Connection is set for Sunday, February 12, 5-8 p.m.

Foods from the country of Myanmar, including Burmese chicken, potato curry, vegetable soup and jasmine rice, will be featured. The student host will be Mya Thida, from Myanmar, who enrolled in Grand Valley in January.

The campus community is invited to the dinner; charge is $6.99 for those not using a meal plan. The first dinner was held in December; January’s meal featured foods from the People’s Republic of the Congo.

International Dinner

2012-01-20T17:11:00.000-08:00

Members of the International Student Club hosted a dinner this week at The Connection that featured salmon and other authentic foods.

The event, started as a grassroots effort by club members who wanted to see more global items on menus.

Here are some pictures of the event!

Did you know there are 317 international students at Grand Valley?! To be part of this number check out www.gvsu.edu!

International Event!

2012-01-13T12:37:00.000-08:00

Press Release from www.gvsu.edu/gvnow

Second international food night set for Connection

Posted on January 13, 2012

"Following a successful debut event in December, the International Student Club will host a second event Sunday, January 15, at The Connection.

Sunday's dinner will feature food from the People's Republic of the Congo. It will be prepared by Campus Dining chef Aaron Johnson under the watchful eye of two students from that country: brother and sister Francis and Alexia Mangala.

On the menu will be rice and chicken with peanut butter sauce and plantains, among other items. There is a charge for dinner for those who do not use a meal plan. The event will run from 5-8 p.m. and include dancing from the African Student Council.

The Mangala siblings are the nephew and niece of Jacques Mangala, director of the African and African American Studies Program and associate professor of political science."

This is just one of the many events that happen at GVSU. We have over 350 student organizations, many of them are culture groups (such as the International Student Club) and put events like this one on throughout the year.

Keep checking in to find out more about Grand Valley!

Have a safe and exciting weekend.

-Austin

If you would like to be part of all the great things happening at Grand Valley State University, please visit http://gvsu.edu/admissions/international/, email us at global@gvsu.edu, or look us up on Facebook under 'GVSU International' for more information!

Welcome Back!

2012-01-09T15:52:00.000-08:00

It is the start of a brand new semester! Everyone is relaxed and refreshed from the winter break, and classes are back in session! There are so many exciting new updates here at Grand Valley make sure to check out our homepage (www.gvsu.edu) for all the new and exciting installments! For those of you that are interested in Grand Valley as a prospective school to attend, make sure to check out our international admissions page at https://secure.gvsu.edu/admissions/international/index.cfm? . Check out our Facebook page for more updates type in GVSU International in the Facebook search bar, the profile picture is of a red brick building, our student services building!

Keep posted for new updates twice a week from your inside view of GVSU!

Austin

Year End

2011-12-15T14:41:00.000-08:00

From GVSU Flickr

Dear All,

This will be my last post for the year. This semester has been a great one; There has been so much activity, excitement and growth here at Grand Valley, I always find it hard to leave for vacation. I will be back next semester to share some more exciting things happening here at Grand Valley.

One last little bit of sharing before I take my leave:

If you are bored over the holiday and need a good book to read, check out
:http://gvsu.edu/gvnow/index.htm?articleId=95CAA90F-E65E-B59D-2BE529BACDB36866
It is an entire book list that the GVSU community has put together. There is something on there for EVERYONE :)

Have a safe and wonderful end of December and seasons greetings to all from Grand Valley! See you all next year!!

Austin

GVSU Mobile App

2011-12-12T06:41:00.000-08:00

Images captured from www.gvsu.edu

Good Morning!

It's Monday, the start of exam week, the last week of being in class! Then, we are off for about three weeks of winter vacation. There are so many exciting things happening this week, with book buy backs at the bookstore, classes ending, vacation planning and late night study groups, the campus is a buzz with excitement.

One tool I want to focus on today is the GVSU Mobile App. The press release on the GVSU website (www.gvsu.edu) is as follows:

December 7, 2011

As the fall semester comes to a close, students will be able to access their finals grades and view their class schedule for next semester on an iPhone or Android.

The myGV mobile application, a free app launched earlier this semester, provides campus news, class schedules, grades, housing assignments, and account balances and transactions.

