Anyone have opinions/knowledge of Kent State U?

<p>Thinking of applying to Kent State University in Kent, OH. I am from MA but cannot afford Ohio State, Purdue, Michigan State, etc. They seem to offer several very obtainable scholarships that require very doable Test scores and GPA. It isn't recognized by Princeton Review as one of their many favorites nor is it listed in the Fiske Guide. Just wondering if anyone had a child that attended Kent State or knows someone who did. Any feedback would be appreciated.</p>

<p>Mallory, what is your intended area of study? KSU has several standout programs but is otherwise a fairly nondescript state university.</p>

<p>That said, if you’re after one of its good programs and have decent grades, it is truly a diamond in the rough. My daughter is studying fashion design - as you can see from the 80% of the posts on this forum which are mine! - and she got a half-ride with a 29 ACT and similar grades. KSU has made no secret of the fact that they are trying to attract quality OOS students.</p>

<p>Thanks. I plan to major in Zoology. Is your daughter happy with her experiences at Kent State so far? How are the professors? Food? Students on “Student Review” site complain that it is a suitcase school on weekends, not much to do there and they do not feel academically challenged. Your thoughts?</p>

<p>I cannot speak to the quality of the zoology program. You’d have to consult other sources on that.</p>

<p>My daughter loves the school although it is definitely a suitcase school. You’ve got 60-70% OH residents and they bale on the weekend. My wife and I visited this fall and even on Friday the campus was empty. BUT, my daughter is the honors college and lives in the honors dorm and thus has a good number of OOS friends (honors has a higher percentage of OOS than the university at large) all of whom are there every weekend. They have a great time both on campus and in downtown Kent, which is super accessible now that the Esplanade (walkway) has been extended into downtown. As a sophomore she also has a few friends who live off-campus and they hang out on the weekends also, and she has a weekend job. She’s not much of a partier although there is that element at Kent. This is a clear case of IT’S WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT. </p>

<p>Back to your question on academics, her experience has been varied. Honors College allows you to take honors sections of some classes. These are smaller and more challenging, and the professors are much more engaged than with the larger non-Honors sections. The classes in the fashion design program are demanding and intense. She works her butt off. But not everyone does and the attrition rate in her program is high. Students in architecture, NEOMED and fashion design (and probably a couple others) are challenged and working. Make no mistake. But are there legions of students treading water in business and communications and psych? Yes, you better believe it. Choose wisely and Kent is a great school. But jump willy-nilly into the abyss without a clear plan and you could be disappointed.</p>

<p>Thanks. I appreciate all the feedback I can get. I am concerned about the “suitcase school” aspect though.</p>