Planning to attend a college or university? Preparing for your next move can be a lot of work, but Metro’s counselor is here to help.
Choosing a college
There are many institutions of higher learning, career/technical/trade schools, etc., but these are the schools most of our students tend to research. If you are interested in researching other opportunities that are not represented on this page, please utilize the college search option provided below, or speak with your counselor.
There are a lot of other opportunities beyond high school to help students either pay for training/college, or to help students gain skills to become more employable. Here are some you may want to consider taking advantage of:
- This website is a great resource to help students who are planning on attending college. It helps with the steps from exploration to applying to financing to attending
Iowa College Aid’s List of Iowa Colleges and Universities
- This links you to a list of Iowa’s colleges and universities, as well as links to their websites
- This website allows you to search for different colleges or universities based on multiple criterion, such as: location, major, type of degree, size, price, how selective, etc.
- Click on new student application to apply for Kirkwood
- Hawkeye is a two-year community college that offers a variety of options, from certifications/diplomas, to degrees and transfer degrees
- Des Moines Area Community College is a two-year community college that offers a wide variety of programs. Some are similar to Kirkwood, but others are not offered at Kirkwood
- Capri offers programs in cosmetology, esthetics, nail technology, and massage therapy. There is also a partnership program with a community college where students can earn their entrepreneurial cosmetology diploma
- Offers programs in cosmetology, esthetics, nail technology, and massage therapy
Carlson College of Massage Therapy
- This is a six-month college for students who would like to train to become massage therapists
- Coe College is a four-year private college
- Mount Mercy is a four-year university. Check out the opportunity to have your entire tuition covered through the Catherine McAuley Scholarship.
- Cornell College is a four-year private college that is known for students taking one class at a time for a concentrated amount of time
- The University of Iowa is a four-year public university in Iowa City. Pay close attention to admissions requirements if you are interested in attending as a freshman or a two-year transfer student. They have a two-plus-two program agreement with Kirkwood
- UNI is a four-year public university in Cedar Falls. Pay close attention to admissions requirements if you are interested in attending as a freshman or a two-year transfer student. They have transfer agreements with Kirkwood and Hawkeye Community College
- ISU is a four-year public university in Ames. Pay close attention to admissions requirements if you are interested in attending as a freshman or a two-year transfer student. They have transfer agreements with Kirkwood and DMACC in Des Moines
Metro Scholarship Information 2022-2023
Set up an appointment with Tara to complete your FAFSA
Metro General Scholarship Application online.
- Multiple $500 scholarships for Metro students. Applications are due to Tara by March 11, so there is enough time to get them to the Realtors’ Association.
Don Stout Memorial Scholarship
- One $1,000 scholarship for a Metro student interested in pursuing their degree at Kirkwood Community College. Applications are due to Tara by March 9th. *To apply, fill out the Metro General Scholarship Application.
- One renewable, $1,000 scholarship for a Metro student interested in pursuing his/her 2 or 4-year degree. The student must demonstrate financial need, strong ethics, and high moral character. Please note that there is a 200-300 word essay about one’s personal aspirations, educational, and career goals required with this application. Applications/essays are due to Tara by February 28th.
Cedar Rapids Optimist Scholarship
- One $500 dollar scholarship to be used toward a College, University, Trade School, or for further training after high school. Applications are due to Tara by March 1st.
Rotary West Club of Iowa
- One student who plans to attend Kirkwood during the next school year will receive a $500 scholarship upon enrollment based on service above self, citizenship qualities, and how he/she has carried him/herself as a Metro student in their years of attendance. *To apply, fill out the Metro General Scholarship Application.
Kansky Scholarships
- Multiple $500 and $1000 scholarships to use for certifications, training programs, or college. *To apply, fill out the Metro General Scholarship Application.
IMPACT Life Scholarship
- Awarded to a graduating senior that demonstrates Metro’s core values of Caring, Respect, and Responsibility through assisting with the blood drive in any way (recruitment, promotion, check-ins, donating, etc.).
Leola Z. Clark Scholarship—A scholarship for a student who lives in Wellington Heights Neighborhood, has financial need (annual family income cannot exceed $47,750), and the student must write an essay/submit letters of reference. More information is to come when the application is emailed to Tara for this year.
In addition to the scholarships above, please use this scholarship search link to seek out more opportunities. https://www.icansucceed.org/ican-scholarship-database
Also, look at Cedar Rapids School District´s Scholarship Website.