Ohio State Honors -questions

Colleges and Universities A-Z Ohio State University
1

<p>D is top 2%, 35ACT OOS. I assume that the Honors Program should be an automatic safety. She’ll have enough APs now to get the maximum 45 credits. She’s applying to Arts and Sciences with interests in CS, linguistics, math and foreign languages. Just to give you an idea, she loves UChicago and is applying to other selective schools but is considering this as a nice safety. I’m also interested in any comparisons with Wisconsin, Toronto and UMASS (our in-state flagship) in particular. She applied to Wisconsin but the transcript arrived much later than we anticipated and we are no longer sure that it’s a safety based on some of the reports of postponement from the Wisconsin CC thread. </p>

<p>I’m intrigued by the description of the program and I had a bunch of questions. </p>

<p>1) She’s a pretty studious, into learning for it’s own sake, out-of-state kid from the northeast who doesn’t drink and really doesn’t care for football. She doesn’t know anybody else who is applying to a school like this. Many of her friends are using UMASS-Amherst as their safety, but our state’s budget is such a disaster and it’s my impression that when push comes to shove, UMASS doesn’t get’s the kind of public support from our state that it seems like Ohio State does. Is there a decent sized contingent of like-minded studious people or would she feel rather awkward?</p>

<p>2) Are you limited to just two honors courses or can you take all of your courses as honors courses first year. I know that’s hard, but I imagine that it’s comparable to a normal load at a place like Chicago. Is that reasonably accurate ?</p>

<p>3) To what extent do the honors dorms help in making the place feel like a smaller more manageable community or does it still feel just humongous and impersonal?</p>

<p>4) Do you have to be a declared Math major to get into the Honors Analysis sequence Math 190H, etc, or will they take others with a genuine interest in theoretical math. </p>

<p>5) Assuming that she’d want to stay 4 years anyway, is there any limit on the number of credits that you can take? Do the scholarships and other honors benefits get turned off after you cross the 180-190 credits needed for a degree like at some schools or for example if you double major, or can you stay 4 years anyway. I just want to make sure there is no downside to having all of those APs. </p>

<p>6) Just how valuable is the priority registration - it seems huge to me. I imagine that after first quarter freshman year, assuming she uses that APs, she’ll have enough credits to be classified as an honors sophomore for registration purposes. That should pretty much assure getting the classes that she wants, but are there any classes that are off limits and restricted to just majors or is the whole spectrum of classes wide open to her. For example, at some schools, intro psychology classes are restricted to majors. </p>

<p>7) Exploring the OOS issue a little, it seems like the Freshman class is roughly 6000, 1200 in honors, but there are 40,000 undergraduates. Assuming around 24,000 (4 x 6000) entered as freshman, is it correct to assume that most of the other 16,000 transferred in from other in-state schools or is the number magnified because there are so many 5th and 6th year undergraduates. If it’s dominated by the former, then since 85% of the undergraduates are in-state that’s 34,000. Subtracting the 16,000 in-state who transferred in means that around 18,000 in-state kids started as freshman or about 4500 from each class. That means that about 1500 kids in the freshman class or around 25% are from OOS. Does that logic seem reasonable or is it substantially less? Does it feel parochial or does it have a more global feel? Are there a lot of international students?</p>

<p>I appreciate any further insights.</p>

2

<p>I have many friends at OSU, a lot of which are currently in Honors/Scholars programs. I will answer based on what they have told me about their respective programs:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Yes, there will be students that are like-minded and very studious, and being a member of the Honors program promotes this. However, there will be a fair amount of students that aren’t as well. OSU is such a large, diverse university that there will be many students that have similar interests, and many that do not. With a little effort, your daughter can easily “find her crowd”.</p></li>
<li><p>Have no experience. Sorry.</p></li>
<li><p>Honors dorms definitely makes things personal. The people participating will likely become her friends, and will have similar interests and attitudes towards schoolwork and studying. For instance, I know a physical science honors student who attends that absolutely loves the fact that his friends love this area of study just as much as he does, and they easily spend the night talking about theories and experiments in the latest science journals. </p></li>
<li><p>No experience.</p></li>
<li><p>No experience.</p></li>
<li><p>I assume they will let her into any intro course, especially since they will likely be large lectures with many seats available.</p></li>
<li><p>The reason why is because OSU has a large number of branch campuses in other cities in Ohio such as Mansfield, Newark, and Lima, whose enrollees could easily be 12,000-14,000 of the 16,000 that transferred in over the course of 4 years. Those campuses basically guarantee admission to the university after a year or two on their location. Also, a sizable proportion of OH community college graduates aspire to continue their studies here, which drives the number even higher.</p></li>
</ol>

