<p>So I'm looking at four big ten schools: Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Minnesota. I live in the Midwest (none of those states), Iowa is the only one to give me direct admission into their business school and I'm eligible for several scholarships there. First off, does direct admission really matter? Anyways, I visited a couple of weeks ago and there was this indescribable vibe I had. It seemed strange, though the campus was gorgeous. It seemed to me that everyone there was white or Chinese. The Chinese students only talked to other Chinese students and white kids seemed to ignore them. So number one, I was wondering about the interaction of the Chinese and white students. Do they find each other annoying? Do they avoid each other? I've talked with friends who are in college and they've expressed dislike towards international students, that's why I ask. Two, the Iowa Greek system has been getting slammed by TFM and college ******* reviews. How do Greeks and non-Greeks interact at Iowa? Is Greek life pretty big? The last thing I was really hoping a student could shed light on is the placement of Iowa grads, particularly in the Tippie School. It really concerns me that over 70% of graduates live in Iowa or Illinois, especially since I hope to live on a coast when I'm older. Wisconsin, Indiana, and Minnesota all have national ties..Just hoping to hear some opinions on life at Iowa, since it is the lowest ranked of the four Big Ten schools that I am applying to. Thank you.</p>
<p>Justin, I have a third year son in engineering at Iowa and I’ll tell you my experience.</p>
<p>Direct-admit spares you the stress of applying to a business school at the end of your first year and the possibility that you’ll not be admitted. For an excellent student that will not be a big deal but for many it is.</p>
<p>The Asian students at Iowa are, by and large, exchange students who very much hang together and are isolated from campus life as everyone else experiences it. I don’t believe this is discriminatory, it’s just a fact of life that they come en masse and tend to congregate for cultural and linguistic common ground. I don’t know that you’d find things much different at the other schools in your pool, but it’s possible.</p>
<p>The Greek system at Iowa is not a dominant one. I believe it has this in common with Wisc and U of M. Not sure about Indiana.</p>
<p>As for placement, the companies recruiting at Iowa tend to be midwestern. It’s unlikely that Morgan Stanley will come to Iowa when there are a million East Coast schools in their backyard. Companies generally develop preferences for different schools’ programs, and it’s not cost-effective to cast nets all over the country for recruits. Certainly higher-reputation schools than Iowa would be more likely to see recruiters from a larger area.</p>
<p>You haven’t said that you’ve been admitted to all 4 schools. Surely that will influence your decision.</p>
<p>In my opinion, Iowa & Penn State are similiar socially. (Even though you didn’t ask, I answered.)</p>
<p>I have a kid at Iowa and kid at Indiana, neither one of them are business majors, but the business school at Indiana is getting increasingly difficult to get into if you are not a direct admit. When my son started there four years ago, only one person that he knew got into Kelley without a direct admit. Since that time, we have known several kids that have transferred out of IU because they didn’t get into the business school. Finite math seems to weed a lot of people out, as well as that half-semester accounting class. Not saying you can’t do it, but I would say Indiana is risky if you are not a direct admit.</p>
<p>Also, I’m assuming you are a boy since your name is Justin, only 11% of the guys are in a fraternity. The percentage is higher for girls. My son is not in a fraternity, and is perfectly happy without it. Several kids from our hometown are freshmen at Iowa this year and have all pledged a fraternity and they love it. I have not heard of any stories of negative interaction between Greeks and non-Greeks. My son thought it would take too much time as he is in engineering like beastman’s son. As a business major, you would probably make some valuable connections in a fraternity.</p>
<p>Justin: Direct admission to a Big Ten business school is a big deal. Don’t worry about the high percentage who remain in Iowa or Indiana if you plan to get an MBA–which should bring about national opportunities. If you don’t plan to get an MBA, then you need to expand your list of schools & apply to some in the region in which you want to live & work.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for taking the time to reply. I was able to gain knowledge to all of my questions. Thank everyone!</p>