Is ohio state university really too big?

<p>is ohio state university really too big?
i’ve heard abt their solid undergrad business program
but many ppl recommande me to not go there…
i mean, nt even apply there
but i’m not sure, i kinda wanna keep it as my safe.
how’s the campus anyway? worht going there?</p>

<p>To those who've said the college is too big, I would advise you to ask how they know. If they're just going by some stat they read or rumors, ignore it. But if they specifically know a kid who had the experience of attending OSU for classes, and felt it was "too big," then they may be worth listening to.</p>

<p>Truth by told, I'd absolutely love to tell you Ohio State is the PERFECT size. And that is true, but that's true specifically for ME. Everyone's different, everyone wants something different from their college years. So I can't necessarily give you advice (and if your life is anything like mine was last year, trust me, you'll have PLENTY of people trying to tell you where to go to college). But, I can at least tell you why, for me, OSU is perfect.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Low-cost, compared to similar-caliber research universities.</p></li>
<li><p>School spirit. I know it sounds unimportant, but I definitely wanted to go somewhere where the student body WANTS to be there. And Buckeyes are known for Buckeye pride.</p></li>
<li><p>BIG SIZE! I'm a people person (which is apparently odd for an engineer). I wanted the opportunity to meet as many kinds of people as I possibly could. I also wanted to sit in on a couple random interest clubs, classes, etc. A huge school with a hugely dynamic student body makes that possible.</p></li>
<li><p>BIG resources! You have to have a lot of your own initiative (whereas at smaller schools staff may be able to show more individual guidance), but there are a MILLION opprtunities! And you'll definitely find some staff who are willing to show you the attention you need to get the most out of college (I can think of friends' particular experiences with this prof, or that advisor).</p></li>
</ol>

<p>As you can see, big size was a huge plus, for me. I highly encourage you to visit, check it out, see if it "fits."</p>

<p>All of the other colleges I applied to were very small, most with less than 2000 students. So I suppose I would be the first to say that OSU is "too big", but I don't feel that way. You get involved with the same groups of people (same interests/majors/friends of friends/floormates) that the school feels much smaller, but is still big enough to find anything you could want. I like it.</p>

<p>Definitely apply, at least.</p>

<p>My DS wanted a big school in an urban area, so his choices were limited in Ohio. However, I must say I wasn't too keen on the idea of OSU when we first started looking at schools. I had lived outside of Columbus and had driven by OSU for years. It sure looked huge to me and as a parent, that made me nervous.</p>

<p>After we started visiting schools I was pleasantly surprised at how much smaller OSU felt once you were within the campus itself. Sure, it's big, but I found it surprisingly approachable - feeling much smaller than it is once you start walking the campus. </p>

<p>Obviously, from the most distant corners it's a big place (although it doesn't feel as big as some other large campuses I've visited), but few students will experience it that way on a daily basis. The actual portion of a campus that most students experience in their daily life is almost always a fraction of the total campus size - whether that campus is urban or rural, big of small (well, maybe in the smallest cases this might not hold true, but that would be the exception). Programs like Honors shrink the campus even more.</p>

<p>If you are looking for a small, intimate campus, OSU isn't for you. And if you are looking for rural tranquility with lots of cows around, don't waste your time. But if you are looking at larger state or private schools (10,000 plus) you might find OSU more comfortable than you thought.</p>

<p>I wouldn't go by the number of students or the opinions posted on boards (even this one). Instead, I would suggest that you see for yourself. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Like the Speaker said, it's a personal decision and you need to experience it personally before you will know for sure.</p>

<p>The campus isnt massive, like some believe. You can walk from one side to the other in I would say 15-20 minutes. Most of your core classes are all in the center though. And if your going for business all those buildings are right near each other.</p>

<p>One thing to consider when looking at the campus is that the entire SW quadrant is devoted to the medical school and biological research buildings. The entire campus W of Rt 315 is the vet school and ag research buildings. One can spend four years at Ohio State and never need to step foot there.</p>

<p>In essence the core campus for undergraduates is relatively compact and very pedestrian friendly.</p>

<p>oh...that's good :)
how about the financial aid? do they offer a lot for internationals?
and how is the business program?</p>

<p>On my visit in April, OSU truly felt like a school that was no bigger than 8000 people. The campus was not enormous, but it wasn't too squished either. That's why I loved it so much.</p>

<p>The Fisher College of Business is ranked within the top twenty undergrad business programs in the US, and there is also the Mitte Honors Program if you have better stats. Ohio State in general has climbed the rankings over the past few years, and a lot of people still consider Ohio State to be just another state school for average students, so I think that is why people have told you not to apply. I know they offer a merit scholarship that brings out of state tuition down to in-state tuition (I assume internationals pay out of state tuition), which is quite inexpensive for the quality of the school, and there are other merit scholarships for having above average stats. They list them on their site. I don't think they offer a huge amount of need-based aid, but I don't know for sure. Generally, you pay something pretty close to the sticker price unless you have great stats, but that's normal for a public school.</p>

<p>Oh, and as for the people telling you not to apply, psh, ignore 'em and apply.</p>

<p>If you want to talk about if Ohio State is "good enough," you can talk to me and I'll tell you why I chose Ohio State over another great school I got accepted to. Or my sophomore friend who turned down Johns Hopkins. Or my fellow freshman who turned down Cornell. Or another friend who turned down William and Mary... The list goes on.</p>

<p>OSU is big, and that means big opportunity and big resources, all there for you to take advantage of.</p>

<p>what many people fail to realize that large universities are made up of many smaller colleges and even smaller individual departments. I was an civil engineering major at OSU in the 60's when it was the largest university in the country and about the same size as today. However there were less than 40 students in my CE class, smaller than some lac departments.</p>

<p>If you are worried about the physical size of the campus:
When we toured Ohio State, it seemed like the area of the campus that a freshman would be likely to spend any time in was reasonable. You don't need to go from one remote corner to another.</p>