Where are you going to school next year?

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Philly

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After thinking and procrastinating for nearly a month, I have finally decided on the school I will be attending next year. For the 2007-2008 school year, I an going to Hope College in Holland, Michigan.

My question is, since May first is just around the corner, have any other seniors/whatever the term is made their final decisions? If so where? I'm just curious to see where everybody will be going.
 
I will be going to the University of Illinois at Chicago and I will be taking the train there.
 
I know right where Hope is, been there lots of times. Nice school, nice campus. The west side of Michigan is a really nice area, except be warned, during the winter it snows a lot there due to lake effect snow.

I'm on the east side of the state at Oakland University, pretty good school. I was really undecided when I was a senior. I thought about going into the Marine Corps, but all they did was lie to me (no this is NOT a dig at the military I can't imagine all recruiters lie), but I picked Oakland because it's about 5 miles from my house and I can live at home (cutting the cost in half). I'm enjoying it but I will not go to grad school there...which is something I need to start thinking about.
 
I'm going to take a year off then attend Connestoga College to take the welding fitter course.
 
Florida International University, 7th in the nation for International Business. :)
 
After thinking and procrastinating for nearly a month, I have finally decided on the school I will be attending next year. For the 2007-2008 school year, I an going to Hope College in Holland, Michigan.

Well, you're going to be just down the road from me here in Grand Rapids. I'm still at AQ (Aquinas College, going into my Junior year), and I think we will play you guys in Basketball for a few matches (I think we do, but we aren't in the same division... Exhibition games I think). Otherwise, you guys (Hope) are the big arch-rivals to the next-closest school to AQ, Calvin, by which several of my good friends attend.

Its good to hear that you're in Michigan this coming year. Look me or Joey up, I'm sure we can show you around.
 
GTP parties? That might be fun. We could probably even hook up with some of the Chicago boys. These should be some fun four years.
 
Hell ya, I'd cruise across the state for a GTP party.
 
GTP parties? That might be fun. We could probably even hook up with some of the Chicago boys. These should be some fun four years.

I'm up for it. We may need to go to a race or two at Grattan... I'm sure Camaroboy69 would be happy to join as well...
 
*sigh...* Michigan will be so different from Seattle. I hope I catch on to the place pretty quickly, though. Holland and GR just don't sound all that exciting compared to here...
 
The Grand Rapids area is very nice, it's a million times better then the east side of the state. Once you get nice weather you have to go to Grand Haven, a ton of girls, great food, huge beaches, and nice cars.
 
The Grand Rapids area is very nice, it's a million times better then the east side of the state. Once you get nice weather you have to go to Grand Haven, a ton of girls, great food, huge beaches, and nice cars.

It the area still as sweet when the weather gets "too cold?" Would there be a lot of people going into Grand Rapids on the weekends or would I most likely be stuck in Holland a lot of the time?
 
You might want to ask YSSMAN about that, I know they have some winter fest over there during the winter months and if you ski or snowboard a lot of people tend to do that in Michigan. If anyone knows how to have fun in cold weather it's us Michiganders.
 
*sigh...* Michigan will be so different from Seattle. I hope I catch on to the place pretty quickly, though. Holland and GR just don't sound all that exciting compared to here...

Between Grand Rapids, Holland, and Muskegon, there is a lot to do...

- Grand Haven is an awesome beach town (Joey is spot-on). I hang out there as much as possible in the summer, as we used to rent a house there a few years back.

- Michigan's Adventure (Muskegon) is owned and operated by the folks who run Cedar Point, and has a fair number of good rides with plenty to do. It does have the former world's largest wooden roller coaster after all...

- Berlin Raceway (Marne, Michigan... Halfway between Grand Rapids and Grand Haven) is the home track to Johnny Benson, a good place for Saturday Night Speicals during the spring, summer, and fall months.

- Grattan Raceway (just outside of Grand Rapids) is a test favorite for Car and Driver and the major automakers, not to mention a central hub for SCCA competition.

- There is plenty of football, particularly the Grand Valley State University Lakers (Allendale, Michigan... Halfway between Holland and Grand Rapids), the Grand Rapids Rampage, the Western Michigan Broncos (Kalamazoo), not to mention your own Hope team (so so if I recall), and the down-home goodness of the High School football that we are all obsessed with here.

..... There is also Hockey (Grand Rapids Griffins, Muskegon Fury, both former champions), Baseball (West Michigan White Caps, former champions), Soccer (I forget the name of the GR team), etc...

