Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Secretaries
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Kirkwood Community College, Hawkeye Community College, Eastern Iowa Community College District, and Iowa Western Community College.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Faith Baptist.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Western Iowa Tech Community College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Southeastern Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Dordt, Faith Baptist, Iowa Western Community College, and Western Iowa Tech Community College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Faith Baptist, Dordt, Ellsworth Community College, and Iowa Central Community College.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Faith Baptist.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Faith Baptist.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Dordt, Faith Baptist, Northwest Iowa Community College, and Ellsworth Community College.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
University Of Iowa • Iowa City, IA
Studying Library & Information Science (completion in 2003)
• 1/18/2012
"I am glad I pursued my MLIS and would not change the experience. I plan to move out of Iowa City within the next 5 years and finally pursue my chosen career."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | As long as you are able to relocate once you are done with school and have enough volunteer or real-life library experience (or library science is a late-life, second career choice), I say go for it. Just be sure to get the real-life experience. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | I believe it is still one of the best LIS programs in the country. The University of Iowa has a very good rating, even among international students. |
| Program Quality | 7 | I enjoyed my studies and learned a lot. My teachers were very knowledgeable; however, they were limited, in that they were all in an academic setting. |
| Instruction | 7 | I believe the instruction was topnotch. As for career preparation, I don't believe that I was told the truth as to how many jobs were available after graduation. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The program took me three years, half-time, since I was working full-time throughout. If I were simply a student, I'm sure the workload would not have been overwhelming. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The schoolwork was totally classroom. I wish there had been an internship I could have taken to get some experience that I desperately lacked. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Many of the classes were ICN courses taught in the evenings. At the time, I also worked at the university, so I was able to leave work to go to class, and then make up the hours lost by working late. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The facilities are topnotch, as the program was located directly in the university library. All the professors were easily accessible. Media and computer resources were plentiful. |
| Social Life | 8 | I did both my undergraduate and graduate years here, which was over 7 years, and I have lived in the area for the past 17 years. The university enlivens the whole community. |
| Placement Services | I applied for jobs on my own and did not go through the career services center. I know that if I move outside of Iowa City and the surrounding area, I will have a much better chance of employment in my field. | |
| Alumni Network | 4 | I have had no contact with the alumni network. I receive mail, but I just throw it away. |
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