I’m going to Iowa State University in the fall. That’s right, I’m jumping on the Iowa State bandwagon and not because I want to see the amazing basketball team (even though they are good), but for other good reasons.
I’m double majoring in management information systems and journalism. My majors are either not offered at other schools or aren’t as good as Iowa State’s. The Iowa State Daily is a major newspaper around Ames, perfect for an aspiring journalism major. Management Information Systems is a technology major; Iowa State is a big time STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) major school. Not to mention the price: Iowa State is one of the most affordable universities in the state too (see pages 4-5 in the paper).
In the day and age of massive student loan debt, public state universities have certainly become the most affordable option for students. According to The Project on Student Debt (projectonstudentdebt.org), the average student loan debt in the United States is $28,400 as of 2013, and that number is on a growing trend. By going to Iowa State, I am keeping myself at or below the average level of student loan debt.
Not only does going to Iowa State make sense and save money, it also allows me to get the college experience. Iowa State is a very social environment and the university offers many clubs that allow students to get involved and make life-long friends. People know when something feels right, and Iowa State feels like the right place to go for me.
My journey to decide to go to Iowa State was difficult. It was a long process that involved many college visits and number crunching with my parents. Besides Iowa State, I’ve visited; Simpson College, University of Iowa, St. Ambrose University, Bethel University (St. Paul), Northwestern College (Minneapolis), and Drake University. All of these universities had many great things to offer and had a welcoming student body and faculty. However, many other things came into account when selecting my college that I would end up transferring to such as price, location, majors offered, after-graduation debt, and job placement rate. After talking to my parents, school admissions counselors, combining all of these stats together in a comparative analysis, Iowa State turned out to be the best college for me.
Maybe Iowa State is the perfect fit for you too; maybe it’s not. Whatever university is right for you, consider why you are choosing it. Because no one wants to make a $30,000 mistake.
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