College Decision Stress: Tips for Staying Calm

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You’ve spent months visiting campuses, submitting applications, and hearing back about admission statuses. However, just because you’ve put in all the hard work doesn’t mean your stress levels have gone down. You may have people constantly asking where you’re going and what you’re studying, and you likely have classmates who have already made their decisions.

We get it. Right now, it’s super easy to get overwhelmed and anxious about your future, especially if you haven’t decided on where to attend college.

But here’s the thing: it’s okay not to have everything figured out. That doesn’t mean you’re behind. There’s still time to select your university and choose a starting major.

We aren’t going to tell you not to stress, because that’s not how destressing works. However, we are going to share a couple of things to remember to help keep your stress levels down:

  • If you’re deciding between a couple of colleges, campus visits are a great choice to get a sense of if that university is for you. Plus, many places offer visit days just for admitted students.
  • Give yourself time for self-care. Throw on a face mask. Watch an episode of your favorite comfort show. And don’t forget to drink some water – you’re probably dehydrated!
  • Check your top university’s policies on housing applications. Many places, like Iowa, don’t require you to have accepted admission before submitting your housing application. If you’re really thinking about a school, you’ll appreciate having your spot in line for room selection when you make your decision to attend there.
  • Research ways to help fund your education. Finances can be a huge factor in your college decision, and it’s important to know the resources to lower your overall cost. At Iowa, we have a whole site that goes into detail about different ways to maximize your financial aid.
  • Enjoy the last months of your senior year. You likely won’t attend the same school as all your friends and you may not be involved in all the same activities and extra curriculars, so make sure to appreciate the time you still have with them.
  • Know that there is no wrong decision. While we’d love to welcome you to Iowa as a Hawkeye, you’re going to choose the college that’s the right fit for you.

Amazing things are coming your way. Take a deep breath, accept an offer of admission when you’re ready, and know you’re going to have an amazing college experience.

Go Hawks!

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Housing 3: the Deets

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Welcome to part three of our three-part housing series!
Part One: West Side, Best Side?
Part Two: Let’s Eat!

We’ve covered some of the highlights of housing and dining, so now let’s cover the process.

The housing application opened on January 5 for the 2023-24 year. This year, our housing process does not feature a first-come, first-served list as it has in the past. Instead, you will be assigned a selection date and time based on the month you apply for housing.

For example, if you apply for housing in the month of February, you will be given a random selection assignment along with everyone else who applied in February. Those who applied in January will have the earliest selection date, followed by your group in February, and so on.

That being said, it’s in your best interest to apply early in the spring if you have a strong preference for where you live. You can’t go wrong with any of our residence halls, though!

You will also be able to indicate your roommate on the application. You must select each other in order to be roommates – we want the other person(s) to have a say, too!

Don’t have a roommate just yet? That’s totally fine, too. You have until May 15 to submit a roommate request or you can have a random roommate.

Finally, consider joining a Living Learning Community (LLC) when you apply for housing. LLCs are interest or identity-based living groups. You will live on the same floor with a group of your peers who all share a commonality. This is a great way to get to know new students who share your interests.

So, that’s it! What can you do in the meantime? Visit campus! We will be offering Admitted Student Days, Junior Hawkeye Visit Days, and daily visits this spring. These are great opportunities to see campus and even speak with our Housing and Dining staff.

Stay tuned for more information on all things housing and dining later this spring.

Go Hawks!

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Housing 2: Let’s Eat!

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Welcome to Part two of our three-part series on housing! Find Part one here.

While we’re not Burger King, you can still have it your way! There are amazing dining options across campus with a variety of offerings. Here’s a breakdown of…

Market Places

Our traditional dining option, the market places, are located in Hillcrest Hall, Catlett Hall, and Burge Hall. These cafeteria-style dining halls offer an incredible variety of food options. You’ll find everything from Mediterranean to Asian cuisine, burger stations to self-serve soft-serve. Menus change daily and each market place offers slightly different specialties.

