Grand Valley State University Top Questions

There really isn't a stereotype of students at my school.

I honestly dont know of a stereotype of students at Grand Valley. It is so diverse and every student is there for a different reason, so I dont think anyone could make a stereotype.

The common stereotype here is that we are all nerds! I do not find this stereotype to be accurate in the slightest bit. Yes the students here are very intelligent but that doesn't mean we don't know how to have a good time!

The stereotype for GVSU students is usually along the lines of "not so intelligent jock" or "white middle-class Christian." In reality, there are a lot of different kinds of people here! Yes, many (if not the majority) of the students here are from the white middle class and enjoy sports. However, there are plenty of people who don't fall into that category as well.

I don't think Grand Valley particularly has a set stereotype. We are more or less a melting pot of people of all different interests. There are over 300 clubs and lots of opportunities for getting involved with leadership positions. Our Greek life here is a lot different than other other universities. The Greeks, even though they make up a smaller percentage of the overall population compared to other schools, have a big presence on campus. They are involved in their organizations that they support and hold events all over campus to raise money and awareness for their cause. There are a mixture of students that party all the time and those that study all the time, just as you would find at any campus. At Grand Valley there's a place for students of any stereotype to fit in.

Grand Valley doesn't seem to have a set "stereotype". Of course we have the "jocks"... any school that has a sports team will have those. We have the "geeks", because we have a pretty successful honors program. We have "frat kids", because there are sororities and fraternities all throughout campus. Grand Valley is based on the idea of integration. No two people are alike, so in order to be successful in the world, you have to be able to understand the viewpoints and cultures of others. That is why GVSU's "liberal education" requirement does more than just getting you the credits you need for graduation. It gives you a new perspective on the world that lets you relate to those "jocks", "geeks", and "frat kids" rather than seeing them as outsiders.

It is definitely a sports-driven school, but there is a good blend of students and there are literally hundreds of other clubs to get involved in.

I think the biggest stereotype about GV is that it's not a party school. While this is relatively true (the cops like to hand out MIPs like crazy here) that doesn't mean that we don't still like to have a good time! I personally don't party much, but I can guarantee that there is always something fun going on whether it involves drinking or not. I think Grand Valley is a perfect medium between a huge party school and an intolerant private school.

The stereotype for GVSU students is usually that we are jocks who couldn't get into a "better" university. This stereotype does prove true for some of the students here--the majority of people do fall under the broad stereotype of "jock." There are a lot of different kinds of people here, you just have to look a little harder to find them. As far as intelligence, I will say that a lot of students here do still posses a high school mentality. This usually goes away once they become upperclassmen. Then again, you'll definitely be able to find very intelligent and hardworking people here as well. Like I said before, they just don't stand out as obviously.