<p>Hey guys, I’m currently a junior and starting to look at colleges. Right now I’m very interested in Maryland and Ohio State, but I definitely still have some time and I want to maybe explore my options. If you could maybe list some of the best and worst things about Ohio State, I would really appreciate it! Thanks! Oh, and I’m hoping to study political science, if that makes a difference (maybe as far as academics are concerned).</p>
<p>Well for one thing, the strength of the political science department should be huge positive for you. This is from wikipedia, but it seems to be properly referenced and recent.</p>
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Ohio State's political science department is ranked thirteenth in the country by US News & World Report, with the American politics section 5th, international politics 12th and political methodology 10th. A study by The London School of Economics ranked it as the fourth best political science department in the world.[19] Foreign Policy Magazine recently ranked it as the 15th best Ph.D. program in the world for the study of international relations while noting Professor Alexander Wendt as the third most influential scholar of international relations in the world.[20]</p>
<p>Ohio State is one of a select few top American universities to offer multiple area studies programs under "Comprehensive National Resource Center" (often called "Title VI") funding from the U.S. Department of Education. The most notable of these is the Center for Slavic and East European Studies founded in 1965 by Professor Leon Twarog. Subsequently, Ohio State's Middle Eastern Studies Center and East Asian Studies Center also achieved Comprehensive National Resource Center status. The university is also home to the interdisciplinary Mershon Center for International Security Studies, which was founded in 1952 through a bequest of 7 million dollars (54.3 million in 2006 value) from alumnus Colonel Ralph D. Mershon. In 2003, it was decided by the United States Department of Homeland Security to base the National Academic Consortium for Homeland Security at The Mershon Center.
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<p>The size and urban location of the university can be either a positive or negative depending on one's personal preferences, and only a visit to campus will probably decide the matter for you.</p>
<p>One positive that I found was that, for a large research university, faculty interaction is very good.</p>
<p>A negative is that Ohio State does have a somewhat cumbersome bureaucracy. That, however, is more of a peripheral annoyance rather than something which directly effects your education.</p>
<p>Are you an instate student in Ohio or Maryland? Both schools are quite fine....and if you are instate for either one, that would be MY top choice.</p>
<p>No, I actually live in PA</p>
<p>The Ohio State University is an excellent school. It also has a great reputation.
CONS:surrounding area, large freshmen lecture halls, you probably won’t personally know your teacher, foreign teacher assistants with thick accents, and that’s about it.
PROS: Great sports teams, school spirit, alumni, hot people, academics, degree, night life, social life, big ten, just about everything positive about a college, you will find it here.
GO Buckeyes!</p>
<p>oh goodness…I could talk forever about the Pro’s of Ohio State.</p>
<p>Just to start…let me tell you that I just graduated (Spring 2010) and the past four years have truly been the best four years of my life. OSU gives students endless opportunities…it is just up to the student to take advantage of them.</p>
<p>Pros:
- Endless involvement opportunities. Want to a join a club and get involved? …Good…because OSU has over 900 student organizations that you can join.
- Sports/Intramurals: You want it, we’ve got it. We have one of the biggest athletic budgets in the country and thus we have over 38 varsity sports you can go watch (all of free with your Buck-ID with the exception of Football and Men’s Basketball) and even more intramurals that you can participate in every quarter.
- The campus: Some people say it is too big…but I think you only think that until you’re actually on campus. I think it is the right size. It is really easy to navigate and most of your classes are in a clustered area anyway…and we have a great bus system (CABS) that can take you from one end to the other…there is also Columbus city buses (COTA) which are free for students and will take you up and down high street and around campus/columbus. Another great thing about campus is that there is really a lot of green space for being in the middle of a city. You know those scenes in college movies where there are a ton of people in a big green area on campus throwing footballs/laying out in bikinis? That is the oval during the spring at OSU. We call it Oval Beach…it’s one of the best times of the year.
- Spirit: I LOVE ohio state. If I could marry the university, I would…and if you think I am crazy and the only one that feels this way…well i’m not. The love for this place is infectious. Funny enough, GQ did a list of the 25 ‘douchiest’ colleges last year and OSU was on the list…the reason? Because of our insane school spirit and the fact that we wear OSU tshirts everywhere, everyday. </p>
<p>Those are just a few points…but basically, OSU has everything you could ever want. We have a brand new Union…it is state of the art and gorgeous (google OSU flash mob and you’ll see part of it)…our library was just renovated and we now have one of the largest (and by far most gorgeous) libraries in the country…you’ll actually WANT to go there…we have the RPAC, the largest and best recreation facility in the country…I could keep going. The bottom line is…you want it? OSU has it…and the best thing about OSU is that your experience will be like no one elses because of all of those unique opportunities. </p>
<p>Cons:
- It is a large school…but I will tell you this: I see people I know on campus every single day. Once you get involved…once you’re in your major…this place becomes much much smaller.
…is it bad that I can’t think of anymore cons? I don’t even think the size is a con because again, you make it as small as you want.</p>
<p>I hope this helps…if you have any questions please feel free to ask :)</p>
<p>-casey</p>
<p>My neighbor’s son was an honors student/ political science majorat OSU a few years ago. He seemed to do really well and got involved with someone’s campaign right away.</p>