Sauvik

The four UI Cultural and LGBTQ Resource Centers provide a “Home Away From Home” for many students. Regardless of  sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity, or religion, students find that each center is an open and welcoming space for studying, attending events, or just relaxing and meeting new people!

The mission of each resource center is to provide intra- and cross-cultural education for all students. Functionally, the cultural centers provide ample space, computer access, and additional resource materials and libraries.

They provide welcoming all-inclusive social and meeting rooms, kitchens, and dining areas year-round. Such programs provide all students with a chance to celebrate and stretch themselves to think about local and global topics. They foster an environment for students to connect within their familiar communities and learn about new cultures.

Our current cultural and resource centers include:

In addition to the Cultural and LGBTQ Resource Centers, there are over 50 multicultural student organizations at the University of Iowa that provide programming, service, educational programs, and cultural experiences to the campus community.

I challenge all students to move beyond first impressions and to discover the diversity around them.

– Sauvik

As fall calmly comes to a close with Halloween and Thanksgiving in a few weeks, the college admissions process is in full swing. At times you may have different questions and different needs from us who work in Office of Admissions. Our job as counselors is to create ways to help answer your questions. Below is a list of ways you can connect with us!

• Call
  If you have an urgent or quick question never hesitate to call us at 319-335-1566. If you cannot reach a counselor on your first try leave a message and we will call you back!
• Email
  If you have a question which is not urgent like a major change or a general question feel free to email us at admissions@uiowa.edu and we will get back to you within 48 hours.
• High School Visits
  Great way for you to meet your Admission Counselor! It saves you a trip to campus and gets your questions answered face to face. Keep an eye out for our visits by checking in with your high school counselor.
• College Fairs
  If you would like to cover general topics in admissions or would like to get some basics about our school this is a perfect time to come chat with us! See what college fairs we’ll be visiting in the upcoming months.
• Individual Visit
  Come visit with us on campus! We can sit down with you and your family and answer questions that are specific to your scenario. To schedule these appointments you can call us at 319-335-1569 or sign up online.
• Hawkeye Visit Day
  These events typically attract more than 700 prospective students and parents for a first look with a broader overview of the university, featuring a full day of activities led by university staff and students. Check out the upcoming Hawkeye Visit Days.
• Multicultural Visit Days
  It is a fantastic program and a great way to learn about the diverse cultural and academic opportunities available at the University of Iowa.
• Admitted Student Visit Days
  These events typically attract more than 400 admitted seniors in high school and parents for a more in-depth look at their next steps and a glimpse of student life. These events are typically in the spring. Check our campus visit site early in the spring for upcoming admitted student events.
• Junior Hawkeye Visit Days
  Don’t worry juniors we still have programs for you in the spring as well! We will cover things you need to be doing in high school to be prepared for the application process.
• Saturday Visits
  If you do not want to miss school we offer Saturday visits which encompass a presentation and walking tour.
• Departmental Visit Days
  If you have specific questions for the major you wish to go into you can sit down with advisors and representatives of the program to discuss specifics on coursework. Specific departments choose to host these events some of which include our Business Visit Day, Explore Engineering@Iowa, and more!
• Virtual Visits
  By logging into PrepTalk you can listen in on different topics covered by our Admission Counselors.
• Next Step Iowa events
  We take our Admitted Student Visit Days to a location near you. Typically we host them in Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa.

We can always help you figure out which option is best for you– just give us a call!

Hope to see you soon!

Sauvik

A 1st Generation College Student means that you are the first person in your family to attend a four year institution. If this is the case the world of college admissions can be a confusing one to navigate. This is your GPS from the start of the college search to the destination of your dream school!

