Everything you need to know about Grand Valley State University

University of North Texas

7.5(8 Reviews)

University of Central Missouri

Reason for choosing my college

• I chose Grand Valley, because of the trust they have built in the student community who were already here for their higher education. They flew to India for multiple events they have conducted to help students who were in the process of applying for admissions and they did provide guidance in the visa process.
• Above everything, the program was great with Statistics and Computing courses, while the other data science programs in other universities were more focused on computing only.

Central Michigan University

8.3(8 Reviews)

Reason for Rejection

They were already full by the time I applied. I thought of getting into Statistics but then I got admitted to GVSU. For the other Universities, I felt like I wanted to be somewhere where the student community was willing to help each other out and it is very important for someone who is coming to a different country for the first time. Grand Valley checked that box for me.

• Get your transcripts sent from the colleges if you don't want to spend money on mailing transcripts to each university.
• Make sure to check the Admissions office timings and be available at that time so that you can respond and submit the required documents.
• Try to reply the same day instead of waking up the next day, while the office closes effectively delaying the process.

• People always talk about how America is a land of opportunities and since coming here I have realized how true it is. You will find small-scale companies finding their way in fields that we would have never imagined. You will find small companies working towards amazing products and services and if you have the skills you can be a part of it.

• 3 Courses per semester, 1 or 2 classes per course per week, 1 Class a week. Evenings 6 to 9 pm, 2 Classes per week. Evening 4 to 5:30 pm; one day apart. They also have online classes: asynchronous and synchronous. I would choose an offline class any day. But sometimes, it is good to choose online classes when you need more time and don't want to spend that on travel. I used to spend at least 4 hours per course per week.

• The faculty members are great and are willing to help you. They are very experienced and have great connections in the industry. You will also find faculty who work in companies outside while teaching. If you find one such faculty in your field of Interest, reach out to them and ask them for help in finding internships.

• Three campuses across Grand Rapids and Allendale, There is everything: Libraries on each campus, plenty of computer labs open for use, medical centres, and a recreation centre in one campus with plenty of equipment. The Allendale campus is mostly for Undergraduate students.
• Most of the Computing classes happen on the Health campus, which is in Grand Rapids. There is a campus nightlife event, which is huge. Students put up stalls where you can play games and buy stuff. There is a lot of free stuff as well.

• Most Indian Students prefer working desk jobs such as front desks for offices but there are very few positions compared to the total number of students. If you are trying to find a good job use GVSU workday and keep applying for positions you are suitable for. Even if you end up working in food services, keep a look out for positions opening.

• There were not a lot of GA and TA positions in the semester I came for. The last semester had plenty of opportunities. I am hoping they will continue them. There are lots of on-campus job opportunities but most of them are in the food services, and that is where a lot of international students work. There are IT Services and other front desk jobs across campus. The maximum amount of hours is standard across the USA: 20 Hours per week.

• Hard to talk about that. It depends on individual skills and the efforts that the students put in. Walk into the career centre on the pew campus and talk to the advisors. Work on your resume and skills. Start networking as soon as you land. Learn things that are required in the industry. Plenty of events are happening in the Grand Rapids area always.

• Find a community and lease an apartment if you know students who are coming in the same semester. Apple Ridge apartments are the most suitable for people who are going to use bus services to commute to the campuses. Most students from India live in this area. It is good to have a community of students.