Is OSU right for me?

<p>I am considering going to ohio state this coming year, but I am not familiar with how the quater term functions. Does a new class start every quater term, with new students and everything? Also, I would like to go to ohio for the engineering program and ,perhaps, biology. However, I have been reading that ohio is mainly a party school and that, "if you don't like sports you shouldn't go there". Well, I despise football and am actually planning to get the highest GPA possible, and maybe transfer after two years. I decided to apply to ohio because it seems to be a good public school and because although I have been getting straight A's for j and s year, my math SAT and early years were not as great. So, I was thinking about going to ohio intead of going to a SUNY(state) school in NY, which are sometimes lousy and devoid of school spirit. Do you guys think osu is a good place for an academic oriented person like me or should I look somewhere else? </p>

<p>An no, I don't expect OSU to be filled with intellectual minds; that would me too much to ask from a state u with a high admissions rate. The thing is most students at my hs, which is public, are rowdy and sometimes indifferent about education. It is not uncommon to hear swear words and improper use of the language in the hallways--" yo","nigga","son", and "*crap(sh...)" tend to be in every sentence. This trend seems to extend to state schools in NYand to be growing in the city. Oh, and not to mention the overall rudeness of the adminstration and the unfriendliness of residents. So, it would help if some could comment if the atmosphere at OSU is decent. After all, I wouldnt want to go to another state to find a similar envirionment. In which, case, I would have to consider my other choices.</p>

<p>Mark, you appear to have already made up your mind about Ohio State U. You've stated resolute opinions about two significant features of OSU that you don't like; the size of the school and football. You don't have to like the latter to enjoy life at OSU or any other place with a big time athletic program. However, your feelings about the former are critical to whether or not you would enjoy matriculating there. So I guess my point is, you probably shouldn't apply to OSU.</p>

<p>I have no problems about the size of the student body, lakewashington. I was just trying to get a genuine fell about the atmosphere at the university, as this is an important factor for me.</p>

<p>There is a ton of school spirit and adoration of the Buckeyes in Columbus and all over the state of Ohio. But all flagship state universities have lots of smart, focused students who are there for their education. You can find your own group of focused academic students if you try. That's a great thing about big state universities--there are a ton of kids there of all sorts.</p>

<p>I have not heard of OSU being that unfriendly, but it is a very big school indeed and does get rowdy on football weekends. The main issue that I would be concerned with, however, is the ability to register for the classes that you need in order to graduate. </p>

<p>If you are accepted to the Honors College, however, you will be able to register ahead of regular students. I believe that Honors students also receive housing perks.</p>

<p>Outside of the SUNY system, I would recommend looking at University of Delaware. It is a very good school, and of a reasonable size, and quite friendly.</p>

<p>thank you for the suggestion and the comments. I did hear that intro classes tend to weed out some students if you don't apply early.But, I am glad to hear that some people are not there just for the parties.</p>

<p>I know someone who's attending OSU, and he says that most of the kids are from Ohio. He's from out of state, but there aren't too many. Just be sure that you're okay with that aspect. I know my daughter wants a more national student body, ideally. That's why she doesn't want SUNY either.</p>

<p>Yes, the student body at public high schools in NY pretty much reflect that of the SUNY system. Although people of many ethnicities do come together and interact a lot, most of the time people of different nationalities cling together. The vast number of international student leads to no school spirit and distant students. What does your acquaitance think about OSU? And which school is your daughter considering?</p>

<p>-- The more remote suny campuses , such as geneseo, do have a more unified student, national student body, though.</p>

<p>Have you considered Penn State main campus? I see many good kids from NY choose to go there instead of SUNY. And I understand that it's a bit easier to get into than the top SUNY schools or even U Del. (You mentioned in another forum Geneseo is a reach)</p>

<p>Yes, Thank you very much nefer. Penn state is one of my applications already and I hope I get in. I would definitely want to go there. I don't know if I can get accepted, however, since it is becoming so popular and I am from out of state, so Ohio would be one of my options in case I get rejected at psu. I guess I will have to wait and see the decisions. The input from you will certainly help me make up my mind then.</p>

<p>Mark - You may want to consider Miami (Ohio) and James Madison as well, both very good publics and each less that half OSU's size. Add my vote to those of posters who've suggested that you (especially) should visit before deciding which universities are appealing. Good luck with your college search.</p>

<p>Personally, I would visit the schools you might want to go to. I have a friend at OSU who doesn't like it one bit. The city surrounding it is awful. Also, unless you're going to get scholarship money, why apply to a state school? You'd be better off going to a good liberal arts school. Have you looked into some private schools? They usually have money to give out and many become quite reasonable as a result. There are way better public schools if that is what you want. I'd do some serious homework and go have a look-see before you apply anywhere.</p>