I am planning on double majoring in Data Analytics with Political Science (maybe switch this to economics or Business). I hope to work in a career in either Data Analytics, Politics, or Business.
Where I am at in my college search process is that I want to go to Ohio State. It excites me to go there. Denison, I feel kind of meh about. I’m sure I would find my people and end up enjoying it, but I can’t get myself excited no matter how many times I visit. Both have programs that interest me. I got into Honors at OSU. The big difference is the price. Denison will end up costing me about $19,000 less in the long run. I plan to become an RA at whichever school I attend which will almost entirely deplete my room and board costs (I think both schools still charge one or two thousand for food).
I think I would do well in either a big or large school. I like to have a plethora of activities to do and options, which makes Ohio State appealing to me. The idea that professors know you personally at smaller schools sort of appeals to me, but I can’t say I care a whole lot about it. I like Ohio State’s campus a lot more. The students seemed pretty even at both schools. Overall, I had better experiences with Ohio State students in person but was more impressed by Denison students in webinars.
Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks!
I actually did the math on how much the meal plans and housing I would choose would cost and subtracted $5,000 for two years for living off campus (how much less a friend told me it costs to live off campus). I came up with a $13,500 difference instead of $19,000
My son is at Denison and loves it. He wouldn’t be happy at Ohio State. They are both great schools but very different types of schools, and if you are leaning so strongly towards The Ohio State University (I’ve been paying attention, fellow CC’rs), and you and your family can afford the additional cost, I think you should follow your heart. Is there anything other than cost that would weigh in Denison’s favor in your calculation?
Is that $13,500 over 4 years total, or per year? If it is over 4 years, and your family can comfortably manage the extra $3000-4000 per year, then go to OSU! On the other hand, if it is $13,500 per year difference between the schools, so more of a $55k difference, then that changes the calculus.
Like @tkoparent, my Denison student loved it and could not fathom attending a major flagship like OSU. But that’s him, not you – and you sound like you strongly prefer the big school experience. If that difference in cost is manageable for your family, then OSU is a great school!
$13,500 altogether. I did the math for if I became an RA and that made them both less but made Denison cost $20,000 less than OSU altogether.
Dennison should be out. The fact you’ve visited repeatedly and feel meh is reason not to go no matter the cost. It was the first school we visited. My daughter felt similar so we didn’t apply.
One word of caution on your plan. Getting an RA job is NOT easy. Make sure you get involved with your dorm leadership right away. You can find an off campus job but getting an RA job…your odds are much harder than you think. Good luck tho.
Saving $$ is great. But spending thousands on a place you will knowingly be unhappy at is silly.
Denison would give more individualized attention from professors. I go to a small high school so I would be more accustomed to that. I don’t know how important that is to me since I’ve never experienced anything else. I don’t think it matters a lot to me, but I have never known what it is like to go to a big school.
Hopefully someone with Ohio State experience will chime in, but you are right that there is a lot of personalized attention at Denison and students are able to form close relationships with their professors. My son’s classes have generally been around 20 people or fewer, whereas at a big school, you might have large, auditorium style classes for some courses. Some students prefer an environment where it’s possible to be a little anonymous. Given you have a pretty good idea what you want to study, make sure you’ve studied both school’s curricula and the opportunities they offer. At Denison, be sure to look at the Lugar and PPE programs for policy/politics/ economics, as well as the Data Analytics program.