<p>My son and I are trying to decide on Ohio State or Kent State. He wants to major in Physics and has a strong desire to go on to graduate studies after he obtains his B.S. Just based on the quality of the education and prospects of getting into a great graduate program, can anyone offer any advice on Ohio State or Kent? Also, OSU has a Physics Engineering (B.S) program, which Kent does not have. I think (but am not sure) that a physics engineering degree may be more marketable than physics alone. He was also accepted into Ohio Northern for their 0-6 Pharmacy program, but has recently decided that he is more interested in physics than pharmacy. I have not attended college and he and I are trying to figure out what to do. Thanks!</p>
<p>Has he visited these schools AND their depts? Has he spoken to profs in those depts?</p>
<p>What does he like/dislike about each school?</p>
<p>Are they both affordable?</p>
<p>He has visited OSU once (we are going back again tomorrow) and Kent once (going back in a week) He likes that OSU is a big, diverse school and thinks that he will have better opportunities to get into a great grad school if he goes to OSU. Kent is much closer to home and slightly less expensive. Both are affordable. I think with his scholarships and grants he will only have to take a few thousand in loans.</p>
<p>id go with osu.</p>
<p>If he intends to eventually pursue a physics PhD I think OSU is the better choice. OSU’s physics department is much larger than KSU’s meaning opportunities to do undergraduate research in many more areas of physics and more profs that could possibly write letters of recommendation for his grad school applications. Research and LORs are two important elements of the grad school applications. FWIW, my daughter is a physics major, but not at either of these schools.</p>
<p>KSU’s only good work in research is on condensed matter physics, mostly involving liquid crystal spectroscopy, which is a field kind of in the gray area between chemistry and physics. This will pretty much be the majority of the research work available to undergraduates which is in a pretty boring and limited area of research. Also, having had conversations with the professors there, they themselves consider the curriculum and students to be ****. </p>
<p>I am not particularly knowledgeable about physics at OSU except that there is more diverse research and that the program is pretty standard for physics preparation. </p>
<p>Assuming essentially equivalent costs, OSU is the obvious choice. Also, given the low in-state tuition at OSU, I’d personally always pick OSU over KSU.</p>
<p>Speaking as a physics professor. Ohio State University has a much stronger physics program at the graduate level than Kent State University. The critical word here is “graduate”. As your son will be an undergraduate, the primary advantage to being at OSU is the possibility of more research opportunities on campus. At KSU it might be a bit less as others have remarked. In overall rankings, OSU is significantly stronger as well.</p>
<p>Both schools are pretty large so it is not a choice between a small and large school.</p>
<p>If your son likes both schools equally well, then OSU is a better choice. If he has a specific affinity for KSU, then definitely consider it. The physics curriculum is probably similar in the specific coursework and the key to a good B.S. in physics is for the student to put a lot of effort into it. At my school, which is ranked between OSU and KSU but is a relatively small school, we routinely are able to place our graduates in top graduate programs. The trick is not only to get on-campus research experience but also to apply for REUs elsewhere after the Sophomore and Junior years. The area of research is not so important as getting experience. The second important thing to do is to take lots of extra math and physics courses and do well. i even recommend our best students to take graduate courses in their last year if they have space in the schedule.</p>
<p>Finally, you ask about Engineering Physics. Yes it is more applied and can help in looking for a job right out of college. For graduate school it is probably equal to a B.S. in physics alone, particularly if the student does the things that I suggest above.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I believe OSU has a better reputation and am very proud my daughter will be attending this fall. FWIW, I graduated from Kent State. I was only on main campus barely a year but did not enjoy it. It is very spread out and not much to do in town…this was in 1993. 
I was never into the party scene and it is hard core at Kent. I remember the campus as very white, homogeneous midwest locals. Your son will experience greater diversity and opportunity at OSU.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for the great info!</p>