3

<p>I’m in honors. Hopefully these answers will be helpful: </p>

<p>1) She would feel fine as long as she is flexible. There are many, many students at OSU - anyone can find a niche. I have groups of friends who are super artsy and never go to football games, some who are huge sports fans, and most who are in between. </p>

<p>People won’t pressure her to do things she doesn’t like to. It will be easiest for her if she doesn’t limit herself to making friends with others who believe the same things she does - though this is a truth for any college student. I see some people who judge everyone around them, and can’t be in the same room as a TV showing the game without making sarcastic comments about school spirit or refuse to go to parties because other people will be drinking. And even those inflexible people manage to make friends!</p>

<p>But really - imagine that only 1% of students share an interest she has. That’s 300-500 people to be friends with right there. And there are over 70 clubs for anything you can imagine - eating meat? being a vegan? renn faire? scrabble? drinking beer? reading books? Everything, really.</p>

<p>2) You can take all of your courses as honors if you really want. I think you’re underestimating the difficulty of some classes - once you get into the 400/500 levels, there won’t be a difference between honors/non-honors. And yes, they’re “comparable to ones at Chicago.” Honors are really for the intro levels.</p>

<p>3) Eh, I think you’re approaching this issue strangely. Any dorm/club/major/sport helps to make the community smaller, not just Honors ones. I don’t hang out with people based on whether or not they’re in honors, and it’s certainty not a giant impersonal place. Benefit of Honors dorms = more studious people, and being in the same classes perhaps.</p>

<p>4) I don’t know. You should direct this question to the math department, if you haven’t already. At the very least she’d have to have the math prerequisites for that class before getting in. And if she has taken those classes, I can’t imagine they’d turn her away - she’d basically be following the math-major path without actually being a major. In the humanities, anyway, you’re allowed to do that.</p>

<p>5) In this context, there’s no limit. The advisors understand that some people come in with a ton of credit.</p>

<p>6) Priority is huge, and is the biggest/main benefit of being in honors. Basically all classes should be open to her (assuming she has the necessary prerequisites.) In the humanities, at least there are a few small classes that are marked as being priority for Majors - but non-majors can still get in. Anyone can take intro classes of anything.</p>

<p>I know the upper-level individual music classes are for majors only (logically - intros are for anyone, though) and I’d guess the same is true of any “special” non-academic major.</p>

<p>7) Really no need for all the math, OSU publishes statistics online: [The</a> Ohio State University - Statistical Summary](<a href=“http://www.osu.edu/osutoday/stuinfo.php]The”>http://www.osu.edu/osutoday/stuinfo.php)</p>

<p>Minorities make up 14.4% of the Columbus campus.
There are 5,911 non-Ohioans.
3,924 Foreign students.</p>

<p>I feel a large international presence. (Not to mention, study abroad and volunteering abroad is very popular.) It’s not New York City, but it’s definitely an interesting blend of people. Something important to consider is economic/social diversity: it’s not like private schools, which might be racially diverse but probably rather homogeneous in other aspects. I think OSU is full of a nice blend of perspectives, interests, everything. It’s a big benefit to going to a public flagship.</p>

4

<p>My son is an honors freshman from out of state. He loves his classes, and living in the honors dorm. He’s not a partier, and was never interested in football. He did buy tickets, and has gone to most games. He did miss a game to spend the day in the library studying, and said that was fine. The main library just re-opened, and it is a great space.
Most of the people he has met are from OHIO, or somewhere in the mid-west, this does not bother him at all. He said that at the beginning of the quarter, he had to ‘tone down’ his east coast sarcasm–but he’s back to ‘normal’ now.<br>
He didn’t go in with tons of AP credits, so when he went to register for classes, last week, he had some conflicts. He likes taking 7:30am classes, and they were full. So, he sent out some emails, and they did end up opening up another 7:30 class, so his schedule for next quarter is perfect.
He’s had a lot of contact with his advisor, and has his schedule mapped out for the next 6 quarters.</p>

