We are GA residents trying to help our D weigh her options. She was accepted to UGA EA and has the Zell Miller in state (free tuition). She is not a fan of Athens/the UGA campus. We aren’t too eager to send her there either - as GA residents we are all too familiar with the horror stories of friends and associate’s children who didn’t fare well at UGA for one reason or another. She would also just be a regular student at UGA (not in honors).
At OSU, she has the National buckeye scholarship along with another merit scholarship and she will be in the Scholars Program. We haven’t heard horror stories at OSU (but we don’t know many Alum and are OOS, so that could just be an ignorance is bliss situation).
At UGA she would join a sorority. This makes the COA at UGA approx.: $23036 yr with sorority fees, living expenses, her selected dorm, etc.
At OSU she would not be joining a sorority. This makes the COA at OSU approx. $29000 yr including travel and living expenses. We have read a lot about OSU, attended admissions and accepted students events in Atlanta, and are scheduled to visit OSU for the first time in person next month. D’s only real concerns here are 1) it being too cold (she’s a lifelong GA girl) and 2) it being 9 hrs away from home. She has primarily looked at OOS schools as she didn’t like UGA and she is comfortable attending OOS, however she ideally wanted to be more like 5 hrs from home. Our only real concern with OSU is that it is the most expensive option that we are seriously considering at this point.
My question is: Do you think OSU worth paying 6k more per year over UGA? OSU beats UGA by 2 places on the USNWR list but that alone doesn’t justify the difference. Her happiness is worth paying more for. And I am hoping that the Scholars program is a value added benefit that is worth the extra cost as well. Is there anything else at OSU that you feel justifies the extra cost?
I think she’ll have an easy time finding a group of friends being in a Scholars program, which is essential your first year; it really helps make campus feel like home. As for the weather, this winter hasn’t even been cold. It’s actually been really warm. I’m typing this from Columbus, where the temperature right now is 70 degrees and the sun is shining. However, previous winters have been brutally cold. It’s a toss-up how the seasons will be here.
Overall, if she truly doesn’t like UGA, I don’t think she should settle going there.
I’m in Georgia, too, and there’s a very strong possibility that my D will attend OSU next year. (She, too, applied to UGA.). She’s always wanted to go OOS, and with the scholarship she received from OSU it is comparable (or cheaper!) to what she’d pay if she stayed in GA even with Zell.
My D hasn’t visited the campus yet, but has a trip planned for the first week in April. I anticipate that she’ll like it based on what she’s read about the school she’s been accepted to (CFAES) and conversations with a friend from here who’s currently a senior at OSU. He loves it.
She’s also waiting to hear whether she’s been accepted into the Scholars program.
With regard to your specific questions, I wouldn’t rely on rankings. Rather, I’d compare the specific program/college your D will be in. Is it a strong program/major? What specifically does it have to offer? Other there other programs on campus that she’d be interested in? I’d argue that UGA and OSU have many of the same bells and whistles that other very good (not elite), large public universities have to offer, so it will come down to personal preference and warm fuzzies — Where does she feel best (provided it’s within your family’s budget)?
@GAHomeschooler thanks for your reply. It’s nice to have a fellow Georgian’s opinion and interesting to see that you are in the same situation as we are. We will make our first visit to OSU in late March, so I am eager to see what D thinks of it when we get there.
She is likely pursing in a double major in either Biology and Psychology or Neuroscience and Psychology. UGA and OSU both have strong programs in these areas, so another almost tie in this regard.
My D was accepted to Scholars at OSU, but they won’t notify us as to which of her 3 selections she was selected for until late March (hopefully by the time we visit so she can learn more about that cohort).
May I ask: if your D has any concerns with OSU, what are they? My D is concerned about OH being too cold, slightly concerned about the distance being a little further than her ideal, and I think since we’ve never been to Ohio, it’s just a bit unfamiliar to her.
Are you guys still considering any other schools besides UGA and OSU at this point?
My D doesn't have any concerns about Ohio State. She's open to exploring the campus and Columbus. We've never been to either. The distance doesn't bother her. She's always wanted to go to college OOS, and I think she's looking forward to exploring a different region of the country. She hasn't expressed concern about the weather. I think she's just prepared to buy the appropriate clothing and bundle up.
UGA is off the table. She's also considering Iowa State (Brr!!) and a few others (all OOS). She's only considering schools that have offered significant scholarship offers. She's still waiting to receive a few more decisions on scholarships.
