How to Apply or Request Information About Becoming a Hawkeye at the University of Iowa

The University of Iowa's official website, uiowa.edu, gives you two direct starting points: the "Be a Hawkeye" section for admission-related action, and the "Request Information" link for expressing interest before you apply. The site also offers a virtual tour if you want to explore campus before committing to either step. Specific deadlines, test policies, and program requirements are not listed on the homepage, so you should confirm those on the admission pages themselves rather than assuming a single universal timeline.

Start With the Two Main Entry Points

The homepage surfaces both paths clearly:

• Request Information — for prospective students who want Iowa to send them details about programs, campus life, or next steps. This is the lower-commitment option and a reasonable first move if you are still deciding whether Iowa fits.
• Be a Hawkeye — the admission-facing path, where the actual application process lives.

If you already know you want to apply, go straight to "Be a Hawkeye." If you are still gathering options, "Request Information" first is the more sensible order.

Explore Campus Before You Decide

The site offers a guided virtual tour under a "See Iowa City for yourself" prompt. This is worth doing before you request information or apply, because it gives you something concrete to react to — campus layout, the surrounding city, and the general environment. The homepage also notes that Iowa City combines Big Ten athletics, a world-class medical center, and a strong arts presence, which is the kind of context that is easier to judge from a tour than from a brochure.

General Steps to Express Interest and Apply

The homepage does not lay out a numbered application workflow, so treat the following as the general shape of the process rather than a menu-by-menu walkthrough:

1. Decide what you want to study. The site links to Areas of Study, which is where you identify the program or field you are applying into.
2. Check cost and aid early. The Cost and Aid link sits alongside Areas of Study on the homepage. Knowing the financial picture before you apply helps you judge whether Iowa is realistic for your situation.
3. Request information if you want Iowa to follow up with you directly.
4. Move to "Be a Hawkeye" when you are ready to begin the actual application.
5. Confirm deadlines and requirements on the admission pages. The homepage does not state application deadlines, required materials, or testing policy, so these must be verified at the source.

What the Site Tells You About Iowa

A few figures on the homepage are useful context while you decide:

The site also frames Iowa around student voices — quotes about communication skills growing, Iowa City being geared toward the college experience, and people thriving together. These are marketing statements rather than data, but they tell you what the university chooses to emphasize.

Common Sticking Points

• Assuming the homepage has your deadlines. It does not. Deadlines, essay prompts, and required documents live on the admission pages, not the front page.
• Skipping the cost step. "Cost and Aid" is presented as a first-level link, which suggests the university expects you to look at it early rather than after you are admitted.
• Treating "Request Information" as an application. It is not. It is an expression of interest that gets you on Iowa's radar; the application itself goes through "Be a Hawkeye."
• Overlooking the virtual tour. If you cannot visit in person, the guided tour is the site's own recommended substitute.

The Short Version

Go to uiowa.edu, use Request Information if you are still exploring, use Be a Hawkeye when you are ready to apply, check Areas of Study and Cost and Aid before you commit, and take the virtual tour to get a feel for campus. Then verify every deadline and requirement on the admission pages, because the homepage does not carry them.