Features

Buckeyes are really smart. This year, we had more than 49,000 applicants for a freshman class of 7,800, with admitted students hailing from all 88 Ohio counties, 46 states and 15 countries.

We also know how to have fun. During study breaks, student volunteers bring service dogs to the Union — and sometimes, they’re in Halloween costumes. Ohio State’s marching band (The Best Damn Band in the Land!) even hopped across the pond to play in London’s Wembley Stadium.

Ohio State is a big place -- but that just means a world of opportunities. Some students choose to travel abroad and some choose to do research on useful designs for bone tissue engineering grafts for the Denman Forum. Whatever your goal, Ohio State can help you accomplish it.

“The seasons pass, the years will roll” —There’s a lot of history and culture here at Ohio State. We’re always changing and evolving to stay current, but there are other traditions that will never change.

Start making a difference from day one. Who says you have to wait till graduation to make a difference? Amy Chu, an undergrad, went to work in CERN lab in Switzerland to help rethink clean water in India.

But once you graduate? Look out, world! Our alumni are doing big things. Just look at our Oscar-winning Buckeyes like Steve May, chief technology officer at Pixar, who worked on "Brave," named 2012 Best Animated Feature at the Oscars. 

Our professors have a passion for teaching and learning, so you’ll learn from the very best. A professor who jumps on the table and mimics a monkey in a class about primates? Yeah, we have one of those.

Your family is about to get a whole lot bigger. We have more than 500,000 living alumni, so you’ll find a network wherever you go.

Columbus is the place to be. Programs like D-Tix give students the chance to experience life in Columbus while on a budget, and the city helps our students gain real-world experiences before they even graduate.

Our history and traditions are big. We bleed scarlet and gray, especially during our Beat Michigan Week -- one of the biggest rivalries in college football. Brutus Buckeye, our 50-year-old mascot, is engrained in Buckeye tradition, and dotting the “i” in Script Ohio is considered the honor of a lifetime.

But our culture isn’t all football. We have a one-of-a-kind cartoon library, a brand new, cutting edge chemical and biomolecular engineering and chemistry building, and not to mention one seriously amazing, award-winning cancer hospital.

Our campus has it all. A top notch rec center that’s definitely not just a “gym.” Residence halls that are more than just a place to live -- they’re a place to learn. A 21st-century library. A student union that’s truly yours. And campus learning spaces that have changed with the times.

You’ll be truly inspired by your peers. Where else could you work and learn alongside students and researchers coming together to study the positive effects Shakespeare has on child autism?

At Ohio State, “global citizen” isn’t just a buzzword. It’s true when we say, “Buckeyes are everywhere.” Sarah Montell’s experiences have taken her around the world -- from the White House to Germany. If you look at a map, you’ll realize that Buckeyes represent Ohio State all over the world.

Want to get involved? You name it, we’ve got it. More than 1,000 student orgs means a place for everyone. From Quidditch Club to Students for Recycling, Ohio State makes it easy for students to find their niche.

We take the phrase “pay forward” very seriously. Coach Woody Hayes coined it during his 1986 commencement speech, and Buckeyes have been living it ever since. Fourth-year student Patrick Brito gives back to his university and country -- which earned him the spot of No. 3 Army ROTC cadet. And how about that annual 24-hour dance marathon to raise money for children with cancer? That alone has raised a total of $3.7 million. Our Buckeyes are dedicated to making a difference. 

Campus is full of hidden gems. Our student union holds Archie Griffin’s second Heisman Trophy, our oldest buildings on campus were completed in 1893 and two Ohio State professors helped the Drumstick ice cream cone become a reality.

You’ll have chance to rub elbows with legends. We have a college named after John Glenn (Ohio State alum and the first American to orbit Earth). Around campus, it’s not uncommon to spot Buckeye football hero Archie Griffin or global-warming expert and scientist Lonnie Thompson.

Our faculty and staff take on the issues that matter. Whether it’s creating a welcoming atmosphere for all students or leading efforts to make a college education affordable, Buckeye leaders are doing it.

“While we work as a nation on long-term solutions, Ohio State is digging deeper to stem costs for those who proudly wear the scarlet and gray. Our mission as a land-grant university demands it, and our students and their families deserve nothing less.”
–President Drake

Whatever your passion, you’ll have a chance to be No. 1. We hold a national championship in five sports: football, pistol, wrestling, synchronized swimming and rowing. Need some other rankings to brag about? Ohio State’s EcoCAR took first place in national competition and Ohio State is ranked as one of the best colleges for veterans.