<p>redddd,
I can shed light on some of your questions but not all.</p>
<p>As for creative writing at undergrad level, no light to shed. I’ve been on this forum nearly daily for a year or more and I can’t honestly recall a discussion about it. I suppose that in the absence of better information you could imagine that there is a fair amount of crossover in faculty and approach between undergrad and masters’ programs but that’s just a shot in the dark.</p>
<p>Iowa is not rigorous in general but that could be different in their writing program which is indeed nationally recognized. When my son and I looked at engineering schools, we found that the flexibility of an Iowa education far outweighed what it lacked in prestige. He will (hopefully) graduate with far more research and work experience than he would at glitzier schools and thus potentially land himself a better job. I believe a double major is probably a safe bet for a motivated student. They also have something called a “certificate” which is akin to a minor - how it differs I’m not sure but you can look into it. As for post-grad paths, that is highly specific to the degree as I’m sure you can imagine. Remember that Iowa is a pretty big public research university, and while it has a handful of programs that attract motivated students from all over, it also attracts Joe Average Iowa Resident who is there because of in-state tuition and that sort of directionless belief that going to college is better than the alternatives. In other words, the University as a whole is not a fast-track or incubator for any particular sort of hotshot grad student. I strongly suggest that you phone an advisor within creative writing who will happily talk to you for 30mins about your interest in their program. The level of helpfulness you will find amongst administration at Iowa will surprise and please you.</p>
<p>Honors is awesome and I cannot say enough about it. It has its own website which is comprehensive but almost too much so - it requires about a solid hour of reading to really get it figured out. But in general, here’s the scoop. Unlike a lot of honors programs, it is not super-exclusive (admittance is automatic based on ACT and GPA and about 1/4 of incoming freshman are included) or elitist. The head of the department has a very distinct philosophy which is that smart students are motivated not by lots of rules and requirements but by OPPORTUNITIES to do interesting things. Students in the honors program are not required to do anything at all. They can ignore the entire program and the awesomely helpful Blank Honors Center for their entire time at Iowa. The caveat is that they don’t graduate with honors - there are requirements that must be met for this, but they are extremely flexible and not esp. difficult. They strongly emphasize that the honors sections of classes are not more difficult, they’re just more engaging and that GPAs tend to go up rather than down. Another strong belief is that living in community with others of similar interests increases participation and engagement, so Iowa has an entire honors dorm (Daum) and an Honors “Nexxus” within the Mayflower dorm. Nexxus is yet another tweak of the honors dorm concept - this guy loves tweaks and variations.</p>
<p>The Blank Honors Center has its own advisors, student abroad people, peer advisors, so many advisors I’m not sure what they all do. It also functions as a mini-Union with study and social spaces and a stocked snack bar. As far as I know, it’s the only one of its kind in the country. It is connected to Daum, which is handy in wintertime.</p>
<p>Iowa City is a small city and it’s fairly progressive. Univ of Iowa has strong creative programs like theater, music and writing so it’s the most progressive of the Iowa universities and the town reflects this. Immediately adjacent to campus is a funky downtown area with numerous restaurants, vintage boutiques, and yes, a lot of college bars with drink specials and so-so atmosphere. Of course I’m 49, not 21 and my idea of a great bar is not the same as the average student’s. IC has been described as an oasis amongst the cornfields. It is a college town, for sure, with more than its share of organic produce and Indian restaurants and places to buy Birkenstocks.</p>
<p>Large OOS? Yes, esp. as compared to other large state schools. About 60% OOS, I believe. As for NYC residents, I cannot say how many there are but probably not a ton as NY state does not rank in the top 5 non-Iowa feeder states. That said, Iowa like other Big Ten schools such as Indiana are recruiting heavily out East and are attractive to a segment of that population who wants something besides the more typical choices. It’s frankly difficult for me to imagine anyone not liking Iowa as the students and staff/faculty are simply too friendly and accepting. My son has been there two weeks and is having a great time with his dorm buddies, exploring IC, the new rec center, etc. School spirit at Iowa is extremely high and football is a big deal. Even if you’re not a fan I’d participate because the campus absolutely explodes on football weekends. It is not to be missed.</p>
<p>Library?? Who knows!? We never saw it. There are multiple libraries on campus and we saw only the one in Engineering.</p>