University of Ithcona

The Univeristy of Ithcona, abbreviated as UOI, sits on the edge of Seneca Lake . The university has a long history of hosting water skiing, fishing, and kayaking tournaments in Ithcona. With its own private coastal property and small beach along the lake to the southeast of Downtown Ithcona, many pamphlets refer to the University of Ithcona as an ivy-league paradise for aspiring heroes.

The University of Ithcona specializes specifically in Heroic Studies, a subject similar to "Liberal Studies" that centers around hero work. The school holds a contract with 30 hero agencies across the state of New York, and students receive the opportunity to obtain up to 300 hours of field experience. Students who attend the University of Ithcona for their four-year Bachelorette and earn their Conditional Hero License (CHL) receive priority admittance into the Masters and Doctorate programs for Heroic Studies. Students with priority admittance usually enter the program immediately or within a year of graduating with their four-year degree. Waitlisted students, on the other hand, have to wait three to five years to receive acceptance into the Licensed Professional Hero (LPH) program. [[File:University of Ithcona.png|thumb|232x232px| Image: "Architectural drawing, Academic I, Prince William Institute, 1994" by Unknown

Source: http://ahistoryofmason.gmu.edu/index ]]

Housing & Costs
Instead of dorms, the University of Ithcona offers full apartments for attending students. Usually, students room anywhere from two to four students a room. To conserve space, the university offers studio apartments to students who prefer privacy at a slightly higher rate. The apartments cost $8,000 a year for a shared apartment and $8,300 for a studio apartment in addition to the $24,000 tuition.

Scholarships, financial assistance, and pay-what-you-can options exist for students who score a 92% or higher on the written entrance exam. Students who pass the practical exam to get into the Hero Department only need a 75% or higher on the written exam. If a student passes the practical, they have the option to major or minor in "Heroic Studies".

Entrance Exams
The University of Ithcona does not accept ACT, SAT, or GED scores. Instead, the university requires all applicants to take a written exam containing thirty essay questions relevant to the applicant's respective major and minor. An applicant receives two attempts at the written exam per subject. If the applicant fails to pass the exam for one subject, then the aspiring student receives the opportunity to take the exam for another department until the applicant exhausts the list of available subjects.

The exam's fifteen essay questions evaluate the comprehensive core subjects that the applicants learn in high school. Ten questions cover the basic knowledge about the subject the student intends to apply for. The university teaches the answer to these ten questions during introductory seminars for incoming students. The last five questions evaluate the applicant's personality.

For the practical exam, incoming students need to sign a waiver and wear a buzzer. The student needs to press the buzzer to opt out of the exam during emergencies. A team of thirty professional heroes sit on stand by during the administration of the exam to rescue the applicants who opt out. Opting out of the exam does not constitute a failure.

During the exam, a group of ten students need to face a man-made disaster and rescue as many Citizen Bots as possible from an artificial city. During the rescue, the applicants face twenty Colossal Villain Bots. The applicants need to rescue as many Citizen Bots as possible and take them to one of four designated points in the arena. To earn points for the exam, the applicant needs to take down at least one Colossal Villain Bot and rescue one Citizen Bot.

The University of Ithcona's exam has a 12% pass rate.

Locations
Downtown Ithcona Seneca Lake
 * Entrance
 * Courtyard
 * Hallway
 * Bookstore
 * General Classes
 * Support Laboratory
 * Hero Classroom
 * Business Classroom
 * Cafeteria
 * Simulation Gym
 * University Library
 * Urban Arena
 * Disaster Arena
 * Student Apartments
 * C.S.I.C.C. Classroom
 * Private Beach