1. Do your research
   Interact with colleges you may be interested as much as possible. College visits are not always possible because of costs of travel or distance. The good news is college representatives can be found visiting most areas. The University of Iowa for example travels all across the state/nation/world. Listen to those morning announcements at your high school for college reps coming to visit or local area college fairs that you can attend.
2. Stay organized
   I always tell students that I meet with to create a new email account that is specifically used for college applications. This is an easy way to organize your personal emails and your school emails. Make sure to also open and read each email sent. These emails contain important information you do not want to miss!
3. Identify deadlines
   You’ll be filling out lots of forms for each school so it’s important to know what form is due when. Making a calendar can help you keep track of application deadlines for financial aid, scholarships and housing applications.
4. Find the best matches
   There are over 4,000 schools all across the nation. It is not possible or ideal to apply to each institution. The average student applies to about 10 schools, and having a shorter list from the beginning will make your life easier! You want to make sure you did do your research on admission requirements, campus and student life. I always challenge students to think of three things you want to see in a college. By finding the right fit you will do better in your courses, get involved, and feel comfortable on campus.
5. Understand financial aid award packages
   Once you find the schools where you’d like to apply and have been admitted to you will want to make sure you understand what the costs are going to be. Financial aid is a key determinant for a lot of students for where they attend. If you have questions about that award always call the respective financial aid offices.
6. Accept admission
   May 1st is the national decision day. You will want to make sure to let the school know by this date that you wish to attend. Make sure to send your deposit to your school and ask your school counselor to send your final transcripts and official test scores during the summer.

Congratulations, you made it to your final destination!

As finals week comes to a close, my favorite time of the year begins – summer! Although I don’t have a summer break, I can attest nothing beats a summer in Iowa City. Below is a list I complied of some of my favorite things to do while in Iowa City during the summertime.

1. Commencement, 15^th – 16^th of May

There’s no better way to thank the Class of 2015 for their contributions to the University of Iowa than wishing them good luck as they approach the next step in their life during the commencement ceremonies. You can find our commencement ceremonies all across campus – from Carver Hawkeye Arena – to the Iowa Memorial Union.

2. Summer of the Arts, 5^th – 7^th of June

The Iowa Arts Festival started in 1983 and attracts around 35,000 people to Iowa City throughout the course of the weekend.

This year, Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Marc Cohn kicks things off on Friday night. Marc Cohn, best known for the hit “Walking in Memphis”, takes the stage at 7 PM. Performances continue throughout the weekend.

Attendees can also find artist demonstrations, culinary row and children’s activities.

3. Iowa City Farmers Market, Wednesdays and Saturdays

The Iowa City Farmers Market provides a venue where local farmers, producers, crafters and artisans come together to provide a variety of fresh produce and related products to shoppers. They also provide an awesome educational experience for consumers to learn about the uses and benefits of locally grown or prepared food products.

4. Friday Night Concert Series, Presented by Toyota-Scion of Iowa City, 15^th of May

The Friday Night Concert Series takes place on the Pedestrian Plaza at the Weatherdance Fountain Stage outside of the Sheraton Iowa City Hotel. Concerts run every Friday from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.  Bring your lawn chair, grab some dinner downtown, and enjoy the show!

List of performers: http://www.summerofthearts.org/festival-menu/concert-series/schedule.aspx

5. OnIowa! 21^st – 23^rd of August

On Iowa! Is the welcome program for the Class of 2019. On Iowa! Events begin on Friday at Kinnick Stadium, where students will learn university traditions, the Iowa Fight Song, and take their class picture.

On Saturday and Sunday, they’ll sample a class, create goals for the semester, and learn about campus resources.

On Iowa! Closes with Convocation and dinner with the University of Iowa President at the President’s Block Party.

Sauvik

“I’m a #Sauvlieber”

I recently came home from an international recruiting trip to India. I left Iowa on January 16^th and was gone until February 2^nd. This was my second international recruiting trip for IOWA. After having this experience abroad I decided that everyone should have this experience at some point in their lifetime. Here is a list of the three reasons I believe everyone should travel the world. (Also, I made sure to include some pictures from my travels.)

3 Reasons Why Everyone Should Travel the World:

1. Tackling a new Challenge-

Nothing will take you further out of your comfort zone than stepping on a flight and landing 24 hours later across the world. Whether you backpack across a mountain range solo, or discover a new city amongst thousands of others, you will come across challenges. You will quickly learn how to plan and execute tasks by yourself. It’s never a bad thing to ask for help, but knowing that you can overcome challenges on your own when you need to is immeasurable.

2. Stranger to Friend-

If you find yourself traveling with a group of people you have never met before, don’t sweat it. The 11 strangers I traveled across India with on my recruiting trip became some of my best friends. Traveling relationships develop quickly because of the new environment and the difficulty of being far from the comfort of home. Just remember, all of your best friends were once strangers.

3. New environment, new things-

When you spend time in different cultures you begin to break down the stereotypes you may have. You quickly discover how many things you have in common with people who appear to be very different than yourself. You also begin to appreciate what it is about your identity that makes you unique.

