University of Iowa Top Questions

Being from Minnesota, I catch a lot of crap from everyone because for some reason Minnesotans inherently make fun of Iowa....I guess I still can't figure it out. I love this school because it has a comfortable small town environment: it's not in an urban area like the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities or the University of Illinois in Champaign. Iowa students have a lot of pride for their school sports too because, unlike many other states, Iowa lacks major professional sports teams. Our football games draw people from all over the state and even neighboring states. Every game is sold out and we all love our Hawkeyes even if we lose.

The University of Iowa is an amazing University. There are literally endless opportunities and many activities to participate in. I think the size of the University of Iowa is perfect. It is the second smallest big 10 university, which gives its students the advantages of attending a big ten university, with 10,000 less students.

I love Iowa. It's a large school, but there are so many organizations and clubs that it's easy to find your niche. If you want to party, it's available, but if you don't, there are so many other oppurtunities -- a lot of them are free! I also love the campus itself. It's beautiful and easy to get around. There are a lot of walking trails that go along the river. I like to take walks along it when it's nice out. People are always running or walking dogs or biking. Plus there is free Cambus service. It's also easy to get around the community. You can catch a bus to the Coralville mall, anywhere in Iowa City, or wherever. The town is great. It's really lively and cultural just like a college town should be. Although there are more bars than anything downtown, it's a fun place to hang out and it's very pedestrian-oriented.

I love Iowa and I hoped to stay here my entire school career, even going to graduate school. The education I've gotten so far makes high school look like a joke and it has shown me what real hard work is in school. The teachers are wonderful and the student I live with in the halls of my learning community are fantastic. The sad fact is, however, it's too expensive for an average, lower class student. By not receiving a super high GPA in high school or being in every possible club, scholarships are next to impossible to receive. Yes, financial aid is good--if you live in state. Out of state tuition is almost to the point of disgusting and is actually rising this year. The University is also not going to guarantee loans anymore. I have already been denied, so it has one less student. At least for its undergrad program.

Everyone is proud to say they are a Hawkeye! Iowa is the perfect size for a school. It is large enough that you have to take care of yourself and seek out help if you need it, but it is small enough that it is easy to find a good group of friends. There are always new people to meet, and new things to get involved in. Iowa was by far the friendliest campus out of those I toured. Most of the classes you'll have in the first year or two are on the east side of the rive, on or near the pentacrest, making it easy to get to and from class. In Iowa City, many of the restaurants downtown turn into bars at night. Because of their day time activity, these places can let anyone in until 10:00 pm. After that time, some bars have a permit to allow 19 and 20 year-olds in to "dance". Others don't. Many say only 21 and older should be allowed in the bars after 10pm. Every couple years a vote comes up in the local legislature to attempt to ban 19 and 20 year-olds in these venues late at night. Everyone on campus and in Iowa City has an opinion on the matter, but it has yet to pass as an ordinance. Iowa City definitely has a large portion of town that is college-oriented. The downtown right across from the University and has many cute little shops, coffee houses, and restuarants. There is also a more residential area of Iowa City that most student never see. At one point I needed a copy of a document to be considered for a scholarship. I had thought I lost my copy of the document, and I knew it was something the University had to have on file for my financial aid. They take a scan of all paperwork they get, and then they shred the documents. They couldn't find the file of the document anywhere in there system and could not find the hard copy. Then they had the brilliance to ask me to send them a copy if I found it because they needed to have it on file to keep giving me my financial aid! Luckiliy I found my copy later, or they would have totally messed up my financial aid package by losing that paper!

I spend most of my time in the hawlkeye, school library, in my dorm, at the mall. In other people's dorm rooms. Everyone that has gone to Iowa and knows Iowa have nothing bad to say about it. Before i came here, and I would tell people, they say that i would have a blast and that the campus was beautiful and they were right. I have nothing bad to say about it. Everyone is nice. Everyone is helpful.

I just love this school in general. I think it is the perfect size-not overwhelmingly big, but big enough that i never get bored. The campus is beautiful, and the quality and variety of classes and programs offered is great. I absolutely love going to the football games-people are very supportive of their football team.

The main campus is a perfect size. It is very easy to get around town because of the cambus serivices as well as the free shuttle routes that go to off campus housing. Iowa city is a safe and friendly place to live and obtain an education. if you are set on going to a big ten school out of state(like i chose to do), iowa is still the lowest out of state tuition! Tailgating for football games is HUGE!!!! We are known for having one of the best tailgates in the nation. The fans are true fans, even if our Hawks aren't doing too well and even if the weather is bad, people will still come out to the newly renovated Kinnick stadium and support the team. There are way too many experiences that i will always remember to name (some of which i don't remember very well, but thats all in the fun of being in college). The most frequent student complaints are usually associated with the Iowa City police...they love to raid the bars (you only have to be 19 to get into the majority of the bars in iowa city) and write underage drinking tickets called PAULAS. Ohh and the meter man is not a nice man!

The school is a perfect size and the thing I like the best is how the town and the college intermix. You can walk everywhere on campus and after being here for a few months the big campus just seems like your own playground. All the people are extremely helpful and friendly and you could not ask for more out of a college. Iowa provides the best college experience out of any major university.

I come from a small town so adjusting to Iowa was different. There is a bigger city atmosphere but it is not that big of a city. Most of the teachers are easy to get ahold of and will help in any way possible. Football games are probably one of the best environments to feel the school's pride. The biggest complaint I have heard deals with the poor plowing of the roads during winter.