Btw, if our Ds decide to go to Ohio State , there’s a chance they may have some classes together as my D plans to major in Animal Science. They’ll have many of the same science prerequisites.
My son is a 2nd year student OSU. We are from Georgia. Most of my co-workers are UGA grads and I am very famliar with UGA. The most important difference between UGA and OSU is pedagogical. Both schools have strong traditions. However, in the classrooms and on campus, UGA is scripted and rigid. UGA churns out graduates that have the same knowledge base and they remain in Georgia, more often than not. OSU has both a national and global footprint. My son’s college experience has been remarkable at OSU. When you visit, just spend some time walking around campus and try to talk to some students and faculty, and you will understand what I’m trying to describe. A word of caution; OSU is not an extension of High School. This a BIG school, in an urban setting that is extremely competitive. The upside is that for students who persevere, they get what they want and even more…
My student has been able to conduct research with faculty since his freshman year. He lives in Columbus year round because its pretty easy to get a student job with increased hours during the summer and breaks. OSU offers additional funding for travel and off campus learning; OSU is well funded. We have become friends with a number of faculty members and Honors staff. They seem to be looking out for my son, knowing he is far from home.
What pleases me most about OSU is how my son has become completely engaged with his coursework and the city of Columbus. Those Ohio folks see “yes mam” and a friendly disposition as a virtue with millennials. The litmus test of the value of his time at OSU will be what happens post graduation. By going OOS, I suspect my son won’t be limited to choices based on geography; he’s getting the preparation to go anywhere…
My D graduated from OSU a year ago and is now working in Columbus for a national retailer in a job she loves that OSU helped prepare her for. We moved a lot while she was growing up due to my career and we lived in GA for part of it. She was accepted to OSU and UGA amongst others. She enjoyed OSU and it afforded her multiply internships and a great start to her career. I believe both schools are good but do not have as much knowledge about UGA. My D was in the Fisher School of Business and the coursework was tough and she had to work real hard to achieve what she did. Columbus has a lot to offer and OSU is an urban campus with all the positives and some of the negatives that go with that. As far as distance we live in the ATL area now and for longer vacations it is possible to drive in a day but most trips will be about a 2 hour flight. It is far and the effect of the distance will more depend on your D’s desire for independence or closeness. In either scenario I think she will want to see the family a few extra times her freshman year! Good luck and her campus visit will really help her make her decision. Let us know what she decides.
@GAHomeschooler
Let’s keep in touch and update each other near decision time. If they both decide to go to Ohio, it would be great for them to both have a friend from GA!
Thank you all for sharing your stories. I think OSU is her top choice. It’s definitely mine and my husbands. I’ll update after our visit. I’m really hoping that it’s a great fit for her.
Funny, I have a son at OSU and a daughter at UGA and I am from yet another state so both are out of state. I will say that academically both school are tough. Nobody is skating by at either of these schools. Both schools have pro’s and con’s. We find Columbus much easier of a commute because campus is literally 15 minutes from the airport and flights are relatively cheap. She can fly to Atlanta very easily so I wouldn’t worry about this at all. The campus at OSU is definitely more urban and less University centered as it is in Athens.
OSU requires the student to be very pro-active in making sure you are taking the correct classes and asking for assistance from advisors, not too much hand holding. It is really up to you to register appropriately in order to graduate on time. UGA on the other hand requires an advisor meeting prior to each enrollment period to make sure you are on track so a bit more hand holding which I appreciate. Greek life is less active at OSU but being from out of state my son found it great and joined as a freshman and is still involved as a senior. It does not rule the campus.
Columbus is a big city and offers many great things, public transportation around campus is awesome as is the city transportation. They have all the bars and restaurants you would expect plus our amazing Buckeyes We love Athens because everything really revolves around the students. We find that she really needs a car which I would say isnt a necessity at OSU but he does have one.
One interesting thing we are just learning is that maybe UGA may have a slightly better Career Placement Program. Again OSU is more student driven and you have to really work to find internships (my son applied to over 80) while my daughter has been constantly offered opportunities through Terry since she was admitted.
@Collegeorelse, @GAHomeschooler, We live in a suburb of Columbus. I graduated from OSU and now my daughter is deciding between GT & OSU. Curious to get your thoughts comparing the two schools.
Thank you so much for your reply! This is a fantastic comparison with excellent perspective. How funny that you have a child at each school. They are both excellent schools.
It’s interesting to read that you feel UGA excels in career placement, however since she’s in Terry I am less surprised. That is arguably one of (if not the) top program at UGA. She will never have a problem finding a job in Georgia.
