Does an OOS student need a car there or is everything fairly walkable? How close is the airport to campus? Would an Uber be too expensive or are there shuttles? Thanks!
OSU is very walkable, and students are able to utilize local buses for free. There are tons of restaurants on High Street, as well as a Target and pharmacies. The school also has buses that run on campus to take you from one end of campus to another. Lots of kids have bikes as well. The airport is fairly close, and the local bus system (COTA) offers shuttles during break. There are shuttles (which look to be about $125 one way, but I know sometimes you can split the bill with another student). Uber is also an option. We live near OSU, but my children did not want to attend a college so close to home. But we are on campus almost every day (or at least weekly). OSU has a page on their website describing their service, and COTA also has a page describing the bus lines.
Thank you! I’m shocked by the $125 shuttle fee, though for one way? Is the airport not close by?
Airport is close by. Regular COTA routes from downtown which is south of campus to the airport and additional routes directly from campus to the airport for breaks. There is also uber/lyft/taxi. Airport is right off the freeway (10-15 minute total drive from campus, most of those minutes are getting off campus). It’s an easy airport for drop off/pick up - just one big loop. Lots of students just ask a friend for a ride.
I’m the same as @BlessedMom3 , live here but no kids who attend. She’s right about the area, lack of need for a car, and airport an easy drive. Maybe 25 min door to door, again getting out of campus is where your time will be spent. Probably a pretty cheap Uber or cab fare. $125 does sound really high, there’s no way a taxi or Uber is going to be anywhere near that. I guess I would call the campus “fairly walkable”, it’s not small by any means, but OSU has good systems to get students around it.
Columbus native here. As a HS student, I have rode the bus down to OSU from suburbs of cities near. It is very accessible and safe. There is PLENTY to do in the area around OSU. Lots of restaurants, and is only a bus ride away from German Village or Worthington- two very cute towns with a lot of shops/things to do.
There are the COTA busses and the OSU bus system. Both are awesome. As you arrive on Campus, you’ll notice the student union. There are plenty of strips of shops within walking distance at OSU. OSU is an open campus, so it is basically right in the center of the city, meaning there is a lot to do. You’ll see students walking EVERYWHERE. There is no need for a car.
There is also the “oval” where a lot of students use to cut across campus. (Basically a bunch of sidewalks in a huge grassy area.) Lots of crosswalks, sidewalks, ECT.
All classes are typically clumped together that are similar subjects. For example the mathematics building is right by the science/STEM library. The engineering buildings are kinda cut off from the rest of campus in there own little spot. Right around the oval you’ll find more humanities halls.
The airport is fairly near. Uber will be expensive at certain times. Columbus is a big city.
My daughter has taken Uber to/from the airport for both fall & Thanksgiving breaks & it has never been more then $30 each way.
Yes, Uber is much more reasonable for transportation to the airport than a private shuttle service. I listed the price I found for a shuttle, but a COTA bus or Uber would be better. I agree that $125 is pricey, especially since the airport is not that far away! Our family has hosted international students for a few days before they start school at OSU [we pick them up from the airport 
] and they have used Uber to go many places in Columbus.
Honestly, when we first visited campus we were in a car. I hated it and felt nothing would change my mind. The next day the car was left behind and we walked the campus. I didn’t think anything could change my mind but by the end of the day I loved it. The key for me was ditching the car.
For visits between colleges/universities there is the GoBus (w/ WiFi). Even students with cars will take it to visit friends in Athens (Ohio University) to fit their hw into the weekend.
Students can also sign up for a Zipcar.
Thanks everyone, this is very helpful! My daughter has thrown me for a loop and decided to apply regular decision. We’re a good eight hours away.
Our OOS daughter is a Senior and graduates in May. She only got car this past November because she has a job on the East Side of Columbus. Now you definitely don’t need a car, specially during Freshman and Sophomore years when buckeyes live in dorms. In my opinion NO NO NO - you don’t want her or him to have a car even in their last two years. If she/he has to go to a store, buses are included should they need transport to a supermarket etc. You really want her/his life to be focus on the OSU campus (classes, extracurricular activities, campus jobs). All of these are easily walkable. At night OSU offer rides (believe at no additional cost) . My daughter used the services many times late at night when she got off late from her on campus job (computer lab). After a year or two your kid will have friends with cars and they can also carpool to store. An occasional Uber ride to the airport is nothing (in term of cost) compared to having to deal with a car at OSU. You can Uber for under $30
Uber and Lyft to the airport can run as high as $60 during peak times - but typically it’s about $20. The bus will take you for free. Campus is walkable, and even with a car, which you can’t have first year, you will most likely be parking on west campus, which requires a bus to get to your car and is expensive. Garage parking is available on a lottery basis and is about $900 a year. But your residence hall and garage aren’t guaranteed to be near each other. Again, making it a walk or bus ride away!
Not only do you not need a car, it’s not even really practical to bring one as freshmen can’t buy campus parking passes.