So I’m a high school student who just got rejected at the Columbus campus though I got into the Lima one. First off I’m a little confused because I was pretty much exactly in range for Columbus (30 ACT, 3.7 GPA, etc), but whatever. What I’m really curious about is that if the regional campuses have the same rigor and type of academic student body as at Columbus, as the average GPA for admission is 3.34 and the 75th percentile ACT at Lima is a 25… Also, if I spent a semester (or two) at the regional campus/another college, how difficult would it be to transfer to the Columbus campus?
Ignore the typo in the title, I would change it but I don’t think you can edit or delete posts on mobile 
@Helpmepleasee Both of my older two kids had to start out at Newark branch with very similar stats to yours. They were also annoyed by that but wanted to attend OSU. They both did great at Newark. Classes are a little smaller, taught by more professors than TA’s and got most of the basic core classes done. They both made Deans list in Newark. The rule is you have to complete 30 hours at the branch campus and keep, I think, above a 2.0. My daughter started with 20 hours already completed due to AP and CCP classes, but those do not count in the requirement to transfer, so you are looking at 2 semesters in Lima as you must have 30 hours completed at the branch campus. The process the transfer to Main campus is easy. They don’t even call it transferring but transitioning. The branch assumes about 95% of students will move on to main campus when they are able. And for most majors you have to move to main as not all of your major classes are offered at the branch. Since you are already an OSU student your classes don’t need to be approved to transfer because they are the same classes!
Both of my kids transferred to Main for their second year and went into dorms. My son entered the STEP program his second year. My daughter went into the Arts and performing arts learning community. Last year was the first year for requiring sophomores to live in dorms on main. Two of my daughters friends transferred from UCinci after freshman year and wanted to move into a dorm and could not because there was not room. Transferring from a branch campus, my daughter had no problem getting into a dorm because she was already an OSU student.
My daughter is a current sophomore living in Baker West and going to Italy for the month of May for a study abroad program through OSU. My son will graduate from OSU on May 6th! He participated in a leadership trip through STEP at OSU and backpacked the Sierra Nevada mountains for a month with an OSU program at the end of his sophomore year. They both continued to do great when they got on Main campus so don’t believe that since you did not get accepted to main that academically you won’t the able to compete. You will do great with your stats.
I also know kids that went to other schools and tried to transfer back to OSU after a semester. If you originally got accepted to a branch, they will only let you transfer into a branch after one semester , and then to main after 2 semesters of college completed. So wherever you go, you will have to spend 2 semesters there before getting to main.
My advice is, if you want to go to OSU, go to Lima for a year. Pros are smaller classes, good grades for a good GPA, lower cost, taking all the same classes as Main campus so nothing to “transfer” and the branch campus walks you through the Campus Change process. Go into a dorm on Main your second year and make some friends and you will fall right in line with everyone else. Cons are not going away to a big school right away, but it is still OSU. And having to tell people your are going to the branch campus. Which I know made both of my kids annoyed because they had the stats to get into main. My son got an apartment at Newark. My daughter commuted from home. You can still get football tickets when at the branch also.
Once you are on Main, you are an OSU student like everyone else. No one singles you out or knows you started at a branch. Take a tour of OSU Lima and keep an open mind. In my opinion the branch campuses do a great job of selling themselves. And everything still says OSU. OSU Newark was bigger and nicer than some of the smaller schools my kids were looking at. OSU is still impressive, branch or not, and you will get a great education with great opportunities.
So, my third and final child, my 17yo daughter just did get accepted to main after getting deferred from EA. Which we were hoping for but I was honestly sure she would go to Newark also (although she kept saying she wasn’t going to go to a branch!). So now we will experience Main starting out for once. (And yes, her older siblings are little annoyed she got into Main, but honestly getting into Main seems like such a crapshoot anymore and they know that).
A disclaimer, I am a big proponent of OSU as I am also an alumni, as in my husband, and I also work at OSU (Medical center - James Cancer Hospital).
Sorry this is sooo long but wanted to share our experience. If you have any questions please let me know.
Good luck with your decision!
PS. My daughter’s current roommate is also a transfer student who started out at OSU Lima and she is loving main campus
Re branch campuses. Is there one you would recommend vs the other ones? Or are they all similar. Son wants to major in business. Thx!
I can only speak for Lima, but I know a few people who have done 2-3 years at Lima and transferred to Columbus. It’s very doable. I think when I was in high school (3 years ago) you could only go to Lima for 3 years, and then you automatically transferred to Columbus for your final year. So in that case, it would be guaranteed, but it may have changed.
Bottom line it is very easy to transfer from regional campuses. That’s the point of them. If you prove you can make it at Lima, they prefer to take you over transfer students from schools that aren’t their branch campuses. If you keep your grades up, you will have no problem transferring after 2 years!