The Small Town Life.

Introduction
If you like big cities and a lot if diversity, Iowa State is NOT for you. Yes, there are international students, but mostly white middle class students. Ames is also pretty small. It has a few bars, but not a lot of choices for those of us who are underage. If your looking for good academics though, Iowa State is for you. There are a lot of student resources, and the teachers are friendly and willing to help, if you approach them. The classes can be pretty big, but they are mostly small. There are also "learning communities", a unique opportunity to combine to subjects. Its a pretty small campus, and there is a great bus system that is free for students.

Campus Life and Social Life
This universty is a greek university. Its difficult to get on a bus with out seeing at least 5 people who are wearing greek letters. The greek community is also a great place if you like parties, as well as many dorms on campus. If you are looking for alternatives, there is the M-shop, in the basement of the memorial union where many bands perform live. There is also a bowling alley. Des Moines is also only a half hour away. Other than that, Ames is pretty small. If you are underage, there isn't much of anywhere to go, unless you head down to Iowa City (Uniiversity of Iowa is located there) which is about 2 hours away. In Iowa City, you can gain admission into bars if you are 19 or older. Academics
The academics are pretty good here. A lot of the lower level classes are taught by TA's, but you can find this in a lot of schools. The professors are pretty nice and are willing to help you if you come to them. There are also a lot of student resources, like the student success center.

Student Body
The students at Iowa State are generally pretty nice and friendly. There are the occasional few who think they are gods gift to creation, but if you ignore them you can meet some pretty awesome people. There is some diversity on campus, but not too much. Its pretty common to pass a group of foreign exchange kids talking in another language, but meeting them is a different story. They tend to hang out in groups together.

In Closing...
If your a small town person, you will like Iowa State.