Iowa Private College Week

My oldest son Cody has started the college quest:  that search for the perfect college for him.  Of course, if I had my druthers, he'd magically get a full-ride scholarship to my Alma Mater, Coe, and graduate in four years Phi Beta Kappa, after which he'd attend Harvard Law.  However, it isn't that easy. 

The only decision Cody has made regarding his college selection is that he wants to attend a liberal arts college.  With this in mind, we decided to take part in this nifty thing called Iowa Private College Week.  This was started twelve years ago by 28 private colleges and universities in Iowa.  Each of these colleges  receive about 400 visitors that week.  Each college holds two sessions a day and each session lasts about 2 1/2 hours. 

Cody and I started our tour in Indianola at Simpson on an extremely hot and humid Tuesday morning.  In my opinion, the folks there were the most organized and put on the best "show."  There were golf carts to take us from our car to the first assembly and then back to our car at the end.  There were TONS of student and faculty volunteers, all very friendly and dressed in matching t-shirts so we could easily find them to ask questions. There was also tons of food and drink throughout the morning.  During the campus tour, there were actually people stationed along the route to give us water, lest we were too parched from walking.  Cody was bombarded with information and after lunch was given a Simpson t-shirt and a dilly bar from Dairy Queen. 

Cody spent lunch talking to the cross country coach, who gave us the official track and field recruiting brochure.  Imagine our surprise to see Scott Danielson on the cover.  Kelsey Castenson was featured on a bulletin board in the gym for winning the coed pool tournament in intermurals.  Our golf cart driver was Nate Sedlacek's roommate.  Add to that SWG alum and Simpson baseball player Ryan Dahlstrom and it is clear that there is some sort of mystical connection between SWG and Simpson. 

That being said, Cody was more impressed with our second school, Grandview, than he was with Simpson.  He liked the small college atmosphere in the middle of the big city (Des Moines), which was one of the reasons I chose Coe so very many years ago.  Grandview may be a better option for other reasons as well:  the offer athletic scholarships and the other schools do not and they are cheaper than most of the others.  Grandview also has a brand new, gorgeous art building and since Cody would like to major in art, that really impressed him.  SWG alumni Jenn Jorgensen attends Grandview and my own brother received his BA from there.  Grandview's theme was "Grand Old Fair" and we were treated to food on a stick and state fair-themed decorations.  Grandview also gave Cody a t-shirt.

After the Grandview visit, we hopped in the car and headed to Cedar Rapids, where we spent the night. Cody was supposed to do most of the driving on this little adventure.  Trouble is, the minute we'd get in the car he'd fall asleep and I couldn't wake him up to take his shift driving for anything.  I let him sleep from Dayton to Indianola, considering we left so early in the morning, and only woke him when I saw hot air balloons in the distance.  (Iowa Private College Week corresponds with the National Balloon Classic, which was cool.)

After Grandview, I told him I'd drive us out of Des Moines, as it was rush hour, and then I'd pull over and let him drive the rest of the way.  No such luck; I couldn't even hear the radio over his snores.

Cody and I spent Tuesday night driving around CR with me pointing and exclaiming, "LOOK!  That's where Mom used to (fill in the blank)" and Cody pretending to be interested.  Bright and early Wednesday morning we headed to Coe. 

I was SO disappointed by Coe's presentation.  Their tour was the worst of the four we took and their discussions were . . .  I gotta say it . . .  boring.  Cody fell asleep during the panel discussion.  Our tour group had about 12 people in it, which made it big enough that sometimes we couldn't even hear the guide.  Instead of showing us the brand new, apartment-style dorms, they showed us an uncarpeted room in Armstrong, that was old when I attended in the 80's.  I had to ask to show him an art classroom, and we didn't even go near the new Clarke recreation center. The cross country coach was late to lunch and basically had time to shake Cody's hand before the music tour began. 

I did make it to the bookstore, so I could stock up on Coe clothing and Cody was given yet another t-shirt.  Still, I left the City of Five Smells almost in tears. 

Our last stop was Cornell College in Mount Vernon.  My Coe friends were very, VERY surprised that I even let Cody take a tour there.  You see, Coe and Cornell have the "oldest college rivalry west of the Mississippi" and, as an alumn, I just have to hate Cornell. I remember going to Coe/Cornell football games and hearing the Cornell fans chant "Coe Sucks, Coe Sucks," to which we Coe fans charmingly answered "Cornell swallows, Cornell swallows."  (See why I like the blog; I don't have to edit that like I do for the Dayton Review!)

Cody really wanted to visit Cornell to check into their "one course at a time" option.  Cornell is unique in the nation is that students study only one subject for four hours a day for 18 days, then have four days off, then start another subject.  They have 9 terms in a school year.  When I was at Coe we had "J term" in January where we took only one class for a month and that was okay, I guess. I can't imagine doing that all year round, though.  I had to take Intro to Sociology my freshman year during J term and didn't learn one thing! 

Cornell is a beautiful, old campus situated on a hill in the small town of Mount Vernon. The entire campus is on National Historic Registry, which guarantees it will retain its charm and not give way to a lot of new construction.   Much to my chagrin, Cody really liked Cornell, which also gave him the obligatory t-shirt.  I took solace that the t-shirt was really ugly and I'm pretty sure Cody won't wear it.

On the trip home, Cody told me that he still thinks Luther College is the place for him to matriculate, if he doesn't start a band and tour the country in a van.  *sigh*  Still, I think the two days and four college visits were a success as they seemed to motivate Cody to at least start thinking about the future--when he can stay awake that is.

I highly recommend Iowa Private College Week for those of you with potential college students in your house. It is easy, efficient, and if you play your cards right you can come home with a whole new wardrobe, free.