The framework to get started on the app was provided by SunGard, a software and information technology company that specializes in higher education. A team of staff members from Grand Valley’s Information Technology department designed and developed the features and functions of the app.

“We’ve noticed a demand for something like this for a while,” said Brian Snyder, web programmer in the IT department. “We want to provide an easy and convenient way for the campus community to retrieve campus information and personal account information from myBanner.”

Snyder said an updated version of the app will be released by the end of December, and new features for faculty members will include class lists, students enrolled in each class and meal plan balances.

The app is available on the Android and iPhone; more than 600 copies of the app have been downloaded. To log-in to the app, select “Sign In,” then enter a G-number and Personal Identification Number (PIN).

Students in Grand Valley’s Mobile Applications and Services Lab in the School of Computing and Information Systems developed the Laker Mobile app, a free app that features news, maps, multimedia content and a directory.

This is a great tool I just downloaded on my smartphone, and will be using it to check my final grades while I am in Texas on my winter vacation. What a great app to utilize!!! Wishing all of you a fantastic Monday!!!!

-Austin

International Events

2011-12-07T12:51:00.001-08:00

Check out this article online about an international event on campus

International Student Club to host dinner at Connection

Posted on December 06, 2011

Members of the International Student Club will host a dinner this week at The Connection that will feature salmon, something not often found on menus at Campus Dining locations.

The event, scheduled for Thursday, December 8, from 5-8 p.m., started as a grassroots effort by club members who wanted to see more global items on menus.

“Most international students don’t eat pork, for example,” said Mohamed Azuz, club member and a computer and information systems major. “We asked for a meeting with Campus Dining to see if there was something they could do.”

Campus Dining embraced the idea, said chef Aaron Johnson. “They asked for more foods from their ethnic backgrounds,” Johnson said. “I’m always up for different flavors.”

There are 317 international students at Grand Valley. The majority live near The Connection in Laker Village apartments or Murray Living Center.

Johnson said the choice of salmon came from the students. “It’s interesting because salmon is a northern hemisphere fish, but they were just excited to have fish,” Johnson said. Beginning in the winter semester, Campus Dining and the International Student Club will host an ethnic night monthly at The Connection.

Students, faculty and staff members are invited to Thursday’s event. Cost for people without a dining plan is $10.99, a meal-plus four for those with dining plans. The menu includes salmon with a tomato pesto, wild rice pilaf and broccoli rabe.

Kate Stoetzner, director of international students and scholar services for the Padnos International Center, said she was “proud of the club’s collaborative effort.”

-end-

To be part of these activities and more, or to learn more about Grand Valley State University, visit: www.gvsu.edu

The Semester is Coming to a Close

2011-12-05T06:34:00.001-08:00

Picture taken from GVSU Flickr

With only two more weeks left of the semester, things here at Grand Valley are getting a little busy. Students trying to finish those last minute projects, study for the final and trying to sneak in sleep and eating is a normal occurrence across every college and University. Luckily here at Grand Valley, there are 5 services/facilities I am going to explain, that will ease the stress of exams.
1. Recreation Center
One big way to relieve stress is to work out. By working out, your body releases endorphins. Endorphins help to release stress and improve your mood. The best part is that the rec center here at GVSU is free of charge! Why not improve your stress, and mood for free!?

2. Writing Center
On campus there is a walk-in help center for papers and essays. You can make an appointment online or simply walk-in and the people there will help you; they can check your citations, grammar, vocabulary, pretty much anything. The best part is that this is free as well! It never hurts to get extra help the only thing it can do is help!

3. Tutoring Center
It may be a little late, but there is a tutoring center that services 100, 200 and some 300 level classes. You can get a tutor that will help you one on one for free. Usually students take advantage of this earlier in the semester, but if you need it, it is in student services building on the second floor.
4. Math & Stats Lab
For any student in a math or statistics class, they can receive help at the Math Lab in Mackinaw Hall. There is always a faculty member as well as upper level students to help anyone one on one. This also is free of charge.
5. Counseling Center
Located on the second floor of student services there is also a personal counseling center. Students can receive help, confidentially for anxiety, depression, stress and others. Students can also attend seminars in time management, stress management and others as well that the counseling center puts on as well.

