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Just wanted to see what people think of this university. I've been accepted and after using the cost calculator it says I will get some very good aid... so I am strongly considering going there.
It is ranked well and Iowa City is supposedly a nice place and very lively, and I would be majoring in Biology... but besides that I know VERY little about this school. So, if anyone knows anything about this school please share!
Is it in-state? If so, absolutely a fantastic choice.
I briefly considered Iowa for graduate school, as it is widely regarded as the premier program in the field I am pursuing. I ultimately chose against it because it didn't feel like a natural fit. It is a highly respected university, and I know for a fact its programs in the sciences (biology included) are top notch. Nice area, beautiful campus, and plenty to do.
Be prepared for the parking horrors, however. Parking is notoriously disastrous at Iowa.
It's a solid school. The origins of the MFA are here, and they operate the Iowa Writer's Workshop, which is extremely highly regarded the world over, not just in the U.S., as writing programs go. As a research institution, it's reputable.
If you're not Midwestern, Iowa will be culture shock. But the school itself does maintain a known party/social reputation.
Is it in-state? If so, absolutely a fantastic choice.
I briefly considered Iowa for graduate school, as it is widely regarded as the premier program in the field I am pursuing. I ultimately chose against it because it didn't feel like a natural fit. It is a highly respected university, and I know for a fact its programs in the sciences (biology included) are top notch. Nice area, beautiful campus, and plenty to do.
Be prepared for the parking horrors, however. Parking is notoriously disastrous at Iowa.
I actually would be OOS but only by 5 miles as I live on the border of Illinois and Iowa (Quad Cities for those curious) on the Illinois side.
So if it is solid in the sciences would I be able to land a job somewhere outside of the midwest after graduation?
And, if you don't mind my asking, what do you mean by it didn't feel like a natural fit? And what was the single biggest reason you opted against it? Did you ever feel the campus was too spaced out? I have read on forums that buildings are too far apart and the university almost feels too integrated into the city itself.
Iowa City pretty much is the college. It's not a bad campus, it is a little spread out but there is a bus system that takes you around as needed. If you are living on campus, you won't really need to worry about parking. The science program there is outstanding. They are also very generous to better students, one of the few state schools that give pretty significant merit awards. They have very strong medical and dental schools there, both of which are considered some of the best in the country so their science programs are very, very strong. You will have no issues finding a job as long as you do well in school, get involved, etc. If you live in the quad cities you are just about an hour away, go visit the campus.
The new president is controversial. Whether he will be good or bad for the institution is not, as yet, known. As an undergrad entering in 2015, that's not likely a significant factor that should guide your decision, however. It's a Big 10 school with all the scale, reputation, etc. pertaining there unto.
The trustees and state politicians are also a bit rankled about the rate of out-of-state students admitted, however now that you have been admitted that's likely irrelevant to you. It is likely they are charging you out of state tuition rates, so you'd want to look at whether the cost is comparable to attending UIll, which would be the equivalent institution in your own state and where you would presumably pay in-state tuition.
For an Illinois resident, Illinois in-state tuition is normally higher than Iowa out-of-state tuition.
I graduate from Iowa in Geography and Computer Science, and lived in Iowa City for over 10 years. There are tons of job opportunities in town, but because the city is so education the jobs do not pay well compared to the education required for them.
For biology majors, there are tons of private sector employment opportunities in the area (e.g. Integrated DNA Technologies) as well as as a steady flow of new openings with University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
This does not really matter for undergrads, but for grad students there is not a 100% tuition waiver when you hold an assistantship. It is used to be only a 25% waiver, though, and has now been negotiated up over 80% (100% in the college of liberal arts and sciences). This only matters to undergrads because it hurts the quality of grad students that Iowa gets.
It's a solid school. The origins of the MFA are here, and they operate the Iowa Writer's Workshop, which is extremely highly regarded the world over, not just in the U.S., as writing programs go. As a research institution, it's reputable.
If you're not Midwestern, Iowa will be culture shock. But the school itself does maintain a known party/social reputation.
Iowa City is so much different from much of the state though, growing up in Iowa City (lived there for 22 years) I would almost say that the rest of Iowa was the culture shock when you're use to Iowa City.
It's a very educated, liberal city and quite cosmopolitan for being so small, although most college towns are. It's more a question of are you a highly religious, gun toting conservative....that would be a culture shock way more than just not being from the Midwest. I knew countless people at Iowa who had come from other areas of the country to try something different and they all LOVED it. At 18 years old you aren't going to be shocked as much in that sense than if you were 55 and moving to a new region.
It's a big state school and has most of the big state school traits. Plenty of partying, football is huge, resources are excellent. If you want to do well at a place like this, you need to be self motivated. Iowa has fantastic resources.
As for the city/area. Iowa city is a fairly nice place. Classic midwest college town.
I attended Iowa State in Ames, but spent a lot of time in Iowa City growing up (Dad lived nearby). Personally, I didn't care for the campus layout and design compared to ISU, which was more compact and distinctly set from the city than UIowa is but to each their own. Many friends attended Iowa and loved their experience. It does have a big party reputation, football is huge -- prepare to spend Saturdays tailgating, basketball and wrestling are big as well. They used to allow people 19 y/o and up into the bars but I think they ended that a few years back, so house/dorm parties are probably bigger now.
Good academics, especially in certain programs as mentioned above. Top notch medical (and related fields) school and research hospital.
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