Hey my southern neighbors whom I used to crack jokes about as a kid living on your northern border but now I envy you guys.

My son is interested in going to ISU at Ames for engineering and I was hoping to get input on Ames, ISU and the engineering program at ISU. I'm looking for anything, good, bad or in between.

Thank you.

Worked here 27 years, staff not faculty.  Engineering College is excellent.  The Ag and Bio Systems program is the best I the country.  Like most schools were fighting budget issues.  The legislature hates us.  Ames is a nice college town.  Safe for the most part.  Liberal like most but not moonbat crazy liberal.  The social scene I’ve always thought was a bit tame by university town standards.  

ISU makes a big deal out of having 800 student clubs.  I advise the two shooting clubs.

No guns campus and that includes locked the trunk of the car.  There is no university storage for them.  

Academics here can be rugged.  Lots of engineers, science and ag types kind of set the tone.  That said there’s grade inflation here like all of academia.  Army, Navy, and Air Force ROTC if that matters.

ISU grad here - Wife and 2 boys as well.  1 is an Industrial Engineer, the other switched to Industrial Technology (think the practical app side of Mechanical Engineering).  Plan on extra years for an engineering degree, AH isn't kidding when he talks about the coursework being rigorous.  My two are way better at Math than I am, and they both repeated some courses.  Go for a campus visit - that's what sold our youngest, he could have gotten into any school in WI, and we offered to go see other places too.  Make sure you stop into the admissions office, there are scholarships that are state dependent for out of state students, and they can also help you understand the application process - you can know if you're getting in much sooner than some other schools.

I know very little about the school except they get best by the Hawkeyes about 90% of the time. But seriously, good engineering and horticulture program.  Plus, they do host special Olympics Iowa there and get whatever is needed for that.  They bring the football team, cheerleaders, basketball team and a carnival for the event and pay for everything.  So in my book they are awesome.

Thank you all for your input, I appreciate it.

I work in Ames and we hire engineering students as interns and they've all been very bright young people. Most of our work force are ISU engineering alums.

Overall Ames is quiet, boring, and safe.

Well, we just got back from the ISU campus visit yesterday.

My wife, son, daughter and myself were very impressed with Ames and ISU. Oh sure, with most colleges you have to except some diversity/inclusion crap, but ISU doesn't seem to shove it down your throat. Everyone on campus and in town seems pretty friendly and polite.

We were impressed that ISU seems to be interested in their students doing well and getting meaningful employment after graduation.

I'm not saying ISU or Ames is perfect, no place is, but I was very pleased with what I experienced.

Heck, my wife and I talked about Ames area being a potential future home. Minnesota is going over the deep end and we realize we need to get out down the road.

Glad you had a good visit.  I'm a fan obviously.

Sounds like you had a nice visit I work for ISU though not on campus  and have nothing but good things to say about Ames and ISU in general.

As an employer they have some real issues but as college they are top notch.

A past co workers son went through the engineering program he had time for nothing but school no work no parties so I took it it is tough but he did great and had an awesome job right out of school