Retail Locations

In addition to our market places, you’ll find seven retail locations: Clinton Street Market, Grand Avenue Market, River Room Cafe, Union Station, Food for Thought Cafe, Pat’s Diner, and Mayflower Market. These dining locations offer fixed menus with easy access throughout campus. A unique aspect of these locations is the ability to use flex swipes. Flex swipes are additional meal swipes that can be used outside of the market places.

Now that we’ve talked about some of the places you can eat on campus, let’s talk about meal plans.

There are two primary meal plan options for students living on campus: the Gold meal plan and the Black meal plan. The key difference between these two plans is the amount of meal swipes. The Gold meal plan offers unlimited swipes, while the Black has a certain number of swipes for the semester.

For students living in Mayflower Hall or Parklawn Hall, you also have a third option: the Hawkeye meal plan. As these residence halls offer kitchens, you may not need as extensive of a meal plan, though you can always choose a Gold or Black meal plan!

For more information on what’s included in our various meal plans, check out our Dining website. You’ll also find information on special diets, nutrition, and more.

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Housing 1: West Side, Best Side?

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Welcome to a three-part series on housing at the University of Iowa!

Is the west side really the best side? Will the east side catch your eye? Let’s talk about the dividing topic of where to live on campus.

First and foremost, the University of Iowa is divided into two sections, east and west, as a result of the Iowa River.

If you have visited campus before, you’ve likely become acquainted with the east side of campus. Here, you’ll find our iconic Old Capitol building, the Iowa Memorial Union, and the Admissions Visitor Center. The east side is also home to the College of Liberal Arts, the largest college on campus. As our tour guides will share, the majority of your classes as an undergraduate student will be on the east side of campus. You’ll also find six residence halls: Burge Hall, Catlett Hall, Currier Hall, Daum Hall, Mayflower Hall, and Stanley Hall.

View of Old Capitol Building from Pentacrest sidewalk

Living on the east side makes getting to classes convenient, especially around the pentacrest. You’ll also be steps away from iconic downtown Iowa City (did we mention we’re located in a top college town?). From shopping to dining, there are amazing businesses to explore.

It’s easy to see the appeal of the east side – it appears to have everything! But not so fast; let’s look at the west side.

The west side of campus is home to various colleges including the College of Public Health and the College of Nursing. You’ll also find nearly all of our athletic facilities on the west side, including Kinnick Stadium and Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The west side is home to five residence halls: Hillcrest Hall, Parklawn Hall, Petersen Hall, Rienow Hall, and Slater Hall.

The west side offers a unique component – it’s across the river from the majority of classes. However, that gives you the perfect separation between school and home. This is often one of the main reasons our hardcore west side fans love living there. They go “home” at the end of the day and leave their work behind them.

If you happen to be into health sciences or would like to volunteer at the hospital, being on the west side puts you within steps of amazing medical facilities. There are countless opportunities to volunteer, work, and intern within the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics.

Finally, you can’t talk about the west side without addressing how much closer you are to the game-day action! With Kinnick Stadium mere blocks from you, getting to football games in the fall is a breeze. Come winter, you’ll also be a stone’s throw away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena where you can cheer on both men’s and women’s basketball.

View inside Kinnick Stadium during the Wave to the Children's Hosptial

Regardless of which side of the river you find yourself on, you’re going to have an amazing experience as a Hawkeye.

Want to explore the University of Iowa from the comfort of your home this winter? Check out our virtual tour for an immersive experience including 360° views of key campus locations, audio from our students, and more.

Go Hawks!

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It’s Finally Fall! Now What?

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It’s Iowa’s favorite season: fall! The air is crisp, the leaves turn gold, and the cheers from Kinnick can be heard for miles. You may be wondering, besides watching the Hawkeyes, what you should be doing during this beautiful time of year. Well, we’ve got you covered.

Two students walking in front of the Old Capitol building on a crisp fall day. The leaves in the foreground are brightly colored and have begun to fall onto the sidewalk where students are walking.