Now, these are all great reasons to go abroad, but this is my personal list. I want you to have the opportunity to do the same. How can you accomplish this at The University of Iowa???

Through the Study Abroad Office! Last year, Iowa had over 1,000 students study abroad in 75 different countries worldwide. If you even have the slightest interest, I would encourage you to look into this life-changing experience. Here is a link that will show you the first steps in studying abroad: http://international.uiowa.edu/study-abroad/first-steps/steps

Sauvik

“I’m a #Sauvlieber”

January 1^st is big for two reasons:

1. It’s the start of a new year!
2. For Seniors, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will become available!!! (Not as exciting, but VERY important)

You may be asking yourself, “What in the world is the FAFSA and why is it so important?”

To put it simply, completing the FAFSA is your first step in receiving financial aid to pay for college. Your FASFA results can qualify you to receive financial aid in the form of grants, scholarships and loans based on financial need. So, if you would like to receive financial aid to assist you in paying for college, you must fill out a FAFSA (like I said, it’s pretty important!).

The earlier you can submit your FAFSA the better. At the University of Iowa, we would like the FAFSA document as soon as possible, so completing and submitting your FAFSA on January 2^nd is ideal. The Office of Student Financial Aid will receive the results from your online FAFSA one to two weeks after you submit the document.

Now you may have a lot of questions about completing the FAFSA, and understandably so.

To assist you with these questions, I have provided a “Cliff Noted” guide to filling out the FAFSA below:

1. How do I access the FAFSA?
   • You will find the FAFSA Application online at https://fafsa.ed.gov/
   • The first thing you will do is create a U.S. Department of Education Personal Identification Number (PIN). The PIN will be your personalized login to access your personal information. You can get your PIN at this link: https://pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp
2. What information/documents will I need as I fill out the FAFSA?
   • Your social security number
   • Your parent’s social security number
   • Your driver’s license number
   • Federal tax information or tax returns
3. How will the University of Iowa obtain my FAFSA results?
   • When competing the FAFSA, you will have the option to choose up to ten schools to send your FAFSA results to. The schools will then automatically receive the results electronically.
4. How do I submit the FAFSA?
   • Before the application can be submitted you will have to sign the document with your PIN. After signing and submitting the document, you will receive a confirmation email indicating that your FAFSA has been received.

5. So I submitted the FAFSA, now what?
   Sit tight. After reviewing your FAFSA results, The Office of Student Financial Aid will send you an email instructing you to check your award notification in your ISIS account. The award letter will list out what kind of aid you qualified for and provide you with a new estimated cost of attendance.

A tip sheet has been created by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) to help students in unique situations.
NASFAA has also composed a list of  tips and common mistakes to avoid (PDF) when filing the FAFSA.

And don’t forget, if you ever need any help we are here for you! Below is the contact information for our Office of Student Financial Aid.

Phone; 319-335-1450
Email: financial-aid@uiowa.edu

Sauvik

The University of Iowa athletics department presented its second ever “card stunt” last Saturday before the Iowa and Northwestern University football game.

Fans were able to showcase their support for farmers and veterans before kickoff. Below are some of the images captured.

(Photos by Tim Schoon. Aerials by Bill Adams.)

You can find more of their pictures here at this link.
http://now.uiowa.edu/2014/11/card-stunt-kinnick-honors-farmers-veterans

Sauvik

“I’m a #Sauvlieber”

This past Saturday, the Admissions Office along with The University of Iowa welcomed over 2,800 prospective students and family members to campus during You@UI. The idea of this visit day was to make it all about you, the student! Students had the ability customize their schedule and attended conference-style sessions based on academics, student success and student life. All students ended their day with a VIP trip to Kinnick Stadium!

Want a glimpse of Saturday? Follow the link below:

https://storify.com/iowaadmissions/youui-2014

If you were not able to make it on the 25th, don’t worry, there are plenty of future visits available. We offer several different visit options throughout the year, including the program dates listed below as well as daily visits Monday through Saturday.

Fall

• October 31
  Multicultural Visit Day
• November 7
  Hawkeye Visit Day
  Transfer Day
• November 14
  Hawkeye Visit Day
  Transfer Day
• December 6
  Explore Engineering@Iowa

 Spring

• February 14
  Explore Engineering@Iowa
• February 16
  Admitted Student Day
• February 21
  Business Preview Day
• February 27
  Admitted Student Day
• March 6
  Admitted Student Day
• March 7
  Explore Engineering@Iowa
• April 11
  Explore Engineering@Iowa

You can sign up for any visit option here: http://admissions.uiowa.edu/visit-campus or by calling 319-335-1566.

