University of Iowa info

<p>I'm heavily considering applying to the University of Iowa. I was looking for city schools but ran across UI when looking at creative writing programs. From the research I've done on my own, I already love Iowa, however I have a few questions that can't really be answered by just trolling their website and etc.</p>

<p>I know the MFA program is stellar but what about the undergrad English/Creative writing track?</p>

<p>Also, what is the overall environment of IU? How academically rigorous is it? Is there enough flexibility to double major and add a minor? What kinds of graduate school options do UI grads pursue? Do they send students to top programs in the fields they're interested in?</p>

<p>According to the website my stats would make me eligible for consideration to their Honors program, can anyone tell me a little more about it? </p>

<p>How rural is Iowa City, if at all (I'm sorry if this question is weird, I'm an NYC girl)? Is there a large OOS population?</p>

<p>Also, I won't be able to visit the campus, so I want to ask if it is an attractive campus. Do they have a good library? I'm sufficiently obsessed with library aesthetics and have taken quite a few schools off of my list because they had ugly libraries.</p>

<p>Thank you so much, in advance.</p>

<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>

<p>Read this post a few days ago but wasn’t able to comment. I am currently leaving a post but only commenting base off what I remember from my recent reading a few days ago.</p>

<p>Iowa City is really nice, and the campus is great but as the city very hilly. Having a bike in the city can be magic but also a burden. Sometimes when walking up several hilly streets I couldn’t imagine using a bike after already roaming the campus. Downtown Iowa City is always vibrant and tons of shops. As a poster above said it is a hidden gem within the mid-west, or in other words great college towns.
The environment of Iowa City is very liberal and tolerant as is New York City, and the school is highly known for it’s education. You also shouldn’t feel out of place as over half of the students at the scchool ( well entering freshmen) are from out of state ( including myself).
Writing program is the nations best, and Iowa City is known as World City of Literature.
As for the school library I have seen much better ones, and I was somewhat suprise to find out what the school library looked like. It doesn’t stand out, and looks like a random building on campus. Though as other posters said there are other libraries on campus, and one downtown.</p>

<p>Redddd…I’ll chime in and try to add just a bit to what CB and Beast already posted. </p>

<p>My D wanted to try someplace out of state (from California) and hand picked Iowa out of several choices she had. Reasons – favorite campus she visited (warm feeling - even though it was a cold Feb day, very friendly people/students, easy to navigate), good balance between academic and social (might be too much social for the very serious type student), strong academics (but not “over the top” relative to what is a good fit for her), not too large (smallest public Big Ten school), great school spirit (try to watch the Iowa/Iowa State game on ABC or ESPN this Saturday afternoon for a sample), low cost (even for OOS - a Fiske BestBuy, and sounds like you may qualify for substantial merit aid with an early application). So far, D seems very happy there.</p>

<p>The administration is great – very fair, very organized, very straight forward, and supportive. Not coddling, but definitely helpful and caring. </p>

<p>By the way, there are a lot of pictures and video tours, blogs, etc available, on the uiowa.edu web site, in threads in this forum, and on YouTube, youniversityTV, etc. Read the student reviews on “uni go.com”. If you like books, you will love Prairie Lights Book Store (check it out on You Tube – even Barack Obama stopped there on a recent visit to iowa City a few months ago). </p>

<p>One final word – I’d strongly suggest you try to visit before selecting a school if at all possible. If not, review lots of virtual tours/videos/photos/blogs – you really need to be on a campus to get a sense of the vibe and whether it is a fit for you. My D changed her mind when she visited – based on web reviews and perception, she had been leaning somewhere else.</p>