<p>I was admitted to OSU for the Fall of 2012, but I declined because I couldn’t afford it. Believe me, I LOVED the school, as well as Columbus. I applied to transfer for Fall of next year because my dad is going to help me pay for it, but now that I have the option to go there, I’m not sure if it’s worth it…I go to a university in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and it’s nice. It’s a good school and Grand Rapids is a nice city, but I feel like I’ll be limited after I graduate. I’m just so torn because I’m comfortable here, but I feel like I could really reach my potential at OSU…can some of you who attend or who have attended Ohio State tell me why you chose Ohio State over other places?</p>
<p>I chose OSU because it was a good school that wasn’t very expensive, plus I liked campus and my brother went here before me and was very happy. </p>
<p>OSU is not worth extra student loans if you are considering that as an option. If you like your school, and you are happy there, I don’t really think there is a great reason to transfer. How do you think you will be limited by staying at your current school?</p>
<p>I have lived in the Central Ohio area my whole life. OSU would be the last school I would ever choose. I will probably be shot down for saying this. I just don’t understand the why everyone wants to go there. It is just too huge and impersonal. It is highly respected in this area but go outside of Ohio and not so much. I feel you get so lost in a big university - the professors can’t possibly give you the individual attention you would get at a smaller school. If you will be paying out of state costs there would be no way I would pay the extra to attend. There are so many other schools out there. Why is OSU so high on everyone’s list.</p>
<p>I could imagine not wanting to go to a school near where I grew up, but personally, I fell in love with the school and have a few friends there that love it. The costs would be nearly the same. I would feel limited at the university I attend now because only people in Michigan have “heard” of it. I believe it would be hard to find a job outside of Michigan. It’s neither a great school or a bad one, just “mehhh.” Ohio State is ranked pretty high nationally, especially among public universities. Do I have a false sense of prestige of Ohio State?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Not according to the 2000+ academics across the country who participate in the annual USNWR ranking which consistently rates Ohio State’s Undergraduate Academic Reputation as one of the highest amongst the top public schools and the only 5 year in-a-row transformative, “Up-and-Coming” higher learning institution in the nation. </p>
<p>Besides offering some of the best facilities and faculties in the nation, Ohio State is also home to the best college president in the country - E. Gordon Gee (former President of Brown and Vanderbilt) who insists on extending the highly praised and successful “First-Year Experience” to “Second-Year Experience” as an attempt to improve accessibility and individualized attention at tOSU in addition to 17% increase on faculty hiring starting next year.</p>
<p>[E</a>. Gordon Gee: The Big Man on Campus - The 10 Best College Presidents - TIME](<a href=“http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1937938_1937934_1937914,00.html]E”>http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1937938_1937934_1937914,00.html)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>[OSU</a> plans dorms to bring sophomores on campus | The Columbus Dispatch](<a href=“http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/08/31/osu-plans-dorms-to-bring-sophomores-on-campus.html]OSU”>http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/08/31/osu-plans-dorms-to-bring-sophomores-on-campus.html)</p>
<p>What it means to be a Buckeye </p>
<p><a href=“https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyWqJAevLv4[/url]”>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyWqJAevLv4</a></p>
<p>Best of Luck & Go Bucks!! :)</p>
<p>MY DD received a detention in 2nd grade because of not wanting to put on an OSU t-shirt because the teacher wanted her whole class in OSU gear. That did it for me, it is just one small example of how everyone around here is just so nuts over them. I feel that it is just following the crowd and not being your own person. I don’t see any value in attending there. My husband and I never attended and both of us are doing extremely well in our careers.</p>
<p>Lots of split opinions…I’m taking a trip down to Columbus over break to decide for myself…It’s just hard for me to turn down a degree from a school that’s ranked 17th in the nation…when you think of ALL of the public universities, that’s really impressive. There’s just something that’s drawing me there; something about it that I love. I hope my trip can help me decide.</p>
<p>They attract more top-ranked students of any public in the state. Something must be drawing them and KEEPING them there.</p>
<p>For some, there is an obvious appeal in attending a smaller schools where students and professors have a closer relationship and where most students know each other, but not everyone wants that kind of environment. </p>
<p>Personally, I like that at OSU I can walk to class and not see a single person I know. It is much like living in a medium-sized city of 17-25 year olds. I meet new people all the time. My professors may not always know my name or invite me over for dinner, but the benefits of going to a huge university are undeniable. I can join a board game club if I want, or do undergraduate research, or show up to a job fair with 200 companies recruiting students for internships and full-time jobs. There are simply more opportunities to do interesting and worthwhile things here.</p>
<p>@maybell, and that’s exactly why I want to transfer. I think Ohio State will be able to provide me with the experiences and opportunities I wouldn’t be able to find where I’m at now. And isn’t that the entire idea of going to college? Not just to get an education, but to gain opportunities and experiences that shape you as a human being and will stick with you for the rest of your life? I feel like Ohio State is a place that provides that kind of environment.</p>
