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How are Ohio State University and Indiana University Bloomington different?

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Indiana vs. Ohio State

Today’s reader question comes from Paulo in Los Angeles, California:

Question: I’m sick of living in LA and am determined to have a college experience in the midwest because I want the classic American college experience and I want to live with people who are friendly and down to earth in an environment that’s calmer and cleaner than what I’ve experienced growing up. I’m down to Ohio State and Indiana, both of which I got into in December. What would you say are the biggest differences between Ohio State University and Indiana University Bloomington from the perspective of an undergraduate student?

Answer: Ohio State University (OSU) and Indiana University Bloomington (IU) are both large, well-respected public universities, but they offer distinct experiences for undergraduate students.

Ohio State University is located in Columbus, Ohio, and is known for its large and diverse student body, as well as its strong academic programs in a variety of fields. OSU has a vast range of clubs, organizations, and activities for students to get involved in, and the campus is home to a vibrant student life, including Greek life and recreational opportunities. One of the key benefits of attending OSU is its size, as the university offers a huge range of academic programs and resources, which can allow students to explore different areas of study and find their passions.

Indiana University Bloomington, on the other hand, is located in the charming college town of Bloomington, Indiana. IU is known for its strong programs in the arts and humanities, and is particularly well-regarded for its music, theater, and creative writing programs. The campus is beautiful, with a mix of historic and modern buildings, and there are plenty of opportunities for students to get involved in campus life and make new friends. Additionally, the smaller size of IU’s student body compared to OSU can provide a close-knit community feel, where students have more opportunities to form close relationships with their peers and professors.

One of the biggest differences between Ohio State University and Indiana University Bloomington is the focus of each university. OSU is a large research university, which provides students with extensive research opportunities and access to cutting-edge facilities and resources. On the other hand, IU is more focused on the arts and humanities, providing students with a more well-rounded liberal arts education that emphasizes creativity and critical thinking.

In terms of student life, both OSU and IU offer a variety of activities, clubs, and organizations, but the atmosphere and feel of each campus can be quite different. OSU has a large, bustling campus, with a vibrant student life, including Greek life and recreational opportunities, while IU has a smaller, more close-knit feel, with a focus on the arts and humanities.

Ultimately, both Ohio State University and Indiana University Bloomington offer excellent educational opportunities for undergraduate students, but the choice between the two will come down to individual preferences and priorities – including your choice of major. If you are interested in a large, research-focused university with a wide range of academic programs and a vibrant student life, Ohio State University may be the right choice for you. On the other hand, if you are interested in a somewhat smaller, liberal arts-focused university with a strong emphasis on the arts and humanities, but which still has school spirit, Indiana University Bloomington may be the right choice.

Rolling Admission vs. Regular Decision

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When deciding how to apply to a particular college, many students look for that college’s final application deadline, and then, working backwards in their minds, such students decide that they simply need to get all of their application materials into that college by that application deadline date. What such students fail to realize is that many (but not all) colleges that have such Regular Decision application deadlines also review applications and make admissions decisions on an ongoing basis well before their application deadlines.

Don’t be Regular if you can help it! What I mean by that statement is this: while many colleges have Regular Decision application deadlines (usually in January through March) many of these same colleges will review applications and make decisions on such applications well before their drop-dead deadlines (in most cases Regular Decision deadlines, but in other cases these are known as simply “Application Deadlines” at colleges where the deadlines extend very late – approximately late spring through summer). Don’t treat such colleges as Regular Decision for your purposes. Treat them as Rolling!

When you apply Regular Decision you are applying by the college’s Regular deadline. Students can apply to more than one college Regular Decision. Regular Decision admissions decisions tend to be received by students between March and April. When a college is Rolling Admissions, it reviews applications on an ongoing basis and accepts students on a space available basis. Students can apply to more than one college Rolling Admissions as well.

Yet, many of the same colleges that will let you throw in an application by a Regular deadline also review applications by either an earlier Priority or Early (Action or Decision) deadline OR are simply Rolling Admissions colleges.

Of course you would want to apply to a college that offers both Priority and Regular deadlines by the Priority deadline! After all, what’s the definition of priority?! Early Decision can come with major pros and cons. Early Action is generally a good idea for students to consider as well.

