For Three Quick Questions, I send the same three questions to admission representatives at colleges all over the country, and then I hope to hear back from them. The three questions are meant to probe some of the things that make a school unique but that aren’t easily captured as a stat to go in a book or web search.

Today’s response is from Dakota Carpenter, Senior Admissions Counselor at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.

What is a course, tradition, program or event that is unique to Iowa State University?

A unique event at Iowa State is the Fashion Show. It is one of the largest student run fashion shows in the nation. The Fashion Show brings together students from across disciplines to draft press releases, execute set and stage design, design and model garments, and more. This event brings in around 2500 attendees each year and often features alumni judges who have gone on to work for companies like VANS, Marc Jacobs, JCrew, Vineyard Vines, and more.

Naturally every college wants to recruit the perfect student--high grades, high test scores, involved in their community, leadership...everything. But what kinds of imperfect students tend to flourish at Iowa State?

Iowa State is a public, land-grant, tier one research institution. Currently, the institution has an emphasis placed on research, innovation and entrepreneurship. Students who arrive to Iowa State with curiosity, an open mind, and a desire to obtain and share knowledge in their discipline will thrive.

When people come to visit Ames, what's a place off campus that you recommend they check out while they're there?

Visitors to Ames often find that the Cyclone spirit exceeds far beyond our campus. “Iowa Nice” is very real and visitors will find that to be true as they explore various business and restaurants in the community. One place folks must check out is Reiman Gardens! Reiman Gardens sits on 17-acres and offers 26 different garden areas with displays that change with the seasons. It is home to the Christina Reiman butterfly house and is home to one of the most diverse butterfly collections in the county.

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Photo by Angela Elisabeth. [The banner photo is not of Iowa State. I use the same photo for all Meet the Class posts so you can spot them easily.]