<p>I'm choosing between two schools, DePaul University and Ohio University. I really want to live in a city like Chicago, and I'd love, love, LOVE to get out of Ohio. However, I got into OU's College of Communication (an excellent communications school), and would be able to get a certificate in Political Communications, which would have been my major had I gotten into GWU. I also worry about OU's party school reputation. The reputation of OU is pretty heavy into the partying, would that cause people to not take my degree as seriously? DePaul is a good school, and I think I would be happy there, but it doesn't offer anything in Political Communications. </p>
<p>Do you have any advice?</p>
<p>Most college students end up changing their majors at least twice. Once they’re in college, they learn more about a variety of other majors as well as their own interests, so they often don’t major in what they had planned to. Based on what you’ve posted, seems that DePaul may offer better options: a city you love, being out of Ohio, and lack of a party school reputation. </p>
<p>If you plan to eventually return to Ohio to live, Ohio University may be the best option. If you think you’d like to permanently leave the state, DePaul would be the best option. If you go to DePaul and find you’d prefer to be in Ohio, better to learn that lesson while young and while it’s relatively easy to relocate than when you’re older.</p>
<p>Should I consider that OU is a tier 1 school according to US News and World Report, while DePaul is tier 3?</p>
<p>Brightside:</p>
<p>Spend some time at both campuses. Simply loving Chicago is not a good justification for going there, as the student body is very different from that at OU. The academics are different too, and I would venture to say that OU’s academics are indeed, as a whole, stronger than that at DePaul.<br>
If I were in your situation, I would pick Ohio U, but this choice is based on my own biases and opinions, not yours. Good luck!</p>