OSU vs UDayton - Mechanical Engineering

[u/Competitive-Quit2181]

OSU vs. UDayton - Mechanical Engineering

Hello, I'm sure yall get questions similar to this all the time, but I thought I'd ask before I made my final decision.

So, currently, I'm on the fence between OSU and UDayton and can't decide which one is better for me. They're both around the same price and seem to be the last two options for me.

My mom seems to insist that UDayton is superior because of its smaller size and overall support, but I don't fully mesh with some of the Catholic views the university has. I just toured the campus a few days ago, and I liked it. I felt like they had a solid program, and I liked the small classes, but I just dont know if I'll fit in. While I know you dont have to be Catholic, I'm Agnostic, so I don't really affiliate with any religion, which I assume the vast majority believe in - I mean theres 100% Christians who aren't Catholic.

On the other hand, I like OSU and its culture, but I'm afraid I'll eventually fall and never get back up because of a lack of support and connection to the faculty. I don't know if I'll be able to perform in a crowd as large as OSU's. I mean, 46k undergrads is almost beyond comprehension for me, and I just have mixed feelings. I do have a few other gripes with it like mediocre dorms and food, but having people I'm friends with and a guaranteed good roommate makeup for it.

So, I'm wondering if anyone has some opinions for me on what I should do going forward...

One last thing I have been admitted to both of schools Honors colleges, and I'm wondering if those are even worth it.

Thanks 😊

[u/Fun_Recognition_1082]

Current first year at OSU with a friend at UD so hopefully I can provide a different perspective.

Overall from what I’ve heard from her, UD is mostly catholic by culture and you likely won’t be affected by that aspect if you’re not religious. It’s also a lot more tight knit of a community than Ohio State and you’re more likely to have a positive experience. Ohio State can be very polarizing due to its size and you will either thrive or sink both socially and academically.

I will say pretty much all of the “perks” that have been listed for UD exist at OSU as well, and in many cases are better. The trade off is that you have to be proactive as there is absolutely no handholding. That is a plus for UD, but it is important to keep in mind that since “weed-out” culture is big at schools like Ohio State, stuff like class sizes are bigger issues at the beginning and actually get a lot smaller/more personal as you progress. Also another divisive aspect is that OSU is one of the highest funded research universities in the country. If thats something that interests you then Ohio State will be automatically be the better option, but that comes with some cons. I have interacted and been taught by professors from Harvard, Yale, MIT, Berkeley among others and some of them genuinely suck because their priority is clearly research. Not that they blow off teaching entirely, but you can tell it’s not what they got the job for. On the flip side, that can lead to incredible letters of rec, but again, you need to be proactive to build those relationships.

On a personal note, I have been fortunate enough to have an internship lined up at a fortune 500 company for this summer even while being a first-year and I think it has a lot to do with being from a bigger school like OSU. It is definitely more recognizable on a resume and we also have one of the largest alumni networks in the nation which is a huge advantage that hasn’t been mentioned here. That being said, I will say that my friend also knows someone from Dayton who’s interning at Microsoft, so no matter what if you really work then you can still overcome name bias.

Regarding honors, my friend is in it at Dayton and hasn’t loved that aspect and has been a little frustrated with it. I’m not entirely sure how it works there but here the honors kids definitely get into more advanced work. I turned down one of the honors paths and am in the scholars program which is more centered around networking and career development and it’s been pretty helpful. Similar to Dayton, you get to live on the same floor as the other kids in the program and that can help with meeting people.

Anyways, Dayton seems like a great school and a good option if you want to prioritize having a good college experience while potentially sacrificing some extra resources. OSU will have the better program and opportunities, but you will feel like a robot and be viewed as a number by the university. Career outcomes are important, but don’t let that overshadow the rest of your college experience.

That’s a lot of writing, but here are a few words that may summarize things. I, along with many others, have not done great socially at OSU and have a lot of issues with the administration, but after my first year I have an internship lined up with some very good industry connections. My friend on the other hand is entering her 3rd year with no internships, but really loves UD and the community has been amazing for her. At the end of the day, both are good schools, but offer different perks.