As you might have noticed, there is a common theme… all of these are FREE OF CHARGE FOR STUDENTS! Take advantage of these and your exam week will be stress free (at least less stressful!)

Cheers
-Austin

GVSU Mourns Loss of Important Community Member

2011-11-29T20:17:00.001-08:00

Picture taken from www.gvsu.edu

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.- Grand Valley State University is mourning the loss of Frederik G. H. Meijer, former chairman of the supermarket chain Meijer, and a strong supporter of not only Grand Valley, but also the West Michigan area.

From an interview with President Thomas J. Hass, he said that “As a university community we deeply regret the loss of Fred Meijer. Mr. Meijer’s generosity, from the beginning of Grand Valley’s history, has been critical to our success and has helped make us the university that we are today. Our hearts are with the Meijer family.”
He passed away early morning on November 25, 2011 in Grand Rapids, MI. Other than his supermarket chain, Meijer also established the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, and the Honors college at Grand Valley is named in his honor as well.

I am Thankful

2011-11-21T06:26:00.001-08:00

Thursday I have a date with a group that I only see together once a year: turkey, cranberries, green bean casserole, dinner rolls, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing and pumpkin pie. It is officially Thanksgiving; a day celebrating a feast in 1621 between the pilgrims and the Wampanoag Native American Indians.

The story of thanksgiving really begins with the Pilgrims who came from Great Britain to the "New World" of what is now American. The winter had been harsh on the colony of Pilgrims and they had lost about half their colony. Without the help of the Native Americans they would might have all died. Traditionally the Native Americans celebrated the end of the harvest with food and drink,and as the story goes, they invited the new pilgrims to celebrate the harvest of the year. The feast included all from the crops that they had grown throughout the year, many of which we still eat today.

But now, thanksgiving is a time for everyone to reflect on the things we truly are thankful for. Personally I am thankful for my family, my friends, the experiences in life that have helped to to grow and mature as a person and for the opportunities I have had such as to go to a great high school and an amazing college.

What are you thankful for? Comment below!

Austin

Geography

2011-11-15T18:46:00.001-08:00

Image Via Google

Little did I know, this week is Geography Awareness Week, and in my weather (science with a lab) class, we had a map quiz. What a coincidence. Apparently I don't know my geography very well. I do know all the easy things, like countries, continents and oceans. But we had to map mountain ranges, plateaus, and rivers that I have never heard of. I realized how small my "world" is, and how little I know about the entire world around me. I love to meet new people from different places and share their culture with them. I believe that the more you can learn of other cultures the better. If everyone understood and had respect for other people and their cultures, racism and prejudice would be nonexistent. Here at Grand Valley, I know I can speak for everyone here that we would love for everyone from everywhere to come to school here and share your experiences, your culture and your tradition with us.

Experiences like these are one reason I want to study abroad and travel the world. They always say "the world you live in is only as big as you make it." I want to travel to every continent, become fluent in at least 4 languages, and become familiar with customs and traditions of cultures around the world. At Grand Valley, there are hundreds of international students from around the world. GVSU also has offices that promote inclusion and diversity: Office of Multi-cultural Affairs, and Padnos International Center are just two examples. Then there are a lot of student organizations as well such as African Student Counsel, Asian Student Union, Latino Student Union and many more. Being able to connect with someone from the same background as you is also another great way to meet people on campus and share your culture with everyone else.

1928 American Poet Maya Angelou once said:

"We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.

Amen Maya!

Until next time,

Austin

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!

