e Iowa Regent Universities do not discriminate in their employment or educational programs on the basis of race, national origin, color, creed, religion, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or
associational preference. Each university has adopted a comprehensive plan to assure that all programs will be open to all. For information on specic plans, please contact the universities directly.
Building your future is like building a house. Not somebody else’s house—your own.
You need to both envision your dream house and create blueprints for building it.
High school is a time of choices. In fact, some of the most important choices you’ll
make in life face you right now as you sign up for your high school courses.
PREPARING FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS AT
REGENT UNIVERSITIES OF IOWA
Oce of Admissions
100 Enrollment Services Center
Ames, IA 50011-2011
admissions.iastate.edu
800 262-3810
admissions.iastate.edu
Oce of Admissions
107 Calvin Hall
Iowa City, IA 52242-1396
admissions.uiowa.edu
319 335-3847
admissions@uiowa.edu
Oce of Admissions
002 Gilchrist Hall
Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0018
uni.edu
319 273-2281
BUILDING
YOUR
FUTURE
For more information:
Board of Regents, State of Iowa
www.iowaregents.edu
TAKE THE CHALLENGE
Be ambitious in your planning. Prepare yourself not only to survive in college but to thrive. e best preparation for college is to take
the optimum courses. Experience at all three universities points to one denite conclusion: students who succeed best in college are
those who build the best foundations in high school. Even if you’re not currently considering attending college, you will still benet
from a strong foundation, since all jobs require much better academic preparation than they did a few years ago.
DRAFT YOUR BLUEPRINT
01/ FOUNDATION
Lay your foundation carefully and wisely. It’s tempting to choose a
course in which you know you could get a good grade, rather than
one that might be dicult for you. But a challenging course will
help you when you get to college. During high school you need
to develop strong skills in reading, writing, speaking, listening,
and reasoning. Courses that will help you do so include English/
language arts, mathematics, sciences with laboratory experience,
social studies, and foreign language. Your counselor can help you
make the right choices. Taking an ambitious course load in high
school means you’ll be starting college at an advantage.
02/ OPPORTUNITY
Learn to love learning. Every class you take is an opportunity to
nd something you care about, explore your intellectual horizons,
and pursue your interests.View each class as an opportunity and a
challenge.
03/ FRAMEWORK
Develop a framework of study and work habits. Practice study
strategies that have been shown to work in college: listening,
note-taking skills, daily study time rather than cramming,
revisiting, revising, and reecting. Make every eort to
understand the concepts, theories, and relationships. Students
who come to college with proven work and study patterns have an
advantage over students who need to establish them while they’re
coping with the new experience of being a college freshman.
04/ EXPLORE
While you are in high school, consider taking courses that will
allow you to explore a future career, cultivate a talent in the arts,
or teach you about a eld you’ve known nothing about until now.
Participate in extracurriculars. ese initiatives broaden your
horizons, enhance your total educational experience, and increase
your interaction with others. Combined with a strong academic
program, these activities will make you a condent and successful
college student. Use your senior year wisely. Explore your interests
and develop your talents.
BUILDING YOUR FUTURE
MINIMUM COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION
OPTIMUM
RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR SUCCESS
ENGLISH
4 YEARS
emphasizing writing, speaking, reading,
as well as an understanding and
appreciation of literature.
4 YEARS
with an emphasis on the analysis and
interpretation of literature, composition
and speech
4 YEARS
including one year of composition,
also may include one year of speech,
communication or journalism
4 YEARS
with an emphasis on the communication
skills of writing, reading and listening,
and the analysis and interpretation
of literature. In addition, courses in
journalism and media literacy will be
valuable. Extracurricular activities in
debate, speech contest, newspaper and
yearbook will further develop essential
competencies.
MATH
3 YEARS
including one year each of algebra,
geometry and advanced algebra.
3 YEARS
including two years of algebra and one
year of geometry for admission to the
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
4 YEARS
including two years of algebra, one
year each of geometry and higher math
(trigonometry, analysis or calculus) for
admission to the College of Engineering.
3 YEARS
including the equivalent of algebra,
geometry and algebra II.
4 YEARS
one in each year of high school. While
advanced courses like calculus and
statistics are good, it’s more important
that you gain a complete understanding of
algebra II and trigonometry.
NATURAL
SCIENCE
3 YEARS
including at least two years of courses
which emphasize elements of biology,
chemistry, or physics.
3 YEARS
including courses in physical science,
biology, chemistry, environmental science
and physics for admission to the College
of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
3 YEARS
with at least one year each in chemistry
and physics for admission to the College
of Engineering. Nursing–3 years,
including one year each of biology,
chemistry and physics.
3 YEARS
including courses in general science,
biology, chemistry, earth science or
physics. Laboratory experience is highly
recommended.
4 YEARS
one in each year of high school. To be
better prepared, take at least one year
each of biology, chemistry and physics.
ese can be taken in any order and may
be taught productively in either a separate
or an integrated fashion, depending on
your school’s oerings.
SOCIAL
STUDIES
2 YEARS
for admission to Colleges of Agriculture
and Life Sciences, Business, Design,
Engineering and Human Sciences.
3 YEARS
for admission to the College of Liberal
Arts and Sciences.
3 YEARS
with U.S. history and world history
recommended for admission to the
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
2 YEARS
with U.S. history and world history
recommended for admission to the
College of Engineering.
3 YEARS
including courses in anthropology,
economics, geography, government,
history, psychology or sociology.
3 YEARS
is essential, but four is better. Take at least
one year each of U.S. and world history.
Additional courses in anthropology,
economics, political science, psychology
and sociology provide an important
understanding of our political, social and
economic institutions.
FOREIGN
LANGUAGE
2 YEARS
of a single foreign language for admission
to the Colleges of Engineering and
Liberal Arts and Sciences.
2 YEARS
of a single foreign language are required
for admission. For many degrees, the
fourth year of pro ciency is required
for graduation. Nursing–4 years in a
single language or two years each in two
dierent languages.
Foreign language courses are not
required for admission. However, two
years of foreign language in high school
with a C- or above in the last course
will meet the university graduation
requirement.
4 YEARS
of a single foreign language. By taking
foreign language during all four years of
high school, you’ll go beyond the basic
skills and begin to use the language and
reinforce your uency.
OTHER
COURSES
Specic elective courses are not required
for admission.
Specic elective courses are not required
for admission.
2 YEARS
years of additional courses from the
required subject areas, foreign language,
or the ne arts.
Explore! Courses in the ne arts,
performing arts, computers, or
technology will help round out your high
school experience. Your future eld of
concentration or career may lie in one
of those areas. Follow your interests,
talents, and the strengths of your school.
Remember to choose courses with high
academic standards.
REGENT ADMISSION INDEX (RAI)
Due to the many standardized testing issues caused by the
COVID pandemic, Iowa’s Regent universities are test-
optional for freshman applicants entering Fall 2022 or earlier.
In other words, these students may choose whether they wish
to submit ACT or SAT scores.
Applicants Who Submit ACT or SAT Scores
ese applicants will be considered for admission based
upon their Regent Admission Index (RAI) score. Below is the
mathematical formula for calculating your RAI score:
ACT composite score x 3
+ Cumulative GPA x 30
+ Number of years of high school core courses x 5
Total = RAI
Applicants Who Do Not Submit ACT or SAT Scores
ese applicants will be considered for admission based upon
an individual review of their academic records. Emphasis
will be given to high school cumulative GPA and core
courses.
YOUR COURSES COUNT
SPRING 2021
