<p>You need a solid GPA and good standardized test scores to get into Ohio State now. You can look at the OSU forum on this web site to get an idea. My daughter has a friend from a nearby H.S. with a 3.5 and good EC’s who could not get into Ohio State. It’s a good school and has gotten more selective with each passing year. And the honors program and the scholars program there are both really great. After we’d had a good visit to Ohio State and my daughter had her letter of acceptance to the honors program at Ohio State, it was nice. She had a safety school that she would not have minded attending. It’s inexpensive for Ohio residents, and they give nice merit aid, too.</p>
<p>yea, most of the big10 schools have gotten more selective over the past few years…</p>
<p>Madville, hopefully you understand what I have said so far are all positive about the OSU. The last thing I want to have happened is to have people think what I said were negative. </p>
<p>DD’s HS is an excellent one and I would expect about 20% of graduates would go to OSU. It did not happen and I think it is because OSU is raising their admission standards. </p>
<p>That being said, I would argue with you about OSU being a sport powerhouse in NCAA D1. If you check the overall championships own, OSU has 21, while UCLA and Stanford has 100 and 94 each, respectively.</p>
<p>I know a number of kids who turned down state U for private schools. Financially the difference was not that much or actually a better deal at the private school because of merit/financial aid packages. A big issue about state Us for some families is that the intro classes are large, and many prefer that the step up to college not be such a big one in terms of personal attention. I know that is my hesitation about the flagship school. My kids went to small highschool and I wanted something not so different for college. My second son is at a state school now, and it seems to be working well, but he is in a very small department within that school and tested out of almost all of the into courses for his basic requirements. That made a difference. He does have trouble with the few large lecture courses he needs to take.</p>
<p>DADII–one thing that I have noticed about OSU-speaking as a reletively recent newcomer–a large number of parents who have lived in Ohio for many years and now have high school-aged children, remember the years when Ohio State accepted anyone who wanted to attend. They still remember those classes from the 70’s that had hundreds of students enrolled in them, and they remember the large drop out statistics of students who couldn’t make the grade. A large number of them look at the other public university and feel that it is more selective and higher rated–as it was in times past–and have not taken a recent look at OSU. I’m from California and I fall into the same trap when I read about Berkeley–I think of all the riots, protests, sit-ins, drugs, etc and forget that it is a very different place today. My parents forbade me to go there. Anyway, many parents in their 40’s and 50’s have a negative view of OSU–and as someone who never knew too much about it before, I have found it to be an amazing place. I have also heard of a number of students who are strong “B” students not get accepted, so I do feel that it is harder to get into–and it will continue to be as long as they continue to court high-achieveing, promising students with offers of merit scholarships and extra perks.</p>
<p>My close friend sent her two girls to OSU. They had a number of alternatives, but that was what they wanted, and it was a great experience for them. Their third child went to one of Ohio’s many excellent smaller schools, and loved his experience there. THough all three kids have thrived, my friend feels that the relationships and closeness to school and friends was much stronger for the smaller school. On the other hand, I have known those who felt the smaller schools as suffocating and too small. Depends on the person. </p>
<p>But the sheer numbers of schools like Ohio State, Michigan State, etc scare off some families. I know some kids who could have easily gotten into OSU who chose Miami of Ohio instead, as a gentler, smaller more manageable school with a preferable atmosphere. (That school enjoys a good OOS reputation as well–I know a number of kids from east coast who fell in love with it and went there). </p>
<p>I did notice that in the last three years, our private school is getting more and more kids applying to the state schools. It was rare 10 years ago for a kid who goes there to apply to our state schools. UVA, Michigan, Wisconsin were among the few state schools that made the college lists of kids from there. No more. I noticed that about half the kids applied to our state schools, though the final list of who is going where is not yet out. We applied to a number of our state schools as financial safeties. When all was said and done, the best financial deals for us were the state schools that ranged from a full ride + to $18K a year. The most generous awards from the privates could not touch the full cost of our state school in our case.</p>
<p>I attend OSU, as do many people from my (top) high school - about 50 students from my class of 300-400, to be specific. </p>
<p>Honestly, a lot of students who are good candidates for a flagship just don’t like the idea of going to a state school. They view that as a negative thing, and it certainly sounds less sexy than attending a far-away out-of-state private. </p>
<p>State schools are familiar and many students want a total change of pace and scenery - they’re sick of their home state. I have friends who attend OOS publics/LACs that aren’t higher ranked than their flagships, and are quite a bit more expensive. It’s students feeling that choosing an exotic school is a way of expressing their individuality, and if their parents can afford that it’s not really a problem.</p>
<p>The number each year from our HS that go to the state flagship is not that big either. Only on CC do many think of the state U as the “back up” if all else fails. But not so in my community. Typically, the kids who go to the State U are the better students. Not everyone can get in whatsoever. Some of the top students in the class go to the State U. We have even had a val go there. So, it is thought of as a good school here and for higher ability students and it is not an automatic admit by any means. Also, some top students I know pick the state U as it is more affordable and they have gotten into some privates but had to go to the state U given the lower tuition. Some have gone to the Honors College as well. The numbers are not much higher than you are seeing in your child’s HS class from my observations. By the way, our state U attracts a large percentage of students from out of state and it is even harder for them to get into our state U than for the in state students for whom it is not a slam dunk by any means.</p>