  1. Apply to Iowa! This may be the most obvious step, and you may have already completed it. If you haven’t applied yet, we strongly recommend applying before our November 1 Early Action deadline. This is a non-binding application, but it will get you the best consideration for aid, housing, honors, and more.
  2. Send your test scores. While test scores are optional, we strongly encourage students to submit test scores if they’re available (and you’re happy with them). Sending a test score will never reduce your scholarship or consideration, it can only help!
  3. Complete the FAFSA. The FAFSA opened on October 1, so it’s time to get started! You’ll need to have some important information on hand, and it might be best to complete this with a parent, guardian, or counselor. Our deadline to complete the FAFSA is December 1.
  4. Check your email. Make sure to regularly check your email to stay on top of any deadlines and events coming up! Important information will be coming your way, and you don’t want to miss it.

Have you checked off every item on this list? If so, there’s one more thing you can do…

Carve an amazing Hawkeye pumpkin and share it with us on Instagram! Use the hashtag #FutureHawkeye and you may receive some Iowa swag.

Happy Spooky Season!

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When Should I Apply?

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As we get closer to August and the start of the next school year, one of the most common questions we see from students is “when can/should I apply?”. With so many different application open dates, it’s easy to get overwhelmed or confused.

So, when should you apply to the University of Iowa?

The simple answer is the fall of your senior year.

Now for the long answer: the University of Iowa doesn’t have an official “open date” for our application. We make admissions decisions on a rolling basis beginning late August, which means we provide decisions as they’re ready as opposed to waiting for a set date. For example, if you apply on August 1, you may have to wait until the end of the month or September for your decision. However, if you apply in October, your decision could be available in just a couple of weeks.

One thing to note here is that Iowa accepts applications through our own application as well as the Common Application. Both the University of Iowa application and the Common Application open August 1.

the Old Capitol building framed by a tree with bright orange/red leaves

Is there an advantage to applying early?

Yes, and no. Beginning in 2021, Iowa implemented a November 1 Early Action deadline. This is not a binding agreement, but rather the date to maximize opportunities for college and/or department scholarships, honors program applications, housing applications, and other institutional deadlines. Basically, if you apply by November 1, you’ll be in the best position to be a Hawkeye!

Beyond making sure you have your application in prior to our deadlines (which vary based on department, interest, etc.), there is no benefit to applying the first day possible.

We encourage you to take your time and put your best foot forward on your application!

One other thing to remember: all three public Iowa universities use the Regent Admission Index (RAI) to inform admissions decisions*. The RAI is a formula to gauge whether you are admissible to the university. Learn more about the RAI here.

Iowa spirit squad member carrying tigerhawk flag across end zone at Kinnick Stadium

Still have questions? Our admissions counselors are always available to provide answers, insight, and guidance as you apply to college.

We’re so excited you’re considering being a Hawkeye!

Go Hawks!

*The RAI is subject to change as decided by the Board of Regents

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It’s a Hawkeye Summer

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As the song goes, “There’s a hundred and four days of summer vacation ‘til school comes along just to end it. So the annual problem for our generation is finding a good way to spend it…” Props to you if you get that reference*.

Summer is officially here and is a perfect time to explore your college options. What should you do, you ask? You can start (or continue) forming a list of possible schools, explore majors, and check out admission requirements. This is also a great time to schedule college visits!

Student giving campus tour to tour group.

Visiting campus is one of the best ways to narrow down where you see yourself spending the next few years of your life. In fact, most students we speak to say they found their perfect school while visiting! There are also a variety of visit formats to consider:

  1. Classic Campus Visit: These tend to be smaller groups and usually run throughout the year. At Iowa we call these “Daily Visits” but you may run into other terminology elsewhere. During these visits, we offer a half-day visit that includes an information session, a campus tour, and a residence hall tour.
  2. Large Group Visit Day: Our “Hawkeye Visit Days” are some of the largest events we host! These events will be an all-day experience including the basics, but also student panels, academic information sessions, and more. These are great if you want to get a full campus experience and don’t mind a couple hundred friends joining you.
  3. Specialty Visits: These can include academic, identity, or region-based events. Currently, you’ll find Iowa hosting “Friday Night Live” throughout the summer. This specific offering adds in a fun downtown element! You’ll be able to explore downtown Iowa City as part of your visit! Other examples include Explore Engineering, Pride Alliance Visit Day, Top Scholar Visit Day, and more. Check back throughout the year to see additional options.
  4. Virtual Visits: Not able to make it to campus? Explore virtual visit offerings! We have a variety of virtual tours including a 360° Virtual Campus Tour, videos on our YouTube Channel, and some information sessions. Information session availability will change throughout the year.

