Private colleges and universities across the state are rolling out their best recruiting pitch this week in an effort to get high school kids to think about them after graduation. The spokesman for the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, Andy Baumert, says it’s a coordinated effort
He says they have 29 members in the association and they each set up times for parents and students to visit with standard starting times for tours in the morning and afternoon so visitors can make the most of their time. Baumert says Iowa Private College Week is a tradition that helps a lot of people make a decision on a school.
Baumert says they can listen to the faculty, see the facilities, find out about financial aid and get a feeling for the campus. He says they find it’s important to have parents and students visit the campus as they make their decision. Baumert says each campus creates its own individual presentation. He cites one he visited Monday that is modeling its presentation after the state fair.
He says they had state fair food, and their schedule on a stick that could also be used as a fan. “So every campus customizes this and makes it specific to their campus, makes it kind of fun as well,” Baumert says. Baumert says one of the questions they get is the cost of a private school versus state-supported schools. He says the private schools work hard to help the students.
Baumert says each of the campuses “brings tremendous financial aid resources to bear” and he says there’s the state tuition grant program that over 17,000 students in the state use, and there’s financial aid provided by the individual school’s own resources.
Iowa Private College Week runs through Friday (August 5) and you can find out more about campus tours and other information at: www.thinkindependently.com.