2011-11-11T13:56:00.001-08:00

Picture taken from GVSU Flickr

The first snow of the season fell last night, and it was beautiful. When snow envelopes the campus in a white blanket and the snow swirls around campus in little whirlwinds, it appears as if you are walking through a life size snow globe. There are a lot of fun events that happen across West Michigan when the snow begins to fall! Here are the 2 things I love to do in winter:

1. Ice Skating at Rosa Parks Circle

Right down town Grand Rapids is Rosa Parks Circle, a location for outdoor events and concerts. In the winter they freeze it over and its free ice skating all day until the snow melts. Perfect to bring that special someone on a date! Check out the press coverage of it last year http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2011/01/ice_skating_rink_re-opens_at_g.html

2. Ski Bowl in Grand Haven

When people think of Grand Haven they think of the beach; since Grand Haven has the best beaches in Michigan (I am slightly biased since it is my home town). However a small gem that a lot of people don’t know about is the ski bowl. It is a small (six slopes) but much closer and cheaper than the larger ski resorts. They have snowboard and ski rental as well, and located right downtown Grand Haven, it’s a great place to ski, and then go down town for some piping hot chocolate at the COFFEE GROUNDS or JUMPIN JAVA the two main coffee shops.

http://mulliganshollow.com/slopeinfo.html

As winter progresses I will continue to post fun things to do during the winter months!

Cheers!

Austin

Battle of the Valleys

2011-11-07T07:37:00.000-08:00

An awesome tradition here at Grand Valley is "Battle of the Valleys", a competition between Grand Valley and Saginaw Valley State University. Each school picks a charity to raise money for, and then they compete to get the most money. The week ends with a football game as well. This year, GVSU has picked the Make a Wish Foundation. "The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich their human experience through hope, strength, and joy." SVSU is currently wining the 'donation' part 5-3... so the Lakers are going to step it up this year and win! Over the past 8 years GVSU has raised over $121,000 for various charities. To learn more about this awesome event: http://www.gvsu.edu/battleofthevalleys/.

Major Fair

2011-11-02T14:50:00.001-07:00

One main concern of incoming college students is “WHAT IS MY MAJOR GOING TO BE?” and then comes “WHAT WILL I DO WITH THIS MAJOR?” as well. Well don’t fear, because the Major Fair is here! The Career Counseling Center of GVSU hosts a Major Fair fall and winter semester. The largest major of the freshman class is not really a major, its undecided students, or as well call them here at Grand Valley, Pre-Majors.

This event is for students who are either undecided, want to change their major or learn about other areas of study that Grand Valley Offers. It provides the opportunity for students too meet with faculty, advisors and alumni from different majors and areas of study.
Check out the career counseling center to learn more about this event and other services here:http://www.gvsu.edu/sasc/undecided/
Until Next Time!
-Austin
If you would like to be part of all the great things happening at Grand Valley State University, please visit http://gvsu.edu/admissions/international/, email us at global@gvsu.edu, or look us up on Facebook under 'GVSU International' for more information!

Cuba: A Brief Retrospective

2011-11-01T10:14:00.000-07:00

My name is Tomás, a current Grand Valley student and a first generation Cuban-American from Miami, Florida. I originally came to Michigan on a whim about four years ago, in pursuit of my own experiences and opportunities.

The entirety of my family emigrated from Cuba to the United States after the Communist Revolution of 1959--my mother's side in the early 1960s, and my father's side in the mid-to-late 1970s. They sought a life outside of the broken promises held by the false ideals of the revolution, and as such, found refuge alongside the growing Cuban migrants that had supplanted themselves 90 miles from the coast of their former homeland.

I was born into this exiled community during a time when the Cold War was coming to a thaw. When the Soviet Union finally collapsed in 1991, my family was sure that a new beginning for Cuba was assuredly at hand. The country itself spiraled into recession following the fall of its Soviet counterpart, and had entered a point in its history coined as "The Special Period." Suffering from an immeasurable cutoff from imports provided by its antecedent ally, it was clear to not only my family, but the entirety of expatriated Cubans the world over, that the Castro regime would inevitably follow suit with the Soviet downfall.

However, 20 years following Cuba's transitional experiment toward loosened state control, little has changed. Although there exists a limited free market on the island with private entrepreneurial opportunities, the country continues to dwindle in its economic growth. Furthermore, the embargo on the island remains as indefatigable as the regime itself.

I am pursuing a degree in International Relations here at Grand Valley, and it is because of my tenacious love for my cultural heritage that I hope to make my voice heard in the international community. Grand Valley has offered unto me invaluable opportunities that I will undoubtedly carry with me throughout the entirety of my currently budding career. It is my unfaltering hope that I will, one day, be among the sea of voices that will ultimately bring change not only to the cradle of my forefathers, but to the world over.

