<p>A friend's daughter has been accepted to the U of Iowa honors program with a nice scholarship. She is interested in writing and someone suggested she apply there because of its writing program. This is a serious student who would not love the party scene or the big-time sports, but I'm wondering if anyone here knows about the honors program and whether that would be a different environment. It sounds like their whole English Dept. is first rate, but if anyone has had experience with it, I'd appreciate that too.</p>
<p>Bethievt,
I can't help you with specifics of the honors program, but please make sure she understands that the "creative writing program" Iowa is famous for is a graduate level program. The English department itself is indeed quite strong, but if she's planning on majoring in creative writing as an undergraduate, she needs to research further.</p>
<p>I went back to the Fiske and Insider's guide and they say that the 3 graduate programs in writing each sponsor similar programs geared to undergrads.</p>
<p>I was a grad student in English there for a while. It was first-rate. I found Iowa to be surprisingly serious and intelletual. The state of Iowa takes education very seriously, and I'm sure the vast majority of the top high school grads in that state end up at the U of Iowa. Their high acceptance rate indicates that not everybody there is a flaming genius, but I think it's still a cut above your usual Midwestern state U. I would imagine their honors program would be superb.</p>
<p>Did the student apply to other colleges and universities? I have researched honors programs and colleges for many years now. Iowa is a mixed bag. All honors students are better off than the rest of the student body . Kenyon College is the best for her interests. You can PM me with lots of details and I will respond to the best of my abilities.</p>
<p>This is mostly hearsay and conjecture (Those are KINDS of evidence*), but I've heard worrisome things about the massive drinking culture there. Just the other day, there was a current student at UIowa posting about how hard it was for im (I think the poster was a "he") complaining about how hard it was to find intellectual students among the drunken partying lot. That being said, looking it colleges myself, I found some reputations to be right on and others that made me wonder if we were looking at the same school! So, your friend and her D should definitely visit and see for themselves.</p>
<p>PS. I don't want to become one of those rah-rah for my school types, but has she considered UMontana? It is known as having a top creative writing program with good access for undergrads. I'm taking a fiction writing course this semester, and so far I've been impressed. We were writing from practically day 1, not learning theory for ten weeks and saving the writing for the last five. Football is big here, but as a non-partier and non-sports fan, I've found more than enough to do here--probably too much! If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.</p>
<p>I don't go to UIowa (Born and bred a Cyclone :) ) but have friends who go there. The drinking cultures does seem overwhelming as a freshman, but after the freshman year drinking settles down more because kids move into their sororities/fraternities so its no longer in the dorms, kids go to the bars--19 to get in, alot of freshman are still 18 well into 2nd semester, and you have more priority in picking a substance free dorm or finding like-minded people who don't want to drink to live with. Some of my friends there are hardcore partiers and love it, others don't drink at all and have found that they have to do more "seeking" for non-drinking friends. None are in the Honors program but they most likely have an Honors dorm where kids may be more responsible and drink less. And she'll definitely have people to hang out with from the Honors program. I don't know specifics about the program though.</p>
<p>Yes, the guides are pretty clkear that U of I has a big drinking and sports culture. That's why I'm hoping the honors program would provide alternatives. From the website, it sounds like it might, but a school's own website is not usually going to tell "the rest of the story". It does have an honors dorm connected to an honors student center with its own activities, so that sounds promising.</p>
<p>She has applied to several other college; this is her safest safety. Hopefully, they'll have several options they can afford. But my friend was sounding very dismissive and negative about this one. I'm trying to help her love her daughter's safety (if it's worthy of love).</p>
<p>I'll be more specific than my last post. My best friend from high school goes to Iowa and she is not a partier. At all. Period. I don't mind a few drinks now and then but I don't like outrageous parties or drunkenness. She lives in a substance free hall but tells me every weekend about the people being obnoxiously loud and drunk and inconsiderate. It usually even starts on Wednesday nights. Here at Iowa State, some of my friends drink on Thursdays but Wednesday isn't a common time to get hammered. Anyway, my friend has already decided to transfer and waiting on admissions for schools for next year. She's not in honors but the party scene was just too much for her. If UIowa isn't one of her top choices and is only a safety, I'd keep it a last resort if not into the party scene.</p>
<p>It's clear to me that the general U of I population is way too party-ish for my friend's daughter. However, the honors program and the Iowa Writers Learning Community sound like they could be much better for her. She may very well be admitted to other colleges; I expect she will be, but I'm just trying to explore these different options within the school where she is already admitted with a good scholarship.</p>
<p>Again, I really appreciate your honesty. I have heard about obnoxiously loud disgustingly drunken behavior at schools I would consider starchy and straitlaced. And I was in college in the late 1960's and early 1970's and probably (who remembers?) was no saint either.</p>
<p>Yes, I can tell the general student body of U of Iowa is not a great match for my friend's studious, talented writing daughter, but I still wonder if there might still be a great place for her at this school.</p>
<p>All three kids of one of my friends were in the honors program at U of I and they did very well. In fact one of them went to Harvard Medical School and is now a successful surgeon in Palm Beach. The daughter, (a writer) works in New York City. They claim that the only way to go to the University of Iowa is to be in the Honors Program because of the party atmosphere. Has your friend's daughter talked to any of the students in her intended major? Maybe that will help. Good luck!</p>
<p>bethievt: Just a (realistic) little grace note. Based on my own experience, my daughter's experience, and a whole lot of reputational evidence, writers = drinking. I doubt there's a good substance free writing program anywhere. In the world.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info. I will suggest that my friend's daughter try to be in contact with a current student. She's a great student and someone U of I obviously wants to attract (hence the scholarship) so I'd think they'd help her with this.</p>
<p>JHS</p>
<p>Interesting comment. I hadn't made that connection, but now that you've said it, it makes more sense than I'd like it to.</p>
<p>Several of D's good friends are in the Honors program at UI. Their comments to me would indicate that the Honors dorm in NOT filled with partying types. In fact, the concern for them is that the kids are not social enough -- hard for them to find a good balance between the hard party group and the "I don't socialize, I only study" group. I'm sure this is probably an overstatement but 2 of the kids are unhappy enough that they are transferring next year. English program is good but as others noted, the famous Writers' Workshop is a graduate program.</p>