2008 Woodie Awards
College fair helps students plan for higher education
Drew Lenze
Issue date: 9/30/04 Section: Feature
- Page 1 of 1
Although keeping up with course work at Kirkwood Community College may seem like enough to keep busy, students who plan to continue their education at another school next fall need to start planning for the transition.
The first step is to gather information. To help students with this, Kirkwood hosted the Eastern Iowa College Fair in the Johnson Hall gymnasium on Sept. 22. More than 75 universities, colleges and vocational schools sent representatives to the fair.
Director of Admissions and Student Life, Doug Bannon, estimated that about 1,000 students attended the fair. Although the fair was primarily geared toward high school students, many universities also distributed information specifically for transfer students.
It is crucial to keep in mind that many schools have deadlines for application. For example, Drake University's deadline is Feb. 1, while Iowa State's is July 1. Mount Mercy effectively has no deadline so students can apply as late as the Friday before classes start.
Even when a deadline seems well into the future, it is a good idea to apply as soon as possible. Early applicants have more choices for housing, classes and scholarships. At the University of Iowa it is especially crucial, as students cannot apply for housing until they are accepted. Although housing may still be available later, it can be harder to get housing convenient to where classes are located.
Tuition at these schools can be daunting but many provide scholarships specifically tailored for transfer students. Coe College has transfer scholarships of $8,000 for students with GPAs of 3.8-4.0, $7,500 for GPAs of 3.4-3.7 and $6,500 for GPAs of 3.0-3.3. Similarly, Mount Mercy has transfer scholarships of up to $7,500 for a GPA of 3.5 and higher, $6,000 for a GPA of 3.0-3.49 and $4,500 for lower GPAs.
For members of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) honor society, there are additional scholarships. Coe has a $2,500 PTK scholarship and Mount Mercy has a $750 PTK scholarship. Scholarships are also available for students with specific majors, especially in areas such as art and music.
Need-based financial aid is also available. To receive this aid, it is crucial to submit the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible in 2005.
Another concern are which Kirkwood course credits will transfer to a destination school. Most general education classes will transfer, but there may be a problem with classes geared toward a certain vocation such as nursing or paralegal studies. In any case, a student should check to make sure there are no unpleasant surprises.
Students planning to go directly to another school instead of using their Kirkwood education to get a job may not be worried about getting an associate's degree. However, getting that A.A. or A.S. may ease the transfer into another school. For instance, Coe grants 64 semester hours and junior standing to holders of A.A. or A.S. degrees and a GPA of 2.5 or higher.
The first step is to gather information. To help students with this, Kirkwood hosted the Eastern Iowa College Fair in the Johnson Hall gymnasium on Sept. 22. More than 75 universities, colleges and vocational schools sent representatives to the fair.
Director of Admissions and Student Life, Doug Bannon, estimated that about 1,000 students attended the fair. Although the fair was primarily geared toward high school students, many universities also distributed information specifically for transfer students.
It is crucial to keep in mind that many schools have deadlines for application. For example, Drake University's deadline is Feb. 1, while Iowa State's is July 1. Mount Mercy effectively has no deadline so students can apply as late as the Friday before classes start.
Even when a deadline seems well into the future, it is a good idea to apply as soon as possible. Early applicants have more choices for housing, classes and scholarships. At the University of Iowa it is especially crucial, as students cannot apply for housing until they are accepted. Although housing may still be available later, it can be harder to get housing convenient to where classes are located.
Tuition at these schools can be daunting but many provide scholarships specifically tailored for transfer students. Coe College has transfer scholarships of $8,000 for students with GPAs of 3.8-4.0, $7,500 for GPAs of 3.4-3.7 and $6,500 for GPAs of 3.0-3.3. Similarly, Mount Mercy has transfer scholarships of up to $7,500 for a GPA of 3.5 and higher, $6,000 for a GPA of 3.0-3.49 and $4,500 for lower GPAs.
For members of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) honor society, there are additional scholarships. Coe has a $2,500 PTK scholarship and Mount Mercy has a $750 PTK scholarship. Scholarships are also available for students with specific majors, especially in areas such as art and music.
Need-based financial aid is also available. To receive this aid, it is crucial to submit the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible in 2005.
Another concern are which Kirkwood course credits will transfer to a destination school. Most general education classes will transfer, but there may be a problem with classes geared toward a certain vocation such as nursing or paralegal studies. In any case, a student should check to make sure there are no unpleasant surprises.
Students planning to go directly to another school instead of using their Kirkwood education to get a job may not be worried about getting an associate's degree. However, getting that A.A. or A.S. may ease the transfer into another school. For instance, Coe grants 64 semester hours and junior standing to holders of A.A. or A.S. degrees and a GPA of 2.5 or higher.