For more on my experiences at Grand Valley, stay tuned to further posts.

- Tomás Augusto Páez

Meatless Mondays

2011-10-31T12:44:00.000-07:00

Ever since Grand Valley started doing Meatless Mondays last year, I never thought I would look forward to eating on Mondays. Meatless Mondays is a social movement that encourages business and universities to cut out meat options, or in the case of Grand Valley, offer more 'meatless' options and less with meat. NOTE: They still offer meat. I am a huge fan of hamburgers, steak, tacos, bacon the list goes on, and less of my favorite ingredient in some of the dining facilities on campus, I thought, would not be good. From meatlessmonday.com, "Going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel." So, on the first Meatless Monday last year, I went to Fresh Food Company, one of the two dining facilities that participate, and I was pleasantly surprised, the food was amazing. Instead of salad that I thought would be the only food, they had meatless lasagna (amazing), pizza (phenomenal), veggie burgers (who knew vegetables tasted so good?) and more. Now I cannot wait till Mondays!

T.G.I.M (Thank Goodness It's Monday)

Austin

Double H Weekend: Homecoming and Halloween!

2011-10-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

I know I already wrote a post about homecoming, but it is just such a big event, its hard not to think about it this week. One of the biggest events will happen today. Every year we have up-and-coming artists come to preform a homecoming concert. Last year Jason Derulo came to campus, this year music artist Mike Posner will be coming tonight preforming, "Cooler Than Me", "Please Don't Go", "Bow Chicka Wow Wow", just released single "Cheated", and many other fan favorites!

Admission Prices for students $15, compared to 25$ for general admission (1 perk of being a student)

Check out Mike Posner here http://www.mikeposner.com/us

Homecoming court was also announced this week, you can check out the competitors here: http://www.gvsu.edu/studentlife/homecoming/ as well as all the other events that have been going on!

Homecoming week ends this year with a Football game against Michigan Tech. Hopefully the weather is fair, and our team plays well. GO LAKERS!

Additionally, October 31, Halloween lands on a Monday, so I'm sure we'll see lots of dressed up people all over campus this weekend. I know for a fact that our marching band will be preforming in their costumes. Downtown Grand Rapids is decked out this weekend, and I'm sure a quite a few students will be "haunting" it as well.

I hope you all have a safe and amazing Homecoming/Halloween weekend!

Austin

Homecoming Week

2011-10-24T06:39:00.001-07:00

One of the biggest events on campus is Homecoming Week, a week where the university welcomes back alumni! Week’s events are all centered around a Halloween theme. Homecoming week is also a week to let your school spirit shine. GO LAKERS! I’ve included the entire week’s schedule! For more information on Homecoming Week, visit http://www.gvsu.edu/studentlife/homecoming/.

Monday, October 24th:

1:00pm to 3:00pm - Pumpkin Carving Competition*

Tuesday, October 25th:

12:00pm - The Search for the Golden Snitch*

6:00pm - Lip Sync CD due to OSL*

9:00pm - Spelling Bee in the Pere Marquette Room*

Wednesday, October 26th:

10:00am to 4:00pm - Pumpkin Voting in Pew Campus Courtyard+

9:00pm - Minute to Win It in the Grand River Room*

Thursday, October 27th:

12:00pm - Magical Musical Chairs in the Pere Marquette Room*

9:00pm - Lip Sync in the Field House*

Friday, October 28th:

12:00pm - We Put a Spell On the Kirkhof Center in the Kirkfhof Lobby+*

2:00pm - Every Witch Way Tug-a-War on the Student Services Lawn*

6:30pm (Tentative) - A Thrilling Flash Mob on the Field House Lawn+

8:00pm - Homecoming Concert in the Field House+

Saturday, October 29th:

12:45pm - Little Lakers Walking Parade+

1:00pm to 3:00pm - Carnival Games at the end of the Parade+*

4:00pm - Reunion Row outside of Lubbers Stadium+*

7:00pm - Homecoming Game vs Michigan Tech at Lubbers Stadium+

All Week Events:

10:00am to 2:00pm - T-Shirt Swap in the Kirkhof Lobby+

11:00am, 1:00pm, 5:00pm, and 8:00pm - Hocus Pocus plays in the Kirkhof Theater+

Go LAKERS!

