Make time in your summer for Iowa Private College Week, Aug. 4-8

Even after the mandatory corndog has been downed at the Iowa State Fair, August is a very busy month. It’s designated as Admit You’re Happy Month, National Catfish Month, National Eye Exam Month, Peach Month, Romance Awareness Month and Water Quality Month

Among its “official” individual days are National Mustard Day (Aug. 2), National Underwear Day (Aug. 5), National Hug Your Boss Day (Aug. 23) and a host of other intriguing observances.

But there’s just one designated week in August that should be circled and underlined on the calendars of prospective college students and their parents: Iowa Private College Week, Aug. 4-8.  

During the first week in August, Iowa’s 26 private colleges and universities invite students and parents to explore their campuses, visit with professors, meet coaches, chat with current students and learn about academic and social opportunities.

True, visits can be made to college campuses many other times. But during Iowa Private College Week (IPCW), college campuses synchronize schedules so guests can tour at least two campuses a day. Tours are scheduled at each campus at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., so it’s possible to visit up to 10 campuses during the week.

As a bonus, by registering to participate in Iowa Private College Week, students are entered into drawings for prizes including iPad Minis, Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, Bluetooth speakers and iTunes gift cards. To register online, go to www.thinkindependently.com.

Even though much information is available about colleges through Web sites and catalogs, personal visits allow prospective students to envision life on campus, get a sense of whether a college is a good fit for them and consider various fields of study.

“We’re excited to participate in Iowa Private College Week for the first time this year,” says Gina Smith, director of admissions and recruitment at Des Moines University. “We feel that touring campus and seeing our labs and medical simulators in action is truly the best way for a student to experience our campus environment; we are thrilled to open our doors to Iowa’s next generation of health care providers.” 

Personal conversations with admissions advisors or faculty members during campus visits sometime reveal options for majors that hadn’t occurred to potential students, says AIB College of Business Senior Director of Admissions Megan Pitz.

“One of our top students tells how she has always wanted to own a restaurant,” Pitz says. “After visiting AIB, she realized that she needed business administration skills in order to accomplish that.”

AIB conducts classes year-round, which provides an advantage for visitors to its campus during the summer months, Pitz says. “Visitors get a real sense of what college life is like. And talking to current students about their likes and dislikes can reap important information in the college-selection process.”