Everyone’s experience is different and, in contrast to many first-year students, Sophie Schholen of Ankeny, Iowa took the college transition in stride, buoyed by support of a friend group from her high school who had also come to Iowa. She didn’t leave it at that, however: “Luckily, we have all also expanded our circles, and branched out into things we are interested in,” she says. Read on to find out where Sophia’s explorations took her.

Dear Prospective Student,

First and foremost, congratulations! You have been working hard for four years and your time in high school has finally come to an end. It can seem sad and bittersweet, nerve wrenching, yet exciting at the same time. I remember just two years ago I was in your shoes, and it was a very different world then. With doors reopening, you are in the perfect place to pursue the next four years with the utmost enthusiasm. You have so much potential, and I hope you choose to exploit that.

Before I go any further, let me introduce myself. My name is Sophia Schoolen, and I am a second-year student at the University of Iowa. I major in political science, and ethics and public policy; I minor in philosophy and am getting certified in political risk analysis. I am currently on the pre-law track and am planning on applying to law school this upcoming fall. I am from a suburb of Des Moines, Ankeny, and graduated from Ankeny High School – hawks, not jags. Anyways, my little brother Cash still goes there, and he is going to be a senior next year. In some ways this kind of feels like I am writing this to him, as I do not know many other people approaching college. Throughout the past couple of years, the University of Iowa has become home. I know it feels like everybody says that, but this place just grows on you so quickly. I am going to tell you just a snippet of what my experience has looked like, though please understand that everyone’s is different in many ways.

My first semester at the University I fortunately was not very nervous. My entire high school friend group came to Iowa, and we have had a blast. Luckily, we have all also expanded our circles, and branched out into things we are interested in. For me, I joined the pre-law fraternity on campus, joined my sorority where I now live, joined panhellenic council where I get to serve the panhellenic community, joined the honors program, among a couple other things that I felt interested me. Without doing these things, my college experience would be nowhere near what it is today. Putting yourself out there is only difficult before you do it, and in scenarios like this one you will more than likely always be glad you did.

Although I do enjoy getting involved in a lot, I thoroughly enjoy the honors program and feel it has opened many doors for me. For starters, any and every honors section course I have taken I have loved; I am pre-law as I said, though took a class on the psychology of climate change first semester freshman year that changed my perspective on a lot. I now have the opportunity to be an honors outreach ambassador, where I get to do all sorts of fun and cool things like table admitted student days and talk personally with prospective students or sit on panels where I get to talk about how awesome the University of Iowa’s honors program is to prospective students and their parents. Joining the honors program has also helped me get hands on experience within my field of study, something I would have never imagined upon graduating high school. I have also taken a course through the honors program about the mental health of high-achieving students, that has changed my perspective on my education forever. These are just a couple of the things I can rave about, but that’s enough for now.

I hope I have helped give you a little insight into what college looks like for some, and I sincerely wish you the best of luck with your future!

Sophie Schoolen