Is Indiana University/Bloomington tough to get into?

[luvavacation]

Ok Indiana people, higher learning question for you!

I have a high school Junior that is torn between Purdue University and Indiana University. She presently has a sister at Purdue, so we are familiar with that University, but other than a visit over Spring Break, we know almost nothing about IU, other than my daughter loves the campus more than Purdue's. Oh, and we now find out the requirements to be accepted are more stringent at IU.

I always thought Purdue was the tougher school to be accepted into, but we just received my DD's ACT scores, and they are barely at the level that IU would like (but at Purdue's level, how odd), according to the ACT student website. The irony is, this daughter of mine is an intelligent individual that "gets" things very easily, and hardly has to work for good grades in her classes. She is no Valedictorian, but she holds her own. However, she is a terrible standardized test taker!

From elementary school on, she has always scored low on those tests. Something about Scantrons just messes with her thinking. Thus, I doubt that no matter how many times she retakes the ACT, she just won't score much above the average.

And lest you think I believe my children to be geniuses, I do not. My one at Purdue had to work very hard for everyone of her grades, unlike her sister. However, the eldest is a fantastic standardized test taker, and received a 34ACT score. There is no way the little sister is going to make that, but I have no doubt she would have an easier time with the college coursework than her big sister!

Youngest DD is now worried that her low ACT score will make IU toss her application before anything else is even considered. The irony is, all this time I have told her that Purdue is the tougher school, with higher requirements, and now we find out it is Indiana University! Can this really be true? Is Indiana University in Bloomington considered a more prestigious university than Purdue? I am not from Indiana, so I have no idea what the thought is on that.

Not that it matters in the choice, I am just curious!

 

[Chelley00]

My oldest DS will be going to IU in the fall. (He graduated last year and took a gap year to work and save money)

IU is becoming more and more competitive to get in to. There was a news report here maybe a year ago about all these students who were denied entry into IU because and they had even met the requirements but were still turned down. We have friends whose daughter didn't get in. Her GPA was crazy high but her SAT was bad.

It depends on who you talk to about whether IU or Purdue is more prestigious. I think it really depends on what you major in on which is the better school.

Just to give you a guideline, DS's GPA was 3.85 and his ACT was 28 and he was accepted pretty quickly.

I can tell you that being an out of state student will help because they like that higher out of state tuition

 

[emksmama]

Shel, is that you???

Does IU only look at ACT, or a combo/either/or option of ACT/SAT/GPA? I was recently on a scholarship committee and we had pretty strict guidelines for each, but we took into account that some super smart kids are crappy test takers, so they had to meet just one of those criteria. A low test score was OK as long as the GPA was a certain level (10.0 on a 12.0 scale for example), or vice versa.

What is your DD planning to go to college to study? I'm an IU grad myself (regional campus, not B'ton) but my oldest wants to be a vet, so I'm sure she'll end up at Purdue. Good luck either way!

 

[Chelley00]

Shel, is that you??? !

It's me!!!

I'm assuming IU looks at a composite, because K's ACT was good, but not great, but his GPA and class rank were decent.

 

[Callie]

Actually IU is easier to get into if you live in State since it is a state school. Also the test of choice for most Indiana students in the SAT, which maybe your child should look into taking?
I know a ton of people who have gotten into IU and Purdue. But I live in Indiana as well. Its about equal I'd have to say, and really depends on which major you are looking at. I didn't study for my SATs and hadn't taken a test in ages and still got accepted.

 

[luvavacation]

Thanks for the insight.

DD would like to study Psychology. She isn't sure which particular field of psychology, but she does like the appeal of a Criminal Minds type, where you get into the head of a criminal to figure out what the next move is and why they do what they do. Other DD went into Agriculture, hence Purdue. I don't believe either school offers more for psychology than the other?

Emksmama, my one at Purdue has a friend that is in the Vet program, and she has nothing but praise for it. I hear it is rigorous but worth it. Good luck to your son.

Ok, so I am not crazy, and IU is indeed becoming more competitive than it was 4 years ago when my other DD was looking at schools. I just always thought Purdue was the tougher one, but I guess things change. I do know the out-of-state tuition for IU is more than Purdue!

