<p>I’ve been deferred to OSU Mansfield (28 ACT, 3.5 GPA for those wondering), does anyone know if going to a branch campus for the first year and then having a guaranteed transfer into Columbus is worth it? </p>
<p>I’m just curious how good the education there is compared to the main campus.</p>
<p>wow i just lost hope haha. are you sure you didnt get deferred from columbus campus? whatd it say online or in your letter? and i believe that mansfield is supposed to be the most popular branch campus</p>
<p>Yes I’m sure, and it just said that they’re sorry they can’t offer me admission to Columbus and then it said I was accepted to Mansfield.</p>
<p>Wow. What was your class rank? Even if the average ACT is going up to 29 this year, your 28 should still put you comfortably above the 25th percentile.</p>
<p>ds with 30 accepted at Newark, but not Columbus…online status did not say deferred, just that he was not eligible for admission at Columbus. Thinking that means not waitlisted or that he has any possible hope for Columbus his freshmang year but no letter yet.</p>
<p>posted in another topic but denied from columbus…didnt say anything about other branches? but im not really interested haha. best of luck to everyone else! (3.3 28 instate)</p>
<p>Yeah the letter doesn’t say “deferred” but that’s what people usually call it when you get dragooned to a branch.</p>
<p>And, I dunno my class rank, my school doesn’t publish it and I never asked. However, my school is extremely competitive and my 3.5 GPA is weighted.</p>
<p>Also, foodgud, all instate applicants are offered a branch campus, you must not have filled that part of the online application out and instead left it blank.</p>
<p>oh yeah atlas youre right i didnt fill that out haha…guess i didnt think id need to :0. and im in the same boat as your atlas my school is very hard and well known but they recieved a ton of applications from my area so im thinking that my rejection came down to demographics which is probably the same in your case since we both have good enough stats to at least get deferred/waitlisted</p>
<p>All these stats about getting deferred to branch campuses have me legitimately worried I might get the same. I’m legitimately on the bubble and didn’t think I was until now.</p>
<p>I too am not sure if I would want to take some classes in Mansfield (I think that’s what I listed) before going to Columbus. I shouldn’t think too negatively though lol.</p>
<p>Sorry to hear you got deferred though. :(</p>
<p>What kind of courses did you take? A tough college curriculum? Meet/exceed the suggested courses (4 yrs of math, English, etc.)? Class rank (find out!)? My son had 1 ‘B’ in 3.5 years and is 45th out of 400. His school is just now instituting an ‘honors’ grading system. Had it been in place for him, he would have been in the top 15. Lucky for him, OSU, examined his courseload and offered him admission and honors in early November. How was your essay? Your outside activities? I know this is a lot, but it seems they are looking at the whole picture. Your ACT puts you near the middle, but if your course load was not demanding, you are going to get penalized. We were told last fall that over 25k applied last year and less than 8k made it to the main campus. It’s becoming uber-competitve and with the economy in the tank, it’s going to get worse. A lot of the kids that would in past years be going to a private school are going to state schools to save a few $$$…creating more competition.</p>
<p>i dont believe they are looking at the whole picture…i took all honors and aps…i guess i took like 3 cps freshman year because you couldnt take anything else? took 4 years of language math whatnot, had an amazing essay (told by many) and many leadership/ sports/clubs for extracurriculars…so really although they say they take those things into consideration…they are really only looking at your grades and test scores. it is already significantly more competitive then last year and i can only imagine that it was continue to get even more competitive</p>
<p>I went to the Mansfield campus for a year. I actually had about 30 credits coming into OSU as a freshman and I thought i’d transfer after the first quarter…i actually ended up loving it and staying that full first year. Some of my best memories are from that campus. It is TOTALLY different than main campus…but there are some positives. You’ll always get in your classes and they aren’t huge…you get an apartment style living (really…its amazing…single rooms…full apartments)…you still get football tickets, etc. I came from that campus and transferred to Columbus and became the most involved Buckeye ever (ok, not quite…but close!) and I don’t feel like I missed out on anything :)</p>
<p>Ah, finally, someone who went to Mansfield! Thanks so much for your input, it’s good to hear that you enjoyed your experience there, since up until now I haven’t heard anything positive.</p>
<p>Quick question though, how are the classes compared to Columbus? I know they’re smaller, but are the professors as good? Also, did you find that you were able to take a lot of GEC classes there for your major? From their course description site it looks like they have tons of history/english classes and not a whole lot of anything else.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>I am still waiting to hear back but if I was deferred to a branch I would definitely take it because transfering into the main campus in a year is worth it and you have the same perks and everything, besides classes on main campus! Also, my counselor mentioned that it could possibly take less than a year to transfer depending on the student and their application. </p>
<p>Just wondering, did you have any extra curricular activities or take and AP/IB classes?</p>
