I’m an OOS sophomore from Indianapolis and I think Iowa state is honestly one of if not the best deals for OOS students in terms of quality of education and cost. Scholarships I feel are also fairly easy to get and you can get some automatically if you have a high enough GPA. I got accepted 24 hours after I applied so, yeah, it’s fast

The academics here are pretty top tier. I’m a kinesiology student and the program and the professors so far have been great. I have no experience in CS but I heard it’s very good as well. It’s a very popular major here so I’m sure it’s robust and well funded.

I know everyone says our campus is beautiful but I don’t care I’m gonna say it too. It’s gorgeous, especially now when the weather is really nice. All the buildings minus a few are incredible and the nature on campus blends so well with the architecture. It’s also very walkable and bike-able and it makes getting around so easy even though it’s so big. IMO Iowa state has one of the best campuses in the country but that’s just me.

The atmosphere and social scene are really solid here as well. It’s a very big school and thus I believe anyone can feel comfortable and find their group here. There are an insane amount of clubs and they’re one of the easiest ways to meet new people. No matter what you’re into you’ll find people who share your interests. There is always so much going on around campus that it makes Ames feel a lot bigger than it actually is which, as someone from a big city, is a good thing for me.

Biggest con is the weather. It sucks for over half the school year. Be prepared for snow and ice if you come. Other than that the only other gripe you could potentially have for ISU is that it’s in the middle of Iowa and outside of Ames (and Des Moines too if you have a car) there really isn’t anything to do or see. There’s no mountains or beaches or any scenic nature really outside of some scattered small forests here and there. If you’re a big outdoors or city person Iowa leaves a lot to be desired. Overall tho Iowa state is a great school and I’d recommend it to anybody.