I have absolutely know experience with the SAT. Is that a better test to take for college entrance than the ACT if one is a bad test taker? If Indiana universities prefer the SAT, are we better off submitting that test for consideration, even if DD does just above average on the SAT, also?

This is not going to sit well with older DD, who keeps reminding little sister that her Purdue degree will be more prestigious than the Indiana University degree, if that is where little sister ends up. Ah, siblinge rivalry.

If only we could get that college entrance exam grade to go up, so she has a shot at the school that is her best fit!

 

[FlightlessDuck]

My assumption is state schools, which are usually very large, are much easier to get into that smaller private institutions.

 

[Bearvet]

Take a look at www.collegeconfidential.com. Here is the link for the discussion boards for IU http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/indiana-university-bloomington/ and you could post your question there. There is also one for Purdue. Also forums about SATs and ACTs.

This is a great site and very informative, but keep in mind that a lot of the people posting have incredibly high stats, so sometimes you have to tone it down a bit. Still very good info.

 

[Chelley00]

Actually IU is easier to get into if you live in State since it is a state school. Also the test of choice for most Indiana students in the SAT, which maybe your child should look into taking?

Not so much anymore. We know a former admission counselor at IUPUI (the Indy campus of IU/Purdue) and she said that since the economy tanked a few years ago, they were "encouraged" to take as many out of state students as they could because the tuition is higher. I know someone who applied to get into IUPUI law school for this coming year, and they started letting the out of state students in first and wait listed her and a friend. (they were all dorm friends and compared)

I don't believe either school offers more for psychology than the other?

I have absolutely know experience with the SAT. Is that a better test to take for college entrance than the ACT if one is a bad test taker? If Indiana universities prefer the SAT, are we better off submitting that test for consideration, even if DD does just above average on the SAT, also?

I would think IU is a better choice for psychology just because it has the med school?

As for the SAT, my son trashed the it (basketball game the night before and was sick with a terrible cold) so we didn't submit it and he still got in. Your daughter could try and take it and see if it's a higher score than her ACT. There are tons of SAT study guides online.

My assumption is state schools, which are usually very large, are much easier to get into that smaller private institutions.

IU and Purdue are both state schools.

 

[powellrj]

My assumption is state schools, which are usually very large, are much easier to get into that smaller private institutions.

My DS is a senior in college now, but back when he was applying, all of the state schools were harder to get into than many of the small private schools.

Ball State use to be everyones safety school and there were several kids with pretty good GPAs and SAT scores that didn't get in.

I know IU was harder to get into than Ball State, so I don't know what they are looking for now. DD wants to go to IU, but her GPA and SAT scores are much better than her brothers are so I hope she doesn't have any problems. She is a sophomore so its about time for her to get busy!

 

[K and K's Mommy]

Oh my goodness, I just had this conversation last night with my high school friends. We grew up 30 minutes from I.U. Lots of people I know went there.

It is, indeed, getting harder to get into. One of my friends (we are now 40) knows someone who did not get into I.U. with a 3.7. Now, I am willing to bet this student maybe didn't do anything extra. ?

My babysitter just graduated from I.U. last weekend. She had a few friends from high school not get into I.U. I think they were more low 3. somethings though.

However, according to people from Indiana, it is easier to get into if you are from out of state. It is becoming a hot topic and obviously a lot of Indiana people are not happy.

Almost everyone from my family has gone to I.U. and all loved it. Myself, I wanted a smaller school so I went to Butler in Indy and loved it!

 

[SandrA9810]

It might be harder if you're in state going directly from high school to university, but you're forgetting about another major group that gets acceptance. If you go for two years at a community college, you pretty much get accepted automatically into a state university. There's A LOT of people at community college, young and old, that are transferring.

Now, in California, the CSU's are blocking all admissions for the 2013 school year. That's putting a knot in a lot of people's stomach. From high school students to those finishing their AA degree.

For any one that wants to get into their school of choice (public) then community college should be looked into. Plus it's only a fraction of the cost.

 

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

My assumption is state schools, which are usually very large, are much easier to get into that smaller private institutions.

Not always (UNC Chapel Hill, Michigan, Berkley, etc.) but regardless, in this case both Purdue and Indiana University are large public universities.