Ohio University vs University of Alabama

Hey so I’m a transfer student from a community college in Boston wondering what people think of Ohio University and UA. Im majoring in CJ and excited to finally have made the step from CC. So between OU and UA what are peoples thoughts on everything from the academics to parties. What are the dorms like, and how easy is it to get involved as a spring semester transfer. How ridiculous is a kid with a Boston accent gonna be down south?

Bama is used to hearing students with accents from the NE.

What are your parents saying about paying the OOS costs for UA or OSU? Both schools would cost your parents about $40k per year. What is their budget?

CJ is not a high paying field. Are there four year degree schools within commuter range for you?

I am an OU grad and my D16 just did a college visit this past summer. I LOVED my time at OU.

Like any school parties are what you make them…you will have plenty to choose from at OU but the operative word is choose. You can let the partying get out of hand or your can attend a party or two a month and focus on getting your degree. Academics are similar… if you choose to get involved with your professors and appropriate ECs there are lots of career oriented opportunities or you can be just another student. It is really up to you. Some classes are hard others not. Journalism classes at OU are tough. Athens is fantastic but you are sort of “isolated” so you will likely have an adjustment moving from Boston to rural Ohio.

Dorms - well honestly, the Dorms that we saw this past summer were dreary. In fact they really didn’t look like they had been updated since I was there in the late 80’s. But overall, the dorms are typical of a large state school. There were roaches in my dorm in the 1980’s and I assume that hasn’t changed, but I did live above a cafeteria. I do think they are a bit more spacious than most. The common rooms are big and people are friendly and generally there is always a group of people congregating, that was my experience when I went there and my experience when I have been back on campus and kids of my classmates who attend OU tell me that it hasn’t changed much since their parent and I attended. OU is building some new dorms…

Transferring in Spring shouldn’t be an issue.

OOS tuition is low for OU in my opinion.

As a Ohio transplant to Texas…things are different in the south. But people are very very friendly. My D16 have a northern accent and she actually has been asked why she doesn’t say ya’ll and why she talks so fast. There is definitely a cultural difference in more ways than one, but nothing that is insurmountable.

These schools give scholarships for high scoring freshmen, but not transfer students as far as I know, so costs are quite high OOS like momof2collegekids mentioned.

Did you talk to someone in your CC’s transfer department and can they point you to some instate schools where you could get a transfer scholarship or where costs would be lower.

I like Ohio University and Alabama is undeniably on the rise. I encouraged Lake Jr. to apply to both. Alabama is probably the better deal financially and socially. But it could be a close call.

Ohio U is one of the nations top party schools LakeWashington. Great place to get experience in CJ!

http://www.aol.com/article/2015/09/16/playboy-names-ohio-university-as-top-party-school-in-the-country/21236804/

Yes, but while the 80% are partying the top 20% are working hard and getting a fairly excellent education. I’d party hard too if I was stuck in southeast Ohio, which is essentially Appalachia, economically and culturally speaking.

“I’d party hard too if I was stuck in southeast Ohio, which is essentially Appalachia, economically and culturally speaking.”

Remember the OP is looking to go into Criminal Justice. Might as well get used to mixing it up with the common folk.

Have you read the descriptions for the criminal justice majors at each school? OU’s looks like you need to have an Associates Degree in a related field in order to be a CJ major there. Since you are transferring from a CC you may have already done that. U of Alabama’s looks interesting.

https://www.ohio.edu/majors/undergrad/uc/bd/criminal.cfm

http://www.ua.edu/majors/criminaljustice.html