Hope to see you on campus!

Sauvik

“I’m a #Sauvlieber”

In 2004 Herky on Parade was the largest public art project ever produced in the Iowa City/Coralville area. It was a collaboration between the University of Iowa, the Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, City of Coralville and City of Iowa City. 10 years later they are back to celebrate the 10^th anniversary with around 80 Herky statues! They will remain on display starting this month through the fall.

I remember the original Herky on Parade event.  As a 7^th Grader my middle school helped design one of these statues (Ours was the best). For those of you who have visited our office have seen one of the original statues. (it looks like this)

The statues start off blank and then are matched with artists that will begin to paint them. After the fall these Herky statues will be auctioned off to support the United Way of Johnson & Washington Counties.

For students who just joined the Hawkeye Family, you will be able to see a lot of these statues during your Orientation date or at OnIowa! Any visitor to the Iowa City/Coralville area is also welcome to join in on the fun and judge the statues for themselves!

I will be going on a mission to find as many of these as I can. I will continually update this blog post with my pictures!

If you find one of these Herky’s feel free to comment below this post with where you found it and a picture!

“I’m a # Sauvlieber”

Qin Terracotta Warrior Herky
Artist: Yan Zheng, Iowa City, IA
Sponsor: Heart Workshop

Big Foot Herky
Artist: Jeff Roetman, Iowa City, IA
Sponsor: Two Rivers Bank & Trust

Graduation Herky
Artist: Anne Johnson, Iowa City, IA
Sponsor: University of Iowa Office of the President

Journey of a Warrior Herky
Artist: Jonathan Northrup & Tate High School Art Studio Students, Iowa City, IA
Sponsor: Tate High School

Rough Hewn Herky
Artist: Tom Newport, Cedar Rapids, IA
Sponsor: Holiday Inn & Express

#Herky
Artist: de Novo Alternative Marketing Team
Sponsor: de Novo Alternative Marketing Team

As spring rolls in and summer approaches, this is a great time to visit campuses all across the nation. Campus visits are an excellent opportunity to experience an institution and will help you make the right college choice. Besides, the weather is great and it gives you an excuse to go on a mini vacation!

If you decide to swing by the University of Iowa, I have compiled a list of the top 5 things to do on campus.

#5

Enjoy the View.
The Pentacrest is the heart of our undergraduate campus. It is made up of the Old Capital Building at the center and four buildings surrounding it.  You can find outdoor seating, green space and the best view of the west side of campus. Students use this area to study, socialize, and stretch their legs.

#4

Open the Heaviest Doors on Campus.
These doors can be found in our brand new Learning Commons in the Main Library. Once opened, you will find yourself in a world of high-tech learning space. The Commons opened up for our students only a few months ago, and is one of the main study areas on campus. Here you will find an 80” LCD monitor, 18 private group study rooms, 90 dual monitor desktop computers and 100 laptop computers available for checkout.

#3

Get a Smoothie
Inside information- if you like smoothies you can find my personal favorite in the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. This recreation space opened in 2010 and has recently been ranked as the 3^rd Best Rec Center in the country. The 20,000 square foot fitness center has 2 indoor basketball courts, a 52-foot rock climbing wall, and a 30-person hot tub… it’s basically an adult amusement park.

#2

Try and Win a Prize
We recently started a new promo on our campus visits. You will be given the chance to win prizes. How do you do this? Any tweet or Instagram post with the hash tag “#uiowavisit” will instantly qualify you for a chance to win. I will say that one of the most liked pictures on Instagram with that hashtag is with me in it and the author won a t-shirt…. Proven method right in front of you.

#1

Go Beyond the Numbers
On your campus visit we hope to provide you with the information needed to help make your college selection process as simple as possible. I challenge all visitors to look past the numbers and take time to see if the University of Iowa is the right “fit” for YOU. Ask at least one staff or student about their experiences in being a Hawkeye, imagine yourself living on campus, or sit in on a class in MacBride. Look past the data and find out if Iowa feels like home.

So that concludes my Top 5 things to do on campus. I hope to see all of you on campus soon!

If any of my #Sauvliebers have visited campus please share some of your hot spots!

“I’m a #Sauvlieber”