This story is sponsored by The Ohio State University at Mansfield.
Deciding to pursue a higher education after high school can be a nerve wracking process. Applications must be submitted to those potential future colleges a student wishes to attend, appointments for tours of different campuses need to be made as a student decides which campus they will feel most comfortable living in and a student will have to determine what major they would like to pursue for the next four years as an undergraduate.
At The Ohio State University at Mansfield, there are many people who are there to help make the transition from senior in high school to freshman in college as stress-free as possible, like OSU Mansfield Admission Counselor Dianna Truax.
“Our Admissions office is full of counselors and current students that are excited to meet you, and excited to help you find the best pathway to your education,” she said.
The first step in becoming a student at The Ohio State University is to apply. According to Truax, applications open on Aug. 1, over a year before the academic year starts, and the deadline is July 1.
“A complete application includes the application, high school transcripts, and an application fee or fee waiver. Submitting test scores, like ACT/SAT scores, are completely optional for Ohio State this year,” Truax said. Students interested in the Mansfield campus can apply online at Mansfield.osu.edu.
Laura Beckett, future buckeye at OSU Mansfield, has just graduated from Ontario High School in May, but has been enrolled in college credit plus classes at OSU Mansfield since Jan. 2021.
Beckett has always known college was a pathway she wanted to take, but she had a hard time deciding where to attend.
Although she loved the Mansfield campus, she was worried she would not get the same college experience. Beckett applied to the Columbus campus where she was accepted, but at the last minute changed her mind and transferred back to OSU Mansfield where she will begin her undergraduate degree as a chemistry major starting in August.
While trying to decide which campus to apply to, Beckett felt she received a lot of assistance from an admissions counselor and that the application process was overall stress-free.
“A lot of support was offered to me when I applied. [My advisor] was very involved. I also received a lot of reminders to apply for scholarships,” she said.
During the transition from being enrolled at the Columbus campus back to OSU Mansfield, an admissions counselor was able to make a smooth transfer for Beckett.
“Once I got in, a month or two later decided I wanted to stay in Mansfield, so I reached out to my advisor and she initiated the transfer and all I had to do was ask. I didn’t have to do anything,” she said.
There are many reasons Beckett decided to stay at OSU Mansfield rather than moving to attend the Columbus Campus including having smaller class sizes, personal relationships with her professors, being close to home and affordability.
“I wasn’t ready for a big place, so knowing I could have the same excellent education, just in a smaller, more familiar setting is really what made my decision,” she said.
Beckett was still nervous she would not have a true college experience at a smaller campus, but discovered that to be untrue. At OSU Mansfield, there are clubs and organizations to join, events to attend, on-campus jobs to apply for and other students to hangout with in spare time.
“I was really worried about a lack of social experience at Mansfield, but I realized there is still that opportunity to have that and more,” Beckett said.
If OSU Mansfield is not where a student would like to attend all four years of their undergraduate, there is an option for students to transfer to the Columbus campus.
“We are a direct pathway to the Columbus campus. Any student that attends Ohio State Mansfield for 30 credit hours (one year) and maintains good academic standing (a 2.0 GPA) is guaranteed admission to Ohio State Columbus,” Truax said.
For more information about OSU Mansfield, call their admissions office at 419-755-4300. To register for an in-person tour, visit Mansfield.osu.edu/visit.