- In terms of concerts, there is the Muskegon Summer celebration, the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids always has something going on (usually good), not to mention the awesome Grand Rapids Symphony at DeVos Place, plenty of theater productions from Holland to Grand Rapids, as well as Kalamazoo (with theater and music, etc).

- Lots of museums, including the Gerald R. Ford Museum, the VanAndel Museum, and the Grand Rapids art Museum (obvious all in GR), all of which bring in world-class exhibits year-round. One also cannot forget about the Frederick Meijer Gardens as well, as they are amazing too (the DaVinci horse comes to mind).

- Obvious other good things include, but are not limited to:

* Lake Michigan
* Chicago
* Detroit
* Lansing (capital of Michigan)
* Brooklyn (home of the Michigan International Speedway)

...Plus, I may even be able to get you a job in Holland if you want. I have quite a few friends (ie Managers, assistant managers, former co-workers here in G-Rap) who work at the Steve and Barry's (store #192) in Holland, and I'm sure they would do me the favor...

EDIT:

WINTER TIME!

Things calm down a bit as the weather gets cold, but its no big deal really. Depending on how the season works largely decides what is going on. This year we went without snow most of the time, but when we got some, it was normally a lot.

A lot of folks go skiing either here in Grand Rapids (Pando, Cannonsburg) or head north a bit (Crystal Mountain, Nubs Knob, etc). The cold weather, overall, isn't that bad. If you can stand 20-40 degree weather from about November to late February or early March, you'll be fine.

...We keep as busy as possible. Given that Holland is only a 30 minute drive from Grand Rapids, there is plenty to do either on the coast or further inland...
 
Between Grand Rapids, Holland, and Muskegon, there is a lot to do...

- Grand Haven is an awesome beach town (Joey is spot-on). I hang out there as much as possible in the summer, as we used to rent a house there a few years back.

Beaches. Sounds kinda meh, but that might be interesting to check out sometime.

- Michigan's Adventure (Muskegon) is owned and operated by the folks who run Cedar Point, and has a fair number of good rides with plenty to do. It does have the former world's largest wooden roller coaster after all...

I almost forgot you guys have some decent parks out there. Those should be fun.

- Berlin Raceway (Marne, Michigan... Halfway between Grand Rapids and Grand Haven) is the home track to Johnny Benson, a good place for Saturday Night Speicals during the spring, summer, and fall months.

- Grattan Raceway (just outside of Grand Rapids) is a test favorite for Car and Driver and the major automakers, not to mention a central hub for SCCA competition.

We have only one track less than three hours away here. I probably should('ve) check(ed) out what happens in Portland and Vancouver. SIR really isn't anything special.

- There is plenty of football, particularly the Grand Valley State University Lakers (Allendale, Michigan... Halfway between Holland and Grand Rapids), the Grand Rapids Rampage, the Western Michigan Broncos (Kalamazoo), not to mention your own Hope team (so so if I recall), and the down-home goodness of the High School football that we are all obsessed with here.

..... There is also Hockey (Grand Rapids Griffins, Muskegon Fury, both former champions), Baseball (West Michigan White Caps, former champions), Soccer (I forget the name of the GR team), etc...

I can look forward to sports. It will be nice to be rooting for a team that wins now and then... I think I may stick to ESPN a lot for most of my sporting needs, though.

- In terms of concerts, there is the Muskegon Summer celebration, the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids always has something going on (usually good), not to mention the awesome Grand Rapids Symphony at DeVos Place, plenty of theater productions from Holland to Grand Rapids, as well as Kalamazoo (with theater and music, etc).

- Lots of museums, including the Gerald R. Ford Museum, the VanAndel Museum, and the Grand Rapids art Museum (obvious all in GR), all of which bring in world-class exhibits year-round. One also cannot forget about the Frederick Meijer Gardens as well, as they are amazing too (the DaVinci horse comes to mind).

Definitly not one for the arts.

- Obvious other good things include, but are not limited to:

* Lake Michigan
* Chicago
* Detroit
* Lansing (capital of Michigan)
* Brooklyn (home of the Michigan International Speedway)

The prospect of finally going to see Chicago and Detroit really get me excited. I would love to go and hang out there a lot. The other things might be interesting to see as well.

...Plus, I may even be able to get you a job in Holland if you want. I have quite a few friends (ie Managers, assistant managers, former co-workers here in G-Rap) who work at the Steve and Barry's (store #192) in Holland, and I'm sure they would do me the favor...

My slacker self wants to decline the offer. I might be interested in/have to get(ting) a job while I'm out there. It's good to know I know someone who could possible hook me up.

WINTER TIME!