2011-10-22T08:24:00.001-07:00

Picture from the GVSU Flickr

Happy Saturday everyone! This weekend is a BIG weekend for Laker Athletics. Today at 4:00pm our Volleyball team hosts Northern Michigan University (NMU), while our Football team plays Ferris State University, one of our big rivals! Then tomorrow, Sunday, our Girls Soccer hosts the University of Findlay at 12:00. The best thing, is as a student, you can go to any home athletic games FREE of charge! I’ll be going to the football game tonight, so make sure to follow our twitter tonight for updates of the game! http://twitter.com/#!/GVSU_Global
For more information about athletics visit : http://www.gvsulakers.com/
GO LAKERS!
-Austin

Full-Time Integrated MBA Program

2011-10-19T12:43:00.000-07:00

Today I am going to devote a post about the new Masters in Business Administration program Grand Valley has, started this year. Although GVSU is known for their amazing undergraduate business college, they also have 29 Graduate programs with over 70 areas of study. A new one is FIMBA, a full-time integrated MBA program which is directed towards students recently graduated from college, incorporating experience in the field as part of the program. There is also a travel experience where the students go to Washington D.C to study business/government relationship and the political and economic environments. It is an accelerated program that students can receive their MBA in only 14 months! In order to apply, the students must have an undergraduate degree in business, and there is no better place to receive that then at Grand Valley as well! Located at our Grand Rapids campus, the Seidman College of Business offers many different programs and majors for undergraduates, in the heart of the second largest city in Michigan. What better place to get hands on experience than in one of the top business centers in the nation? Grand Valley is in progress of building the Seidman Center, a new facility for the business college, which will be opening May 2013.

To learn more about the undergraduate degree visit www.gvsu.edu/business
To learn more about the FIMBA visit here

Campus Sustainablity Week

2011-10-17T12:51:00.000-07:00

No Impact Experiment

As many people know, Grand Valley has a very big focus on sustainability. One big program each year is Campus Sustainability Week (CSW). Starting last Friday, the 14th, events will being going on till the 23rd.

This year's theme, No Impact Experiment, is based on Colin Beayan's personal investigation of how living a zero-impact lifestyle might lead to a happier life. Each day of CSW will focus on an aspect of life (food, transportation, energy, water, etc.) to challenge people to reduce their own impact. This week is an experiement in itself to see whether the "modern conveniences" that we take for granted actually make us happier or if they are just a waste of time and money.

The event I am looking forward to seeing is on Friday is a taste test. According to droptheprop.com, Americans spend over $15 billion dollars a year on bottled water. The taste test, which will be held in Kirkhof Center (our student union) will challenge contestants to see whether they can tell the difference in taste between bottled and tap water.

Have a GRAND day!
-Austin

Art Prize: Apprecite the Art.

2011-10-11T11:01:00.000-07:00

Art prize has been one event that has brought people from far and wide within and outside the country to the city of Grand Rapids. It must be spectacle to behold for even non art lovers have seemed captivated. What is more exciting is that some these artworks are displayed around the downtown Pew campus area of Grand Valley State University. Art prize has made the city a tourist hub and to see why, I have decided to post some of the novel artworks and update later with some more. I hope you enjoy them and plan a visit when next art prize comes to town.

Art Prize!

2011-09-22T11:43:00.000-07:00

One exciting event that happens every year in Grand Rapids is Art Prize, and an international art contest, decided only by public vote. Here are some fun facts about it:

19 days

192 venues

1,713 artists

44 states and 21 countries

$474,000 dollars in awards

465,538 votes cast

200,000+ visitors

50% non-residents

It is one of Grand Rapids largest events, and it runs from September 21 - October 9, 2011.
You can learn more about it here: http://www.experiencegr.com/events/artprize/ and don't forget to check out our twitter page for exciting updates on ArtPrize as well!

