Valpo University?

[svillechris]

Originally Posted by warren zee

If they forced "chapel" on her, she would not even think about it.
I do not recall asking that.

I asked about the religious and social climate at VU.

I have a computer and I ca Google things. I came to this site to see if anyone had any first hand experience with Valpo. Sometimes a college may present itself in a certain way but be different once you attend.

Is Valpo Republican? Are there Tea Party enthusiasts there?

How is the Political Science department? Will a liberal Democrat fare well there?

^^^ Probably not the best way to befriend internet strangers and get them to spend time responding to your question for free.



And I actually laughed out loud at both of these...

Originally Posted by warren zee

Is Valpo Republican? Are there Tea Party enthusiasts there?

Originally Posted by warren zee

Will a liberal Democrat fare well there?

[Bluefox]

Originally Posted by sheena12

Thanks! This is the kind of information that Warren and I were seeking.

Most info ca be Googled. Right? So, why bother with city data? DH was hoping to find some information from students, former students, or people who are in some way connected with the university.

Your post was helpful.

Thank you.

PS

I think we will visit!

I think you should visit and get a feel for the area. Valpo is a very safe town with a rich history. It has sort of been swallowed up by the Chicago metro area, but it's as old as Chicago is. It's definitely grown a lot in the past 20 years or so, as has the university campus. A lot of the city's commercial development is occurring just east of the university, and the city is working to make this area as accessible to the students as possible, i.e. requiring developers to construct new bike/walking paths to and from the campus. Valpo does have a bus service, but it's pretty limited AFAIK, and I think it'd be good to have a car if possible, at least after freshman year.

Another thing to consider (if you haven't already) is whether your daughter is looking for a big school or a small school experience. I went to a big school (Purdue) and it is a much, much different experience than a smaller school, and both have their pluses and minuses. But even at VU, I think only about 35% of the students are in state, with the rest being from other parts of the country and world.

[domergurl]

I used to teach at the law school there. I never felt any kind of overarching religious pressure there. People are there to to to school to better themselves, not get indoctrinated.

It's a great school with great people. There will always be those that take things very seriously, but I never saw any pressure from faculty or staff. She can be as religious or not religious as she wants to be.

Tea Party? In Valpo? Ummmmmm no. It's a pretty live and let live kind of place.

[fibersport]

My son is a sophmore at VU, we're Catholic but as with many young adults, he's sort of anti-religious. He lived on campus last year but since we now live in Valpo, he's a commuter but spends much of his day there. I would say like others have, the religion is not pushed although it does seem that some of the liberal thinking groups do seem to have a foothold. It's a dry campus so there is no alcohol even if you're of age, however you have to realize that it is available. I have not heard anything about drug use but I'm sure it's there. Overall I think it's a good school that makes the students feel like they are a person rather than a student ID number. We looked at Purdue LaFayette which feels like a small city compared to VU, I'm glad he made the choice he did. Check out how many students are hired after graduation, VU is well respected.