Things calm down a bit as the weather gets cold, but its no big deal really. Depending on how the season works largely decides what is going on. This year we went without snow most of the time, but when we got some, it was normally a lot.

A lot of folks go skiing either here in Grand Rapids (Pando, Cannonsburg) or head north a bit (Crystal Mountain, Nubs Knob, etc). The cold weather, overall, isn't that bad. If you can stand 20-40 degree weather from about November to late February or early March, you'll be fine.

...We keep as busy as possible. Given that Holland is only a 30 minute drive from Grand Rapids, there is plenty to do either on the coast or further inland...

Sounds a bit the same as here. We find things to do indoors. We get temperatures where the extremes are in the twenties, so I think I can cope with Michigan cold OK. I also experienced a little Lake Effect snow when I went out to visit. That sounds pretty fun. Maybe I'll take up snowboarding again it I really get bored out there...
 
To give you a heads-up, if you're from Seattle, snowboarding in Michigan will be a total joke.

Grand Rapids is pretty fun, I've got some friends there, so it's fun going to see them and their beach-side houses. We would pretty much spend all day on the beach. Good memories of living in Michigan in the summers...

Holland is pretty much down the road from there as well, route 31 if I had to guess.
 
To give you a heads-up, if you're from Seattle, snowboarding in Michigan will be a total joke.

I was wondering where there was to ski/snowboard around there as soon as YSS said that...

Although, I am a little new to it, so I haven't been spoiled by our mountains at all. I'm more worried about good places to ride my new downhill bike.:indiff:

Grand Rapids is pretty fun, I've got some friends there, so it's fun going to see them and their beach-side houses. We would pretty much spend all day on the beach. Good memories of living in Michigan in the summers...

I've been out there twice for family reunions and both times I had an absolute blast. I'm hoping for a little more of the same.
 
I was wondering where there was to ski/snowboard around there as soon as YSS said that...

Although, I am a little new to it, so I haven't been spoiled by our mountains at all. I'm more worried about good places to ride my new downhill bike.:indiff:

Well, for the "full-size" ski stuff you're going to have to head way up north, at least a three or four hour drive to get anywhere near the scope of what is available out west. The skiing in Grand Rapids is as basic as it gets for you I would suppose. Nothing really more complicated that a blue square at the most if I recall correctly...

As for downhill biking, good news!

Holland and Grand Haven are full of parks littered with trails for riding, but the more serious off-road trails are in the Grand Rapids/Rockford area. And in all honesty, during the warmer months the ski areas are converted into mountain bike and downhill racing grounds, and we actually have some pretty big competitions at Cannonsburg (there is an Iron Man that is done in February or March, I think... My friends used to do it), as well as Pando throughout the year.

As far as cycling in general is concerned, there are a lot of trails (both paved, dirt, and gravel) throughout the area, from Holland to Muskegon, Holland to Grand Rapids, etc. Out on the lake there are some of the best roads and conditions I've ever ridden on, and quite frankly it has one of the best trails available in the area between Grand Haven and Holland (about a 50 mile round-trip)... Granted, being the kind of 'break-the-wind' racer that I am back when I was on a team (there are high-school cycling teams here), I like the flat-out farmland riding, but I'd gladly take the hilly runs that are seen out on the lake any-day.
 
Grand Rapids is pretty fun, I've got some friends there, so it's fun going to see them and their beach-side houses. We would pretty much spend all day on the beach. Good memories of living in Michigan in the summers...
.

I meant Grand Haven.

I've only been to Grand Rapids once, and I was Hangover Central, so I wasn't looking out any windows.
 
I'm going to attend weatherford Jr College next year to get my basic courses out of the way (much easier there than huge universities) then transferring over to get my engineering degree (maybe)
 
Well, for the "full-size" ski stuff you're going to have to head way up north, at least a three or four hour drive to get anywhere near the scope of what is available out west. The skiing in Grand Rapids is as basic as it gets for you I would suppose. Nothing really more complicated that a blue square at the most if I recall correctly...

As for downhill biking, good news!

Holland and Grand Haven are full of parks littered with trails for riding, but the more serious off-road trails are in the Grand Rapids/Rockford area. And in all honesty, during the warmer months the ski areas are converted into mountain bike and downhill racing grounds, and we actually have some pretty big competitions at Cannonsburg (there is an Iron Man that is done in February or March, I think... My friends used to do it), as well as Pando throughout the year.

I haven't been skiing/snowboarding in four years and even then I didn't graduate from the bunny slope. I'm thinking I wouldn't be too disappointed with what you guys have.

As for teh biking, thats really good news. I was looking for places and didn't really find any downhill/freeride at all.
 
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