Iowa State University

CIT consultant Anne Weber is embarking on a college road trip extraordinaire, covering thousands of miles over the next month to visit a wide variety of institutions. She’ll be sharing insights along the way; here’s her first from Iowa State University:

Just 3 hours south of the Twin Cities and an hour north of Des Moines, Iowa State’s campus is a beautiful surprise amidst endless Iowa farm fields. The north side of campus boasts a large and renowned agricultural department. While the center of campus gleams with a gorgeous new student innovation center.

First year dorms are clustered in a large set of adjoining buildings a block off the main campus. Supporting the campus is a short street of shops, while historic Ames is just a mile down the road, featuring bars and restaurants as well as big box stores just a minute further down the road. The Cyclones benefit from a fantastic bus system that students eagerly utilize to get to off campus housing, the rec center, the basketball arena and the football stadium.

Iowa State is a beautiful campus, where the positive energy of students is palpable, along with an easy comfort.