Youngstown State, Bowling Green State, Kent State, Ohio University, and Akron U - anything about them? Good, bad indiffe (Cleveland: home, dorms)

[sheena12]

Hello friends!

My son is a HS Senior and is interested in the above named schools. If anyone has any information about any of them I would be happy to hear about them.

He is not looking for an overly frat oriented, or very jocky school. He pretty much gets along with every one.

Thanks in advance!

[romeo62186]

I go to Kent...I love it. I had MANY friends and also my sister went to BGSU and have visited them many times. I know they all loved it and I loved visiting them. I have NEVER heard a single bad thing from any one that went to school down in Athens. I believe OU alums are def a proud group. Have never heard much about Youngstown

[outofohio]

I went to BGSU my freshman year of college, and it was ok. Went to classes, got good grades, and learned a lifetime of knowledge about girls that my overprotective parents had barred me from experiencing. Good times. I transferred after a year to OSU, and that's was a great experience. Lots of fun, great academic programs, and something for everyone. It's also where I met my wife, which is good, as well.
Keep in mind, I graduated high school in 1996, so BGSU may be completely different now. I know they've done a lot of construction there since I left.

[CortlandGirl79]

What does he want to major in, that should play a big factor in his decision. Also, some of those schools are harder to get into than others. Youngstown State is mostly a commuter school, but the campus is consistantly one of the safest in the state. I commuted to YSU back in the late 90s, they are known mostly for their engineering, business, theater and education colleges. I graduated from a Kent Regional campus about 3 years ago and i really enjoyed my time there as well.

[Mr216]

I go to Kent.....Overall the school is on the border of average/good..here's my breakdown:

Good:
Education- The Professors really know what they are talking about and you get a good understanding Kent was also named as a Top 200 College in the world. Kent is also a top school in Architecture, Design, and Nursing
People- They are easy to get along with and your son will be quick to make friends
Assistance- There are a lot of areas the school offers to help with such as Writing Commons in the Library which helps with writing your papers, and Math Tutoring in Tri-Towers.
Programs- There are tons of programs to get into outside of classes and sports and if people don't find one then it's possible to create your own.
Majors- Kent has TONS of Majors to choose from so if your initial major doesn't work out there is most likely one that can easily be found.

Bad:
Small Town- Kent is pretty small so there will be dull days especially if your from a bigger city like me (Cleveland) it may be a bit of an adjustment.
Facilities- For the amount of money we give to Kent for Tuition the Facilities are below average, Bowman Hall got "renovated" but still looks old, Tri-Towers is very old and the dorms need renovating badly, and the dorms are 50+ years old and could use some fixing.
More of a Commuter School- On the weekends your son may not feel as if he's getting the full "College Experience" because a lot of people go home on the weekends for ex: there are about 27,500 students that go to Kent's main campus but only a little over 6,000 Students stay on Campus and it turns to a ghost town on the weekends.

P.S- Akron U SUCKS (Just Kidding just a little rival thing )

Top 200 - The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2010-2011

Kent State University | Best College | US News

[Traveler87]

BGSU has built a lot of great new facilities on campus. Akron's campus is changing a lot too. Ohio U is really nice set down in the Appalachian Foothills, and Athens is truly a college town if you know what I mean. I think it has been voted number 1 party school for a few years. Forgetting that little subject, Ohio U is a great school though.

[SonnyDaze]

I'm 22 and know people who currently attend all 5 of these schools. From my point of view, based on academics and campus lifestyle, I would rank the schools as...

1. OU
2. Akron
3. Kent St./BG
4. Youngstown St.

[Traveler87]

Originally Posted by CincyExpert

I'm 22 and know people who currently attend all 5 of these schools. From my point of view, based on academics and campus lifestyle, I would rank the schools as...

1. OU
2. Akron
3. Kent St./BG
4. Youngstown St.

I think I might throw Akron in front of OU. Maybe I am speaking for only a few schools within the college though.

[SonnyDaze]

Originally Posted by Traveler87

I think I might throw Akron in front of OU. Maybe I am speaking for only a few schools within the college though.

I'm sure Akron has some standout programs. I'm positive OU has stricter admissions however. Both are solid schools- a lot of it comes down to preference of environment.

[WeSoHood]

Ohio University has arguably one of the best looking campuses in Ohio -- if not the Midwest. Same guy who designed OU, laid out the groundwork for Harvard as well. You will see many similarities.

It's a Top 50 business school in the Nation and Top 5 journalism as well.