<p>Haystack - just wanted you to know we spent a very nice weekend at Iowa State. The campus is beautiful and the people were all so nice. The school runs like a well oiled machine. We were both impressed. We ate at +39 the first night and Great Plains Sauce and Dough the second. They were both very good.</p>
<p>I think she would be very happy there. We are visiting two other schools next week but neither offered a financial packages as wonderful as Iowa State.</p>
<p>I’d have to say the one thing lacking is something almost not under their control except maybe their marketing department. Outside of Iowa, I don’t think people realize the excellence offered at Iowa State. People seem to think “xxx State” is always second class to “University of xxx” (Other than a few like Ohio State which has worked very hard to make sure people know it is “The” Ohio State). </p>
<p>Every time we tell someone that we are looking at Iowa State we are told, “Oh, she is so smart. She has a 4.0. She could do better.” Or “Why would you pick that over University of Iowa (which we liked but they didn’t offer enough financial aid) or University of XXX?” It is killing me. I know I shouldn’t care about comments from people that don’t know any better, but I wish they knew better. I couldn’t believe the number of very intelligent and professional people we met this weekend. Iowa State is nothing like XXX State schools I’ve visited in the past. Nothing. I want the world to know :)</p>