As you can see, there are a number of different visit options to help you narrow down your list of potential schools. Remember, the best visit option is the one that works for you and your family!

Herky (Iowa's mascot) sitting on grass with a group of students in the shade.

Do you have additional questions? Our admissions staff is available to help answer any questions and may provide some insight if you’re unsure of what visit option will best suit your needs.

We hope to see you on campus soon!

Go Hawks!

*Today Is Gonna Be a Great Day, Phineas and Ferb theme song

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Ready for Orientation? Three steps to prepare

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Hey Future Hawkeyes!

We’re so excited to have you arriving on campus soon! Before we get there, though, let’s talk about Orientation this year. As you know, there are two components of Orientation this year: Online Orientation (required) and Becoming a Hawkeye sessions (optional). We would love to see you on campus this summer, but understand if you can’t join us until this fall. Whichever you choose, here’s what you need to know:

Online Orientation

This is the required component of Orientation which includes advising and course registration.

  1. Complete pre-advising and placement tests in the Orientation Tile on MyUI. This must be done one week prior to the start of your orientation week.
  2. Once you complete the above steps, you will select a date and time to meet with your advisor and register for classes. This meeting will take 30-60 minutes on the day you choose.
  3. Complete the New Student Checklist items in the Orientation Tile before you arrive in Iowa City this August.

Becoming a Hawkeye

Students and families are invited to join us on campus to learn about resources, explore campus and Iowa City, and meet staff and other new Hawkeyes! Again, this is optional, but we highly encourage you to join us! You can register through the Orientation section of your Admissions Profile if you haven’t already.

Becoming a Hawkeye includes sessions for students as well as their family members. Students will participate in Small Group experiences with our Orientation Leaders, enjoy lunch with new Hawkeyes, and attend information sessions. Families will also have the ability to participate in their own sessions as well as lunch before reconnecting with their student at the end of the day.

After the main program, you’ll have the opportunity to connect one-on-one with campus resources and explore campus on your own as well!

If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact our office via phone at 319-335-1497 or via email at orientation@uiowa.edu.

Want to stay up-to-date with all things Orientation? Check out Orientation on Instagram and Facebook.

As always – On Iowa! Go Hawks!

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Guest Blog: What to Expect Your First Year as a Hawkeye

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The Iowa Admissions blog is dedicated to showing perspectives from around the university. Here, you’ll hear from Alaina, a junior from Madison, Wisconsin, about what it’s like your first year at Iowa.

What to Expect Your First Year as a Hawkeye

Your first few days on campus are going to be…crazy. A blur. Weird. Awkward. Amazing.

First of all, let’s just put it out there right now that no one knows what they’re doing immediately when they show up to campus. Just because it looks like everyone else knows what they’re doing, don’t worry—they’re all probably just as nervous as you are.

When I moved into my residence hall room back in August of 2015, it was almost a hundred degrees. I had my mom, my dad, my stepmom, and my best friend in tow to help me move all my stuff. I honestly don’t remember a ton about my first few days on campus—there was so much going on! I met my roommate, struggled to put together a futon, made friends with a bunch of people on my floor, got lost a couple times, and then all of a sudden classes were starting.

Somewhere in there, On Iowa! happened. On Iowa! is actually amazing because it gets you out of your room and out into campus, meeting people and making friends! It’s super fun and it helps fill those awkward couple of days between move in and the start of classes. It also helps you find your way around campus better so that you’re not completely lost before your first class starts.