But in the case of colleges that offer Rolling Admissions – again, when a college reviews applications as they are received and makes decisions on an on-going basis – it is always best to apply to any such college as soon as you have decided on applying to that college. Some Rolling Admissions colleges don’t have any application deadlines, but a good number of Rolling Admissions colleges do have firm deadlines. Which means they are both Regular Decision and Rolling Admissions colleges. In such a scenario, you want to get your application in ASAP.

Some examples include Indiana University (which has a Regular deadline of February 1, but starts rolling out admissions decisions as early as September; it should also be noted that IU has an EA deadline of November 1), University of Arizona (Regular deadline is February 14, but I regularly have students who have gotten into Arizona by mid-September of their senior years), and Penn State University (which has a Regular deadline of November 30, but also is famous for rolling out decisions in tranche after tranche starting in November; like IU, Penn State also has an EA deadline these days of November 1). Many private colleges also roll out their decisions starting in either the fall or early winter.

The bottom line is this: always work your hardest to determine as early as possible whether colleges on your list review applications on a Rolling basis and make admissions decisions on a space available basis – even if these colleges have firm Regular Decision application deadlines. Colleges that do this are often objectively easier to get into the earlier in the admissions cycle that you can apply. So apply as early as possible if you can put together a strong application early in the fall. Other than Instant Admissions, my favorite way for students to apply to college is Rolling Admissions, and now you can see why. It’s a great feeling knowing you have gotten into one or more colleges by Thanksgiving of your senior year in high school without having to commit to attending such colleges until much later in your senior year (usually by May 1).

So, embrace the superficial contradiction and celebrate colleges that are both Regular Decision and Rolling Admissions because in so doing you will always treat such colleges as Rolling at heart.

U.S. News Reveals its Top 10 Undergraduate Business Programs of 2019

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U.S. News is teasing its popular Top Colleges edition with the release of the names of its 2019 top 10 Best Undergraduate Business programs. All of the programs included in the list are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Due to some ties, thirteen business programs appear on the list. See below for our thoughts.

2019 US News Top 10 Business Programs

(Including Ties and Listed Alphabetically)
Carnegie Mellon University
Cornell University
Indiana University—Bloomington
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
New York University
University of California—Berkeley
University of Michigan—Ann Arbor
University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill
University of Notre Dame
University of Pennsylvania
University of Southern California
University of Texas—Austin
University of Virginia

First Thought: Kelley at IU is by far the best back-door into America’s top business programs. It’s curriculum and graduates are highly respected by the on-campus recruiting community, which is where the action really is if you want to get a good job once you graduate. The admissions standards at Kelley, while they are far higher than they were ten years ago, are still far less onerous than those at any of the other undergraduate business programs on the list.

Second Thought: Cornell got what it wanted by reorganizing its business/hospitality programs in recent years. They are now regularly mentioned as one of only two Ivy League colleges in the big leagues in terms undergraduate business. Penn no longer has a monopoly on this designation, which is exactly what Cornell was aiming for with the revamp.

Third Thought: There is no excuse for a high-flying aspiring undergraduate business student not to have heard from at least a third of colleges on his or her list by February 1 if he or she is developing his or her college list correctly. Six colleges on the list below offer some form of Early Action (Michigan, UVA, UNC, Notre Dame, MIT) or Rolling Decision (IU). Meanwhile, UT offers Priority (11/1), and Penn, Cornell, NYU, and Carnegie Mellon offer Early Decision. Just as in the world of business, in the world of undergraduate admission, the early bird gets the worm! Get your act together early if you want to give yourself the best shot of admission into colleges deemed to offer the best business programs in the USA.

Final Thought: The list is definitely larger than last year when only ten colleges made this list because of a tie for seventh place. While more colleges are included, we are certainly happy to see the likes of USC and IU added over Boston College, Emory, Penn State and the like. From our experience there is a definite difference between both the quality of the student and the quality of the student experience at colleges included on the above list and colleges not making the list. U.S. should try to not include any more colleges than thirteen on this list in future years unless a current pretender dramatically alters its undergraduate programming and/or its admissions processes.