<p>Hi I'm interested in Iowa and I was wondering if anybody had any info or comments about Iowa?
Anything about the school really, food, dorms, class sizes, location, athmosphere...etc
:) Any input is greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>Roxi,
Give us a little context and we can maybe help you out. What are you intending to study? Where else are you looking? Coe, Marquette, Xavier? These are all private schools with vastly different cultures. Have you visited any of them? All of them? Enrollment at Iowa is 20k undergrads, at Coe it’s 1300. These schools are as different as night and day. Marquette is bigger - my son’s second choice after Iowa for engineering. About 5k enrollment I believe. Still, very different - urban Jesuit Milwaukee vs. small midwestern college town with big football vibe.</p>
<p>So what’s the common denominator that makes all these schools of interest to you?</p>
<p>I’m undecided/pre-dentistry I feel like I’m going to change my major a lot in college. I want a college with small class sizes and I like that Iowa a lot of school spirit! I would love to tailgate and go to football games in college. I want a traditional dorm setting so thats why I’m not applying to schools in Chicago annymore(most are commuter)</p>
<p>roxi, the pros and cons vary depending on your perspective. I can tell you that my daughter LOVES most things about UI. She’s a sophomore this year and has blossomed intellectually, academically, and socially because of her experiences at Iowa. </p>
<p>She loves the school spirit, the challenge of her courses (STEM major), the opportunities that have been offered to her (she has a job in a research lab and has traveled to a third world country to offer medical aid to its citizens), and the overall friendly attitude of the student population.</p>
<p>The only thing she doesn’t and didn’t like is the weather in the winter, dorm life (thank God that’s over), dorm food, and some of her gen ed classes. </p>
<p>If you want to attend a Big 10 school, want school spirit, expect a great education, and want to be surrounded by friendly people then take a closer look at Iowa.</p>
<p>At any large university (and I’d include Marquette) your first and likely second year classes will consist of lectures in large halls with several hundred students, combined with discussion sections with many fewer students.</p>
<p>In terms of school spirit and sports identity, Iowa has it in spades during football season. During winter and spring there is not the same sports crazed environment although all year long students are very loyal to the school. It is unlikely you will experience the same degree of this at smaller LACs. Marquette is a bit of a hybrid - much larger than a small school but smaller than a big public school. It has its basketball team which generates excitement but their games are off-campus; you either bus to the game or walk a long way. </p>
<p>In terms of your academics, my guess is that you can study pre-dent at any of these schools, and the school where you do graduate work will be more important than where you do undergrad.</p>
<p>I strongly suggest you visit these schools. You will know almost instantly if you like the feel. Also, if you desire a lot of individual attention from advisors and faculty you are far more likely to get that at a smaller school. At Iowa you will have to be pretty assertive to find the help you may need.</p>
<p>" Also, if you desire a lot of individual attention from advisors and faculty you are far more likely to get that at a smaller school. At Iowa you will have to be pretty assertive to find the help you may need." </p>
<p>My daughter has had excellent advisers. She has two as she is double majoring and both have given her excellent advice and respond when she contacts them. This could be because she doesn’t take no for an answer 
or because her particular advisers are just really good. </p>
<p>Beastman is right about getting more attention at a smaller school, but if you seek out help, Iowa seems to be more than helpful to its students.</p>
<p>Just to add a little to LM2K’s and Beast’s responses (which as usual, I agree with) – our D travels all the way from California to attend Iowa. She selected Iowa because it has a great blend of the large university benefits and great school spirit, combined with a smaller town atmosphere and friendliness. She also found the campus to be more attractive than many campuses that she visited. </p>
<p>She has found her instructors and the Iowa administration to be very helpful, supportive and responsive – more like what I’d expect at a smaller school. The way the campus is organized, it also feels more like a large liberal arts campus than like a prototypical Big Ten mega campus. It is very easy to navigate, without feeling constraining, and people there are very friendly. </p>
<p>The dorm rooms are very large compared to other schools, and the food is average. Class sizes seem very reasonable for a large school. </p>
<p>Of course, make sure to conduct a thorough visit (if you haven’t already) to see if the school and the Iowa campus vibe is right for you. </p>
<p>Good Luck!</p>
<p>Iowa City is a cool little college town.</p>
<p>What is great about UI’s COB, it’s doesn’t limit the number of applicants to it’s accounting degree program unlike Mizzou. It’s a competitive program as well. Only negative I recalled was the river dividing the campus. Also a possible flood issue.</p>
<p>Just a different perspective on the river cutting the campus in two issue that 2BNoir mentions. </p>
<p>Before we visited when our D was a HS senior, I thought that was too bad that the river cuts the campus in half. At the admissions session, the presenter pointed out that most undergrad classes are on the east side of the river along with downtown, so it can make the campus seems a little more compact and easier to navigate. </p>
<p>Since our D was looking for a smaller “big school”, it has actually turned out to be perfect for her. She likes the small part because it is easier to navigate and feels a little more personal, yet Iowa has the benefits of a Big Ten campus - school spirit, bug time sports, nice college town, deep resources, etc. </p>
<p>Although she has had a couple classes on the west side, she has spend almost all her time on the east side and I’d say it has helped Iowa feel a little more manageable and less overwhelming. </p>
<p>I could see how a student in the dorms on the west side could feel a little removed, although the walk across the river is fairly short and it is an interesting geographical feature. Some would prefer a separation of dorm from classes and downtown. Finally, Iowa is taking a steps to mitigate risks of future floods after the flood from a few years back damaged several low lying buildings along the river.</p>