<p>Ours is a typical middle class hs where about 33% of graduates go to the local community college and most others attend one of the in-state publics or nearby out-of-state colleges. Those attending private colleges and universities are typically in the top 10% of the class. But even within this cohort it is not at all unusual for them to attend the state universities. The top two state uni’s are highly regarded and few people look askance when a top graduate chooses to attend. </p>
<p>I doubt this attitude about college admissions is true a few miles away where the town has one of the highest per capita incomes in the country. In 1999 the median family income topped $200,000.</p>
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<p>DadII, I didn’t read your initial comments as being negative about OSU at all. It is establishing itself academically as a more viable option to many more high achieving students in Ohio, and attempting to make inroads for those types of students nationally and internationally. </p>
<p>As for the athletic powerhouse statement, while Stanford routinely contends for and wins the Sears Cup, recognizing the top collegiate athletic program, OSU athletic programs are no slouches. When it comes to the main revenue generating sports, i.e., football and basketball, the recent appearances in BCS, and postseason play has been outstanding. The recent showings, in men’s lacrosse, soccer, gymnastics, women’s bb, soccer, and other non revenue sports make OSU an exciting place for academic and athlete alike. No school generates money like OSU athletics, over 100 million dollars per year, facilities are second to none, and OSU is top 3 in number of fully funded athletic programs and student athletes, if I’m not mistaken. It’s also totally self sustaining, and actually contributes revenues to the university general fund. There has been an significant uptick in the grad rates of the athletes since the arrival of Jim Tressel and Thad Matta. This visability combined with the really competitive demographic of students considering college now, affords OSU the latitude of being more selective, and matriculating more accomplished students into each of it’s successive classes. The athletic success has definitely been a significant factor in OSU elevating it’s recruitment of stellar students and student athletes.</p>
<p>
? Why do you believe this only about engineering, and what are your “couple of exceptions”?</p>
<p>Sometimes where kids end up going is sort of random.</p>
<p>Usually about a dozen kids from our hs go to Flagship State, but last year 38 out of 350 grads attended Flagship State. This year, there’s a Facebook group where kids are listing where they’re going. There are 380 kids in this class, 209 have responded and only 8 are going to Flagship state. Why did 38 go last year - I have no idea. There’s also a smaller state school that normally sees 3 -5 grads from our hs, this year there’s already 9 going there according to the FB group.</p>
<p>Just depends on each kid, I guess. But Dad II you are right about the wide variety of schools kids attend, and there really is a place for everyone - even if it doesn’t start with an H,Y,P,S or M!</p>
<p>I agree that there is variability by class year…and it’s sometimes hard to explain. My son’s high school calls out the top 10% of his class and they walk up for their awards and get their colleges announced. In my son’s year, about 12 out of the 45 kids were going to our flagship state U, most of them (but not all) to the honors college. The following year, only ONE went to the flagship (an honors college student).
We live in a well to do area, and most kids and parents look down upon going to our big ten state U (PSU). But it IS getting harder to get in, especially for certain programs and the honors college is especially selective (approaching Ivy level) so it may be getting a bit more respect. And most kids do NOT want to go to one of the satellite campuses…even though they can move up after two years.<br>
Overall though, I do think many kids want a change of scenery…and yes..around here, many of the parents have the $ to fund alternate choices like Boston U or Syracuse. Not sure of the value there…but hey, it’s not my money!</p>
<p>At my kids’ not-well-to-do high school, there was a fair amount of ambivalence about Penn State, too. Usually a fair number of kids go, but relatively few top students. For most of them, Penn is their first choice (and with financial aid it’s usually not more expensive than Penn State), and if they don’t get in there, many prefer Temple or Pitt to Penn State.</p>
<p>“Penn is their first choice (and with financial aid it’s usually not more expensive than Penn State), and if they don’t get in there, many prefer Temple or Pitt to Penn State”.
I agree about Penn (usually about 30 kids apply ED each year) and Pitt IS becoming somewhat popular (plus they give out more merit aid). But Temple is NOT a popular choice in my son’s high school. Just a few per of year go there, and we haven’t had a top choice make that selection in ages. Not bashing Temple…just reporting what I have seen.
Lastly, we have seen LOTS of top kids get rejected from Penn State’s honors college in the last couple of years. Most then choose not to go…except for a few kids I know who were engineering majors. I wonder if more of these kids would have considered it if not for this “rejection” and the sore feelings that go along with it. IMO, PSU is still a good choice for many majors, Honors College or not. And it IS a LOT cheaper for those who don’t qualify for financial aid. Schreyer is certainly an enhancement, but it’s not like it’s a whole different school. Just my thoughts…</p>
<p>Right, the difference between your school and my school, tone, is that at mine substantially ALL of the kids (well, 95% or so) qualify for financial aid, and they all feel fairly comfortable at Temple given that it’s not so different from where they went to high school. The valedictorian of my son’s class (not the world’s most impressive guy, but that’s another story) chose Temple. (That’s “chose” in the sense of refusing to apply anywhere else.)</p>