Our Bucksbaum Early Entrance Academy empowers high-achieving students like you to begin full-time, on-campus studies at The University of Iowa after your sophomore year of high school. Preparing to enter college early can begin as you start your high school years. Start thinking about the academic, social, and creative opportunities early entrance could bring – will you be ready? The following are suggestions for what you should do during your ninth-grade year to prepare to be an early entrance after your sophomore year.

• Plan ahead to take as many honors courses or Advanced Placement® (AP) courses as your school offers. Talk with your counselor about your interest in leaving high school early so they can assist you in choosing the courses which will best prepare you for life as a University student. Refer to the Building Your Future Resource (pdf) for entry requirements for the University of Iowa.
• Talk with your school about your intentions to leave early. Work with their guidelines for graduation requirements. Try to set up your schedule to incorporate as many of the graduation requirements into three years as is possible.
• Take the PSAT exam. Your high school counselor will probably recommend you take this test as you prepare for the SAT.
• Attend a summer residential camp to gain experiences away from home. Gaining experience on a college campus will help with the adjustment and preparation to become a full-time university student. The Belin-Blank Center offers a number of residential summer programs that are academically and socially stimulating.
• If you are involved in extracurricular activities, begin planning to achieve all of your goals during the two years you are in high school (for example: if you want to be the editor of the school newspaper, try to do that during your sophomore year!).
• Keep track of your achievements so when you start filling out college and scholarship applications, you won’t have to try to remember all of your awards and extracurricular activities.

Our Bucksbaum Early Entrance Academy empowers high-achieving students like you to begin full-time on-campus study at the University of Iowa after your sophomore or junior year of high school. This year could be your last year of high school. Will you be ready? Use these tips as you are preparing to apply to enter college early.

• Communicate with your school as to whether you will graduate at the end of high school or use courses from The University of Iowa to fulfill requirements for your diploma. You can finish your degree either way; it is up to you and your school how that is worked out.
• Continue to take as many honors or AP courses as possible. These courses will help prepare you academically for the challenge of university course work.
• Work with your guidance counselor to make sure you are meeting the specific requirements of the college you plan to enter at Iowa.  Refer to The University of Iowa's first year admissions requirements for more information. 
• Take the PSAT, even if you do not plan to take the SAT. The PSAT can qualify you for the National Merit Scholarship, National Achievement Scholarship and National Recognition Program Scholars.
• Register to take the ACT or SAT by November, if you haven’t taken one yet or if you want to try to improve the score you received.  Taking it multiple times allows you to increase your score by preparing for the sections you need. Your guidance counselor can help you find web sites, books, or classes to help you prepare for the tests.  For more information about about scholarships visit the UI admission's scholarship website.
• Attend an Information Day. Learn more about the program, visit the campus, and meet with the staff members at the Belin-Blank Center.
• Talk with your guidance counselor about how your school and community will handle scholarships for you—will you need to apply as a sophomore? Or wait until your first year at the University, your "junior year"?
• Complete the University of Iowa application for admission by December 1.
• Complete the Bucksbaum Early Entrance Academy application by February 1.
• The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) determines your eligibility for grants, loans, work-study, and need-based scholarships.  Some financial aid funds are limited and are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis so it is important to file your application as soon as possible after the application opens on October 1.  The deadline for priority consideration is December 1.  Read more on the Office of Student Financial Aid's new student website.
• Attend a residential summer camp for the experience of being away from home for an extended period of time. It can be an academic program, a sports camp, or any other summer camp offered on a college or university’s campus. The Belin-Blank Center offers a number of residential summer programs that are academically and socially stimulating.
• Look for internship and job-shadowing opportunities. Admissions officers like to see well-rounded applicants who have participated in high school extracurricular activities, but also consider volunteering or job shadowing in a career area that interests you.
• Keep track of your achievements so when you start filling out college applications, you won’t have to try to remember all of your awards and extracurricular activities.

Letting your child leave home early to attend college can be a challenging experience. Once your students enter the University, they can always return home to visit, but there’s no doubt that going to college changes your relationships, whether they go after their sophomore or senior year. Parents are included in the information day, interview, and welcome lunch. Parents are encouraged to contact the Belin-Blank Center at any time with questions or concerns. To learn about what your child should do to prepare to apply for early entrance, please see the student sections above.

How can you assist your child in preparing to apply for early entrance?

Preparation for college should begin early. This College Prep Guide offers helpful tips about academic preparation and the college selection process.

Pre-college programs

Each year, Iowa offers a variety of camps, courses, and other programs for students in elementary through high school. Program areas range from music, sports, science, and math to entrepreneurship, forensics, and wildlife. For many students, youth camps are a fun and educational introduction to campus life. The Belin-Blank Center runs a number of excellent summer residential programs as well. These programs are both academically and socially stimulating experiences which are great introductions to the staff at the B-BC and The University of Iowa’s campus. Check out our summer programs.

We asked early entrance parents their advice to future parents. Here’s what they have to say:

• “We are quite relaxed having our son in the program. If he were a regular UI freshman, he would be without the excellent supervision and guidance that the Belin-Blank staff is providing him. ”
• “Do it! What they ‘lose’ as a senior is far outweighed by what they gain in getting real challenges and opportunities.”
• “Listen to your son or daughter…They know best.”
• “The staff are supportive and act as advocates for the students. They (students) are better off than if they entered as regular freshmen.”
• “This has given (our son) the opportunity to save an entire year that would have otherwise been largely wasted.”
• “Our son needed to be in a university setting-he was ready academically and emotionally to be out of high school. This is a great program…do it!”
• “The program works! She has adapted to the different teaching styles of her teachers and the different learning that goes on compared to high school. She is very happy.”
• “Our daughter was home last weekend. As I drove her back to campus she said, ‘I’m so glad that I’m not in high school anymore.’ Enough said!”

A student has come to you indicating their interest in attending college early. Now what? Here are some issues and concerns that often come up in our interactions with school officials. We recommend that you consider these issues and have discussions with the student about them as they are making their decision about early entrance at Iowa.

• Will the student have enough credits by the end of their sophomore year to graduate? Most of our students graduate two years early or use coursework from The University of Iowa to finish requirements for their high school diploma. Nearly all of our students have been able to successfully complete their high school diploma through one of these options.
• If the student will not graduate prior to entering the program, how will you communicate which courses are needed and which ones at Iowa will count for that credit?
• Remember, one year of high school credit is equal to one semester of credit at the university.
• The student may want to come back for events throughout the year, such as prom or the graduation ceremony. How will this be handled? Will they be allowed to serve as a valedictorian for their class?
• How will the local scholarships handle this student’s applications? Will you recommend them for scholarships when they enter Iowa or after they have completed all of their high school requirements?

Many of our students will be National Merit finalists. They complete the process at the University of Iowa, and the scholarship begins applying to them as they enter their third year.