<p>I was in a few clubs, was the officer of one, and was in about 6 AP classes, counting this year.</p>
<p>So ds and I visited Newark yesterday. The only good thing about the time there was that the counselor allowed our info session be a discussion and answered all our questions. He did not recommend trying to transition prior to second year and only college classes count… You must complete all 45 hours on an OSU campus. The tour was sad…no access to dorms due to a fire and he would only go if housing on campus…and only 150 can! Students looked like they were just killing time…no active studying or engagement…no movement between buildings. It was a Friday and I know you can avoid class that day. Guide told us most students head to Columbus on weekends…good thing because little dining after lunch on Friday as far as service on campus…and nowhere to walk to eat…besides your apartment kitchen…if you get housing. buildings nice on inside but little signage around campus and in parking areas. Just not impressed and very disappointed.</p>
<p>Branch campuses of major universities are not the same as the main campuses, and that is often a reality check for students. The branches are often going to be viewed as boring, bland, etc… </p>
<p>But I think attitude has a lot to do with the perception. I’ve had a number of students who did not get into Columbus who started at Newark or one of the other campuses, and none of them described the campuses as “sad”. If one has a perception of a branch being like a “little” main campus or a small liberal arts college, then yes, it might look "sad’. But frankly, I’ve never seen a branch of a major university (in Ohio) that looked like a major school with a lot of social activity or on-campus studying. Might it be boring? Yes, it’s not Columbus and it’s usually commuter. Will it get you where you want to be eventually? Yes - view it as a means to an end. It’s not THE Ohio State University main campus, but it’s still OSU and will lead you to the main campus.</p>
<p>I’ve had students (I work with high schoolers) who have lived just off the main campus area and drove to Newark or another branch, and several former students who live in a nice apartment near the Newark campus until they transfer. And it’s true, Friday is not a good day to get a real feel for a branch campus - majority of branches anywhere tend to have classes mainly M-Th. There isn’t much movement between buildings because there aren’t so many places to “move”. I had several students who attended the Newark visit day early last week and they were pleased with the option instead of ruling out OSU altogether.</p>
<p>I hope your son finds someplace that fits him - there are so many options! Best wishes with the search - it can be stressful, I know.</p>
<p>I appreciate your post, fried pasta. You are right in thinking we, fairly or unfairly, compared it to a small college; but unfortunately, that is the competition. Boring and bland it was but we expected that…just not in the way we thought. I should have clarified movement as also within the buildings, which was also very limited and we really were just looking for students who were engaged, not just studying or socializing. We visited two of his other choices on a dreary Friday and those campuses had a different feel. OSU-Columbus was his first choice prior to the Newark assignment. He was not interested in visiting at all but I wanted to explore prior to just assuming it wasn’t an option. The positives remained…smaller, easier to navigate physicially, academically and administratively, get used to classes and college in general with a motivator of good grades and hours completion to achieve goal of transition to Columbus. He could have a car with him and be able to access groceries, errands, social “outings” easily. To him, it’s just not worth that year to achieve main campus access when he feels he’d be happier at his other choices.</p>
<p>We thought about living near main campus and commuting for classes at Newark. I am glad to hear there are those who not only consider, but make that work and would be interested in hearing more about that experience. </p>
<p>Again, thank you so much for your post.</p>
<p>The quality of students deferred to regional campus is ridiculous. I’ve come to think all this talk from admission office about strengh of schedule and finishing strong is hogwash. I know of too many cases where a slightly higher GPA and lower test score with few or no honors or AP classes trumps the kid who had a much more difficult schedule and better test scores… I also think in many cases you’re better off at a less competitive school. OSU seems to take only so many from highly competitive high schools where they could probably go down as low 3.0 range and get a better quality student than many high schools where kids have high GPA, lousy test scores, but, in the name of geographic diversity, they let those kids in. It’s too bad when kids who are qualified to go to main campus have to settle at the regional campus that is completely non-selective.</p>
<p>Atlas, SO SORRY I didn’t get back to you sooner! I am in grad school now and my schedule is just kind of nuts!</p>
<p>The classes were of equal caliber in my opinion. The classes are typically smaller…so in reality, that means more 1 on 1 with the teacher and possibly more expectations from them…so it is just as hard/if not harder in some cases…the professors are great…and as others have pointed out, the caliber of students at the branch campus is fantastic. I took mostly all GEC’s when I was in Mansfield and then took my major classes once I transferred. I did take a few major classes in mansfield but they were the 100 level and in a pretty big major (communications)…</p>
<p>I will check back sooner so it won’t be over a month til I reply again haha! you can always PM me if you have questions too.</p>