Tips: I personally feel, that students should know that it's okay to come without a very clear idea in terms of academics since a lot of people come as open major or switch later. Know your interests, be involved, find your people, and find a good balance in academics and activities.

Likes (Part time work): I recently got a part-time job at Iowa State and I really enjoy it. My manager is really helpful and cooperative. I do find managing my academics and part-time work quite easy. The average payout is $15 per hour for 10-20 hrs per week. There are a lot of opportunities on campus, but it's necessary to apply on time.

Dislikes (Indian Food): I personally do not like the food options at Iowa State. I wish there could be more Indian food preferences. Throughout the week I find myself eating out a lot which is quite unhealthy. I find the dining hall food to be stale a lot of the time and I wish they could work on that.

Reviewed on 1 May 2024Read more

Anonymous

Bachelor of Science in Accounting - Batch of 2025

4.3

Learning to balance school life

Tips: This school is very fun, but you need to make sure you have a good balance between academics and extracurricular. There is definitely a culture shift as you have a lot more freedom. I did get some private scholarships through the Iowa State scholarship portals.

Likes (Part time work): There are a lot of on-campus jobs as well as businesses off-campus for jobs. It is very manageable to work on campus while studying. We get $12/hour. Working on campus allows you to study and work at the same time as many jobs allow students to do that.

Dislikes (Permanent Immigration): It is still pretty difficult for F1 visa holders to find permanent jobs here. There are some opportunities, but I don't think the school does a great job of helping you find permanent jobs here especially based on your major. You really need to be a stem major to land a permanent job.

Reviewed on 30 Apr 2024Read more

Anonymous

Bachelor of Science in Business Analytics - Batch of 2025

3.8

Vast campus, myriad opportunities!

Tips: I was pretty much prepared that there were going to be a lot of new things here which might not be as common as they are back at home. One thing that people could find different would be the idea of individuals. Most of the people here are by themselves and self-reliant. I have definitely transitioned a lot and become a much more confident and independent person. One thing to remember is to come here with an open and acceptable mind. For international students, there are a lot of scholarship opportunities, so do not miss out on those. There would be different sits for scholarships and it is possible that different colleges provide different scholarships specifically for their students so be proactive and always keep an eye on those. The university is great and I go to a college which is ranked well and my coursework seems equally interesting since there is a variety of different things that I always learn.

Likes (Public transportation): The university has buses going across the city which are free for all Iowa State Students. Even for non-students, every bus ride can be as cheap as only $1! These buses run starting early in the morning and going till later at night, and even when there are no buses, there are a couple of other different options to travel which are free for all students.

Dislikes (Internships): University has a career fair every semester where recruiters from different companies come to the university and the students get to talk to them one-on-one. This helps students to know different companies, what they provide, what they expect, etc. International students have a hard time finding internships or jobs since not every company sponsors them. Constant rejections can make students doubt themselves but don't worry because after a while we all get used to it, but don't give up either! It might take time but you will surely find something for yourself at some point, we all do! Since I am a business analytics major with an economics minor, I do have different options open for me, but again restrictions like finding sponsorship makes it hard to find the right company. All I do is keep trying. Another tip for all new students would be to make as many connections as possible. Career fair might not be interesting for everyone, but just go to them and network as much as you can and talk to recruiters, know them well, connect with them on linkedin, follow them up on emails. Networking and making new connections can help find jobs so much more than we think it can!

Reviewed on 23 Feb 2024Read more

View All 3 Reviews

Iowa State University

Student Forum

Anything you would want to ask experts?

Write here...

Does Iowa State University have a good MBA program?

Answered 2 months ago

As per the Princeton Review, Iowa State Ivy College of Business MBA is ranked at #3 in the US for Best Administered On-Campus MBA program. This ranking includes 244 Business schools that were selected using a combination of factors including institutional and student survey data. Data used includes

...more

Akanksha Malhotra

Contributor-Level 10

What is Iowa State University ranked in US?

Answered 2 months ago

According to a top-ranking publisher, IA State ranking in the US is #121 in 2025 edition of National University category. For the 2024 edition of National Universities, this university ranks at #115. Though the university’s position has declined in 2025 rankings, this university still ranks in the T

...more

Akanksha Malhotra

Contributor-Level 10

What majors is Iowa State University known for?

Answered 2 months ago

As per the unofficial sources, Iowa State University popular majors are Engineering; Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, etc. Other popular majors are:

Visual and Performing Arts
Agri

...more

Akanksha Malhotra

Contributor-Level 10

What is International Student Excellence Award offered at Iowa State University?

Answered 2 months ago

Iowa State offers International Student Excellence Award to international UG students. These are merit-based scholarships offered to high-achieving applicants based on the high school GPA and SAT or ACT scores submitted during the admissions application process. Note that this scholarship cannot be

...more

Akanksha Malhotra

Contributor-Level 10

What are International Merit Scholarships offered at Iowa State University?

Answered 2 months ago

First-year students at IA State are considered for a limited number of merit scholarships. The scholarship selection is competitive based on a holistic review of SAT / ACT scores and high school marks / grades. Students must complete the OneApp scholarship application in order to be considered for t

...more

Akanksha Malhotra

Contributor-Level 10