Back to School 2011

2011-09-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

Classes are in session, the first football game of the season was Thursday, and the social calendar kicks off tonight with Campus Life Night, a showcase of all of our 350+ student organizations. This year our campus has had many new developments, the largest being a new library (Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons) on the Allendale Campus, and a new facility for the business college (Seidman Center) on the Grand Rapids Pew Campus. Also, our football stadium was recently remodeled and we are in the process of building an intramural sports complex with a turf lacrosse field and a Olympic size track.

To learn more about any of these projects, you can visit www.gvsu.edu for more information.

Keep posted for more exciting news at Grand Valley State University!

Welcome to GVSU 2010-2011!!!

2010-09-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

Well the time has come!!!
New international students are here and have already completed their first week of classes at GVSU! The school year is off to a successful start and it seems everyone is enjoying themselves :)

This past weekend we celebrated the American holiday of Labor Day, and everyone took a chance of the extended weekend to do some acclimating. Some of the new students have already been on several trips! Some went to Lake Michigan at Grand Haven State Park, others visited Michigan's Adventure amusement park, some went to Chicago, and some others even went to the Niagara Falls in Canada and New York!!!

Life has come back to Grand Valley's campus as a great new school year begins!

If you would like to be part of all the great things happening at Grand Valley State University, please visit http://gvsu.edu/admissions/international/ or email us at global@gvsu.edu for more information!

Grand Valley Around the World

2009-06-25T06:21:00.000-07:00

We're Back...

2009-06-04T12:41:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't blogged for a while and I know you've missed our updates, but we've been working with many great students over the past few months. I've been to 7 countries recruiting for Grand Valley over the last 3 months and we're not done yet!

To make up for my prolonged absence, I will post pictures during the summer showing how Grand Valley is represented around the world. There are some exciting developments happenings and I will be sure to tell you more about that.

Make sure you check back often for more pictures and Grand Valley updates!

- Chris

Traveling to City Near You!

2009-02-05T05:28:00.000-08:00

A Grand Valley representative will be traveling through Asia, visiting high schools and college fairs. Here is our itinerary:

Jakarta, Indonesia - February 21 - 23
Bangkok - February 24 - 25
Ho Chi Minh City - February 26 - 28
Singapore - March 1 - 2
Taipei - March 3
Hong Kong - March 4 - 6

Stay tuned for the full schedule of events.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-09T05:17:00.001-08:00

Hopefully, you had a great holiday season! It may be cold and snowy at Grand Valley, but there are a lot of exciting things happening on campus. The new housing being built on campus is certainly very exciting, but stay tuned for some new additions to the International Admission blog.

Here We Grow Again!

2008-12-18T05:55:00.000-08:00

Since 1996, Grand Valley has spent nearly $500,000,000 on facilities, ensuring that students have the necessary resources for study, living and relaxation. We pride ourselves on having the best housing in Michigan and we are planning to add to our current housing offerings to make sure student needs are being met. The new living center will house over 600 students in apartment style units. In addition to the housing, a new dining facility will be added to campus. The projects are scheduled for completion in 2010.

For more details on this exciting project, you can go here.

Fall Update

2008-11-20T05:43:00.000-08:00

The International Student Visitation Day was a great success! Over 160 students attended from over 30 different countries. It was a great event where the students were able to learn about the US higher education system and about Grand Valley. If you were not able to attend the event, you can find out more about Grand Valley by clicking on the links on the right side of the page.

Fall sports are in full swing at Grand Valley. Our football team and women's soccer team are both undefeated and number one in the nation. Our women's volleyball is ranked among the top 5 teams in the nation. All three teams are in the playoffs, working for a national championship.

Did You Know...

2008-10-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

Grand Valley was named one of the 25 Greenest colleges in the United States by Kaplan Review?
Our average class size is 28?
All classes at Grand Valley are taught by faculty members, not graduate assistants?

Intenational Student Visitation Day

2008-10-08T05:57:00.000-07:00

On November 11, Grand Valley will host our annual International Student Visitation Day. We invite international high school students from across Michigan to learn more about Grand Valley and the higher education system in the US. There are opportunities to meet with current international students, get a tour of campus and meet with faculty members. If you are an international student in Michigan and want to learn more about this event, contact the Admissions Office at 1 800-748-0246.

