Iowa vs. Minnesota

[bjord146]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hi,

I have been accepted to both Minnesota and Iowa and am wondering where I should go. I am a resident in Minnesota but I have a $15000 scholarship at Iowa so the cost comes out to be a little cheaper at Iowa. What are the positives and negatives to both schools? Which school is more difficult? Which grads do best on boards, etc...

 

[Lesley]

Hi,

I have been accepted to both Minnesota and Iowa and am wondering where I should go. I am a resident in Minnesota but I have a $15000 scholarship at Iowa so the cost comes out to be a little cheaper at Iowa. What are the positives and negatives to both schools? Which school is more difficult? Which grads do best on boards, etc...

Is the scholarship contingent upon keeping up a certain GPA? Obviously, you are a good student so keeping up a certain cum may not be a problem for you; however, it's nice to know at your state school there will be no contingencies. You've already met the residency requirement. If you plan on visiting or traveling home while on breaks, travel expenses may negate the small cost differential. Remember, as costs go up your scholarship amount remains the same. Costs for an out of stater usually increase at a faster pace than for an in stater. For example if tuition increases 4% annually, 4% of $20,000 is a lot less than 4% of $40,000. As you are down to two schools, maybe revisiting them may not be a bad idea. Congratulations, you have a nice decision make! Best wishes

 

[MaxAnn]

Don't go to Iowa, and not just b/c of the money. Choose Minnesota.

 

[north2southOMFS]

No brainer. I'd live in the twin cities. Way more fun than iowa city and a good school to boot.

 

[rambo2006]

For sale: a piece of mind and a less stressful 4 years, (since you dont ahve to maintain a high gpa to keep the scholarship)


...Price: $15,000

 

[claydds]

Don't go to Iowa, and not just b/c of the money. Choose Minnesota.

Why Minnesota. I got accepted into both schools as well and thought Iowa was amazing. What are some of the reasons you say to go to Minn?

 

[MaxAnn]

This is just speculation, but there was word at one time that Iowa was one of the dreaded pyramid schools, those which take many more students that they intend to graduate. I can't say for sure if this is true or not. Not many people from Iowa seem to post on SDN, or they choose to not let it known they are from Iowa or Minnesota for that matter. Generally, students at Minn seem to be satisfied. Hopefully, someone with more information will respond. The more you know going in, the better the outcome.

 

[bitecys]

This is just speculation, but there was word at one time that Iowa was one of the dreaded pyramid schools, those which take many more students that they intend to graduate. I can't say for sure if this is true or not. Not many people from Iowa seem to post on SDN, or they choose to not let it known they are from Iowa or Minnesota for that matter. Generally, students at Minn seem to be satisfied. Hopefully, someone with more information will respond. The more you know going in, the better the outcome.

The statement above is definitely not true. Iowa accepts about 75 per year and graduates 72-75 per year. The loss of 2-3 is usually due to academic failures or dropouts. Hopefully that sentiment is not a widespread one as I've never heard it until your post.

 

[Squished Rat]

I have heard nothing but great things about Iowa. I would go for Iowa.

 

[kato999]

Honestly you can't go wrong with either school. I just made the tough decision between the two programs by going to Minn for Ortho, but I know I would have been happy at Iowa if I had matched there.

Iowa city is a fun, but small college town. If you like college football it's tough to beat Iowa City on a home football saturday. If you like what a bigger city has to offer the Twin Cities are great.

I know students from both schools and they both have their problems, but I would say that either one would get you the education you need to be a good dentist.