I didn’t realize how hands off OSU is. Is your son in the Scholars program? At the local admissions event we were told an advisor helps them schedule first year, but nothing was mentioned beyond that. So it’s definitely something to consider that she would be mostly on her own moving forward. I do want D to gain independence, but I also want her to graduate in 4 years. Do you know if students can make an appointment with an advisor if needed?
OSU bragged about the many internships that are available to students. Good to know that while they may be available, the students will need to be the ones proactively seeking them out
In answer to your appropriate questions, my D requested and met often with her advisor at OSU and found her quite helpful to the extent that she worked with my D to graduate a semester early by laying out the coursework path necessary to do so. She also had multiple internships but as the poster above noted you do not get. a phone offer for the internship but there are multiple job fairs and postings that your D will have access to. For my D I felt that OSU gave her the support needed but also expected her to be responsible for her successes or failures…a good lesson for life.
Thank you for sharing your D’s experience at OSU. I agree - being proactive and responsible for oneself are very important lessons that my D needs to learn in her time at college to prepare for the real world.
My son is an Engineer and has great grades. He was an expo organizer and was very involved in his major. He met with his advisor regularly to map out his classes etc. He is staying an extra semester through no fault of his own (medical issue). Glad to hear that others had a better experience with the Career Services, he found his first internship at the Career Fair and his second by applying online. Because I see what my daughter is getting in terms of support it is very easy to compare and it is very different.
To be clear, the advisors at OSU are great if you are motivated and meet with them regularly to make sure you are on track. At UGA they will not let you register unless you meet with them, that is what I was trying to say.
Hi! I live 20 minutes from GT. Although I’ve been on the campus on many occasions, I don’t have an opinion re: the academics or the quality of the undergraduate experience. Hence, I can’t compare it to OSU. Of course living here, I know many GT grads, and I know a couple of current students. The overall consensus of the grads I know is this: It’s incredibly difficult, but having a GT degree is well worth it. (This is the opinion of my friends who were STEM majors.) I know a current freshman (non-STEM major), and she’s enjoying her experience.
I haven’t visited Ohio State yet, but I’m anticipating that it will have a similar feel to the GT campus based on the online pics I’ve seen — a primarily self-contained campus in an urban setting (vs. a campus strewn in the midst of a city like GW in Washington, DC, Georgia State in Atlanta, or NYU in NYC). Have you been to GT yet?
Your post reminds me of a “tactic” I employ. I follow all of the schools to which my daughter applied to on IG. (My D says that I’m a stalker. LOL!) It’s been GREAT! I’ve learned so much about the various schools. It’s a peek into each school’s personality, what it values, campus happenings etc. (I even learned about a scholarship on one.) On that note, the IG page for UGA’s career service is one of the best — very impressive.
@3anddone Thank you for your extensive post about differences between UGA and OSU. My child was offered a Foundation Fellowship at UGA and just got word of being a finalist for the Eminence at OSU. Both are OOS for us, and financially, both are reliant on close to a full ride due to a complicated financial situation. Child loved UGA at the weekend and is very excited about that possibility. We have never visited OSU (I have been to Columbus) The trip to OSU would cost about $1300 which is another huge chunk of money for my family which currently has some need-based aid on the OSU finaid portal. I am trying to figure out if we should go to the finalist weekend at all or just say no now.
You have children at both- it sounds like OSU is very urban compared to UGA, and you have listed many other differences, but I guess I am just looking for any more info to make this decision which really is financially hard (I mean just paying to go for the weekend interview.) In your experience, if a child loved UGA and Athens, would OSU be an immediate “No, thanks” situation? Are they that different? I guess I wish someone would tell me that I am not obligated to pay to get child to OSU to interview for the Eminence if there is already a Foundation Fellowship option (in addition to waiting on a few other choices.) And that I am not a bad parent for hesitating about this now.
Hi @klb222, I agree with GAHomeschooler’s comments. GT is an excellent school with great STEM/Math etc. majors and it’s Business school is rising in the ranks also. It is a very competitive school. It is very Urban right in Midtown versus OSU is urban but just north of downtown as you know. OSU has a stronger Business program, GT top programs in STEM etc as noted. I think your D should consider her major, instate versus out of state tuition, her comfort and feel for both campuses and does she want to be close to home or somewhere different. Ultimately either school will be fine once she decides which is the best fit.
We love Athens because everything really revolves around the students. We find that she really needs a car which I would say isnt a necessity at OSU but he does have one.