This fall has been very successful for our athletic programs. Both the football team and the women's soccer team are undefeated and ranked number one in the nation! Athletic success is common at Grand Valley because we have won the Directors Cup for having the best overall athletic program in NCAA Division for the last FIVE years! Not only will you be prepared academically at Grand Valley, but you will have great athletic teams to watch as well.

15th Annual Shakespeare Festival Celebration

2008-10-02T11:08:00.000-07:00

When the calendar turns to October, it's time for the Shakespeare Festival. For 15 years, Grand Valley has held the Shakespeare Festival, which shares these timeless plays with a wider audience. Different plays are chosen every year and they are performed with a slight twist on the original theme. The play for this year is A Midsummer Night's Dream but the play will have a Bollywood theme.

During the Shakespeare Festival, there will be other special events such as a public presentation by renowned Shakespeare scholar Dr. Stephen Greenblatt, special productions from a visiting Chinese performance group, a Bollywood film festival and the Renaissance Faire.

Shanghai Volleyball Team Visits Grand Valley

2008-09-25T07:11:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, September 24, the Shanghai Volleyball Club finished two week tour of Michigan with a visit to Grand Valley. Grand Valley women's volleyball team took advantage of the visit and scrimmaged the Shanghai Volleyball Club. The Shanghai Volleyball team is one of the strongest in China and three of the players on their roster were on the Chinese Olympic Team! The scrimmage was a tremendous event and both teams spent more time with each other over lunch and relaxing at Lake Michigan.

For pictures of the event, you can go to this link - http://gvsulakers.cstv.com/view.gal?id=34869.

Grand Valley is actively committed to attracting International students, but we also want our current students to study abroad and experience other cultures. We feature nearly 40 different study abroad program for our students, as well as exchange programs for our faculty members. For information about the programs we offer to current students, you can go to the Padnos International Center website at www.gvsu.edu/pic.

Did You Know...

2008-09-18T05:04:00.000-07:00

Grand Valley has nearly 300 international students from over 40 countries?
Since 1996, Grand Valley spent nearly $500,000,000 construction projects?
Grand Valley has a strong athletic program - our athletes have won numerous team and individual championships?
Grand Valley International Admissions has a Facebook page? To get the latest information on Grand Valley, send a friend request to GVSU International.

It's a new semester!

2008-09-15T07:06:00.000-07:00

Now that September is here, it's time to start another semester at Grand Valley!

This fall has been a very exciting time at Grand Valley. Four major construction projects were completed on campus but the Niemeyer Honors Learning and Living Center and the Laker Turf Building are the most notable. The Honors Center is place where Honors students will live and take classes. The facility houses 450 students and also contains 4 state of the art classrooms, a library and listening rooms. Honors faculty members will have their offices in the building. The other major project, the Laker Turf Building is also open for use. This facility houses an indoor track, an indoor playing field and classrooms. Even though the building houses athletic fields and equipment, this facility is open to the entire student body. Intramurals and club sports teams will use the building as well as the Movement Science department. This construction is part of a larger effort to make sure our students have cutting edge facilities.

Grand Valley received two exciting honors this fall. Grand Valley tied for first in the new “Up-and-Coming Schools” category in the Midwest for Best Universities in the latest US News college rankings. The “Up and Coming Schools” were identified by top college officials in spring 2008 as schools that have recently made the most promising and innovative changes in academics, faculty, students, campus or facilities. Additionally, in the 2009 Kaplan College Guide, Grand Valley was named as one of the top 25 Green colleges in the US. This honor was given to Grand Valley because of the efforts to make all new construction environmentally friendly, reducing waste in our dining areas and offering free busing to students encouraging them to ride the bus and not drive.

As you can see, the first few of the semester have been very exciting. I'm sure the rest of the semester will be just as exciting.

Welcome!

2008-07-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the GVSU International Admissions Blog! Make sure to check back often as we will post information about Grand Valley and Grand Rapids.