Speaking of which, I would definitely recommend tracking down your classrooms before the first day actually happens. It’s not fun to be running all over the building trying to find your class and then getting there 10 minutes late on the first day.

I joined a lot of student orgs my first year, and I’m no longer in any of them. But that’s okay! I didn’t hate them, but I decided they weren’t for me and joined different ones the next year. In my opinion, that’s the best part of college: you get to stop doing things if you decide you don’t like them. Don’t fit in with the student orgs you joined? That’s okay, join different ones! Realize you hate your major even though you were sure that’s what you wanted to study? Happens to lots of people—you can change it if you want! Don’t get along with your roommate? That’s okay, you’ll be living somewhere else next year.

I think the hardest part of college to get used to is the amount of freedom you have. This is your life. This is your school. Do what you want, not what you think anyone else wants. You have four years to make this into whatever you want it to be. Your first year is going to go by in a blur, so make the most of it! Take pictures and write stuff down because you’re going to want to remember this.

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Guest Blog: Dentistry at Iowa

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The Iowa Admissions blog is dedicated to showing perspectives from around the university. Here, you’ll hear from Grant, a senior from Ottumwa, Iowa, who is about to graduate and go to the College of Dentistry at Iowa.

Dentistry at Iowa

One of the unique aspects The University of Iowa has to offer is its close proximity to world-class health sciences programs. This gives undergraduate students opportunities for exposure to graduate and professional experiences in various fields. A great example is The University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, which offers undergraduate students unmatched exposure to the field of dentistry and gives them insight into the admissions process for dental school.

My interest in dentistry began towards the end of my junior year of high school after doing a career exploration project for a class. I had always been interested the health sciences, but hadn’t quite honed in on a specific field. After learning more about dentistry, I realized it was perfect for me because it combined the health sciences and the opportunity for me to work with my hands every day.

As I was going through the process of choosing colleges, I visited The University of Iowa. I chose to come here after a wonderful visit to campus where I felt right at home. That “feel” was the majority of my reason for choosing to come here. Once I got here is when I realized what an outstanding luxury it is to have such a fantastic dental school here on campus.

Once I got to campus in the fall of 2014 I ended up choosing Human Physiology as my undergraduate major and later added a chemistry minor. During my first few semesters of college, my coursework was composed mainly of science classes. These science classes were the pre-requisite classes that I was required to take to get into dental school. In my later semesters here at Iowa, my coursework has shifted to upper level courses in my major that I chose to take because they will help me down the road in dental school, or just simply because I thought they sounded interesting.

The summer after my junior year of college, I took the Dental Admissions Test (DAT). I took this test about a month after finals were over. Between finishing finals and taking the DAT, I spent every single day (except Memorial Day) studying, preparing, and taking practice tests. After I took the test, I submitted all of my application materials and was invited to interview at The College of Dentistry in early September. At my interview, I was very impressed with how nice and helpful everyone was. The interview was not what I expected at all. My interviewers were genuinely interested in learning more about me as a person and were not intimidating at all. When that interview day was all said and done, I was even more impressed with what an excellent program The University of Iowa College of Dentistry is.

On December 1st 2017, the national day that schools can start giving out acceptances, I was notified that I had earned a seat in the class of 2022. To say this was a huge relief would be a serious understatement. Iowa was the only school I applied to and the only program I wanted to be part of ever since I decided to pursue dentistry, so to earn a seat in their program means a tremendous amount to me.

In a few short weeks, I will be graduating and finishing my undergraduate experience. In August, I will begin dental school. I can’t wait to start taking classes and learning technical skills that I will be using every day in my career. Iowa is a phenomenal program with world-class faculty in all of the officially recognized dental specialties which will give me an opportunity to gain experience in all disciplines of dentistry. The college also just underwent a major renovation and I am really looking forward to learning in the new clinics and classrooms. Over the next four years I hope to learn as much as I can in order to be the best dentist possible for my patients. Plus, I’m pretty excited to spend four more years in Iowa City!

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