I am trying to decide between Ohio State University and Case Western Reserve University. I know CWRU is pretty diverse , but I’m aware OSU is about 70% white. I’m Korean and have lived in Ohio my whole life. I come from a pretty diverse high school and because of that I feel a bit intimidated by OSU knowing less than 20% of its students are minorities. Is there any racism? Are minorities included in the social scene (parties, greek life)? Is there prejudice?
I would like a sense of how harmonious the students are at OSU. I’m leaning towards OSU more due to its social scene and well rounded academics, but the diversity stats kind of stall my decision.
As a student who is also a minority I share your struggles. I will start off by saying that the main reason I chose OSU was because of this very reason. At OSU I get to be myself. I too go to a very diverse high school and just like you grew up in Ohio and share your reservations. While OSU has a majority Caucasian population I can yell you that it certainly does not look that way when you go to the Union or even take a short walk anywhere on the Columbus campus. The University is currently working on increasing minority presence on campus and being inclusive. Throughout my classes and programs at OSU I have made a diverse and inclusive group of friends. There is an especially significant and growing Asian population so you definitely won’t feel out of place. All in all I love how OSU allows you to be yourself and allows you to connect to people with both similar and different backgrounds and ethnicities. OSU has many clubs and communities designed for this sole purpose. While in the smaller classes you may be the only Korean, from my personal knowlegde you won’t feel left out and will be included and welcomed. Here is the link to some Korean clubs at OSU if you’re interested https://activities.osu.edu/search.aspx?q=Korean
I recommend you visit campus if you haven’t.