<p>A few corrections here … OSU is not the 17th ranked university in the nation by USNWR. It’s ranked 17th for large public universities, but for national universities overall it’s a second-tier university, ranked in the 50s. </p>
<p>What lammb66 said is absolutely correct–OSU is in no way worth out-of-state tuition dollars. It is a large, impersonal state school with massive classes, lecture halls, TAs, all that. You should never pay private-school prices to attend a school like OSU. </p>
<p>I transferred to a smaller private college, and I had far more opportunities there than I did at OSU. OSU is mostly focused on its grad programs, so you can’t get attention from professors. At my small school, I was able to land internships and leadership positions that never would have been available to me at OSU.</p>
<p>Bottom line: OSU is overrated and it will not provide you with the opportunities you need to be competitive.</p>
<p>Are you OOS for OSU? Can you afford it for at least 3 more years?</p>
<p>Price is not really a factor because my dad is really helping me out with everything…and I will only be there for two years. I can see where OSU isn’t for everyone, but just because one person has a bad experience doesn’t mean that it’s true for everyone. My friends that attend there absolutely love it. And while a smaller school may be less competitive, it also limits your connections and opportunities in the future, especially if you’re looking for a job outside the region where your school is located. I went to a small high school, so I have different view on what you call “personalization”. And I’m sorry, but 17th best PUBLIC university in the nation is still very impressive and 55th out of every university in this country? Do you know how many universities there are?</p>
<p>Also, it’s not like I attend a small school now. There’s about 25,000 students where I go, so I’m used to TAs, large classes, etc. What I’m not used to is name recognition for how big my university is. Plus, I’ll be transferring in my junior year, when I’ll be more focused within my major with smaller classes.</p>
<p>My daughter is a freshman at OSU and all her classes were less than 30 students except for her math lecture which was around 150. But her math recitation was around 25 kids. Her french class was 25. Her 2 other classes were honors classes so they were limited to 20.</p>
<p>She is having a good experience and yes, it is huge but there are many opportunities to make it your own. She does gymnastics club and tap dancing club. She has great one on one conversations with her anthro professor.</p>
<p>Now, my youngest daughter is not at all interested in Ohio State - way too big for her. But please don’t automatically assume just because it is a large public university that this means it isn’t as good as other places. My daughter was also accepted to Kenyon College -very small. She chose OSU because she received a full scholarship but told me the other day that she is so happy she ended up there. She loves Columbus. Always something to do!</p>
<p>I don’t mean to sound harsh, Buckeye99, but you really need to think through these issues. You are considering spending tens of thousands of dollars extra on an education that you could get in your own state. Even if it’s not your own money, that’s still something that deserves a lot of thought. If you want a school that has “name recognition,” why not attend one of the large state universities in your own backyard?</p>
<p>OSU has “name recognition”–but not in the ways that you’re thinking. It’s known mostly for its athletics, not its academics. I lived outside of Ohio, and sure, people knew about Ohio State, but they considered it about the same as going to Michigan State, Purdue, Penn State, Minnesota … any of the other large Midwestern schools. No one outside of Ohio really genuflects at the name of Ohio State. They recognize it as a good football school, but not for what goes on in the classroom. I don’t think the degree necessarily hurts you on the job market, but it doesn’t give you the huge leg up that you’re thinking it does.</p>
<p>And just an FYI on small schools–many of them DO have name recognition and prestigious reputations. Big schools are not automatically prestigious or better. Kenyon, as someone else mentioned, is a fabulous school and very well known nationally. It draws students from all over the place and is not at all limiting. (As a side note, I have a friend who teaches at both Kenyon and OSU, and she says the difference between the two groups of students can be summed up like this: Kenyon students come to class with the spines of their books broken; OSU students don’t bring the books to class, if they even show up at all.)</p>
<p>Having said all that, I don’t mean to bash OSU. I think it’s a great option for students who are local and in-state and on a tight budget. Obviously not everyone can afford to blow a ton of money on a top private. You can get a good education at OSU, but you really have to fight for it. I do not think it is worth paying Kenyon-esque prices for–especially if you can get the same education in your own state for a third of the price.</p>
<p>Well I have to strongly disagree. OSU WILL give you an advantage with future job prospects. The recruiting on campus doesn’t compare to Kenyon or small LACs and the alumni network scattered across the US is a distinct advantage. OSU is recognized for more than football these days. Perhaps the last poster is stuck in a time warp from 30 years ago.</p>
<p>I’m pursuing a degree in Hospitality Management and I’m looking to work on the corporate side of things. I have family connections at Hyatt, Marriott, etc. and I just feel like having a degree from a highly recognizable school such as Ohio State would look much more appealing than the smaller, unknown school I attend now. Especially considering I plan on working outside of Michigan.</p>