<p>He flew out in August, we made a quick trip out this past weekend, to bring him his musical instrument, and see how he’s doing. </p>

<p>All I can say is that for a kid like him, it’s the perfect fit.</p>

<p>The bus system is great, and he’s gone downtown to the Science Museum, the North Market, etc.</p>

<p>No one else from his High School applied, most tend to stay in New England.</p>

5

<p>Regarding #7, the answer is somewhat complex. Here are a few of the factors.</p>

<p>First, OHKID is correct, that the overall freshmen population is influenced by transfers. A lot of kids who don’t get into Ohio State out of high school will choose to spend their first year or two at one of the branch campuses or another four year university in the system getting their grades up, then transfer to Columbus.</p>

<p>A second factor is Ohio State’s socio-economic diversity. Ohio State has done an admirable job of ratcheting up admissions standards while still maintaining a great degree of socio-economic diversity among their freshmen classes. I believe that nearly a quarter of recent freshmen classes have been first generation college students. As a result, however, it does have a negative impact on four year graduation rates, with many students taking a 5th or 6th year to finish up.</p>

<p>A third factor is that Ohio State is trying to establish an undergrad equillibrium enrollment of around 35K, but has misjudged the number of students wanting to transfer in and their yields for accepted high school students (close to 50%).</p>

<p>All of these factors, and a few secondary ones not mentioned, have led to the undergrad enrollment approaching 40K. This, however, shouldn’t effect your daughter if she’s in honors & scholars.</p>

6

<p>1) There’s a pretty large group of non-drinkers here, so she’ll feel right at home. It’d be great if she gets involved in some extracurriculars right off the bat.</p>

<p>2) For her first quarter, she’s probably not going to be advised to take that many honors courses, but for subsequent quarters I don’t think they really check. Also instead of taking lots of honors courses, your daughter could just load up on credits. I did my first two years, and now I can take whatever I want and have time for internships or a study abroad.</p>

<p>3) The main difference between honors and non-honors dorms are that the honors dorms are usually quieter and people actually study in the study rooms.</p>

<p>4) I had a roommate and a few friends that took the H190 series as a post-secondary students (while they were in high school), so your daughter should be able to schedule it if she wants to take it.</p>

<p>5) I’ve heard that the max number of credits that you can take before your scholarships expire is 300. I’m not 100% on that. I was on track to hit 300 by the time I graduated, before I decided not to pursue a dual-degree, and that was what I heard. I have over 200 credits and my scholarships are still good.</p>

<p>6) Most classes should be open to her as long as she has the pre-requisites. Some colleges (business for example) allot 5 non-major seats to each of their courses. She should be able to take any intro classes.</p>

<p>7) If you count internationals as out of state I think that might make sense, but there are a lot of people from Ohio here or nearby states. Although, I have met quite a few people from Alaska.</p>

7

<p>For more detail on #5 - I asked my honors adviser about it, and she told me that the technical limit on course hours is more to prevent people from never graduating and just sticking around for a ridiculous amount of time without ever picking a major - it’s not to hamper people who have a lot of AP credits or simply take a lot of classes over 4-5 years.</p>

<p>Also, about people taking 5-6 years. This can be a bad thing (as in, people having trouble) but a lot of the time it’s simply a reflection that OSU is an affordable school that gives out nice aid. I have many private school friends who would like to stay for longer (or want to change their majors, or double major, or study abroad - all things that often make it difficult to graduate on time) but can’t, because they can’t afford an extra semester or two. Whereas at OSU most students can afford to take their time if they so choose.</p>

8

<p>Thanks for all of the great detailed responses. </p>

<p>In the interim, the Wisconsin acceptance came. D’s not sure if she still wants to apply to Ohio State. I’ll start a new thread to address this question.</p>

9

<p>

There is a rather strong OSU-Alaska connection, but I don’t know why.</p>