As the largest university in the nation, Ohio State has limited classroom space. As a result, many students start their college careers at regional campuses.

“It’s like high school on steroids,” said Blake Toney, a junior in pharmaceutical sciences who went to the OSU Mansfield campus before changing to the Columbus campus.

“I’m glad I chose Mansfield campus,” Toney said. “It was a nice intermediate step between high school and college.”

Out of the 21,926 incoming freshmen who applied to the Columbus campus this year, 12,926 were admitted. Nearly 4,655 students were optioned to regional campuses in Lima, Marion, Newark, Mansfield and ATI/Wooster, and almost 2,380 students chose regional campuses as their first choice.

“It is significantly lower tuition to attend a regional campus,” said Dr. Mabel Freeman, assistant vice president for undergraduate admissions.

Even though regional campuses do not offer as many majors as the Columbus campus, students at regional campuses can take general education requirements, Freeman said.

“Every class you take is automatically an OSU credit,” she said.

Regional students can change to the Columbus campus after having attained 45 credit hours and maintained a 2.0 grade point average.

Freeman said there are typically three types of students who go to regional campuses: high school graduates who want lower costs and smaller classes, high school graduates who were optioned and older students who want to stay close to home.

Joseph Krugel, a senior in English, falls into the last group. Krugel began his college career at the Newark campus, and changed to Columbus to take the courses he needed to complete his communications minor, he said.

Krugel gives tours at the Newark campus as a student ambassador and said he is often asked which campus he prefers best.

“I tell them I like both campuses,” he said. “They both have their own positives and negatives.

The Newark campus sent about 57 percent of its second year students to the Columbus campus this year, said Ann Donahue, OSU Newark’s assistant director of admissions.

The Newark campus has the most majors of the five regional campuses and also has residence halls.

As far as courses go, Krugel said they are equally difficult on both campuses.

“The OSU transcript does not indicate on which campus one takes a class,” Freeman said. “Psychology 100 is Psychology 100 at whatever campus you take it.”

Not all optioned students are as enthusiastic as Toney was about attending regional campuses.

“I wasn’t happy, of course, but I accepted it,” said Alexander Tsyganko, a junior in finance and international business who changed to the Columbus campus. Tsyganko said there was not much to do at the Newark campus, and is glad to be attending the Columbus campus, where there are more people and activities.

“The challenges for the regional campuses are trying to serve the needs of all (students),” Freeman said. Regardless of which Ohio State campus a student goes to, “They’re all graduating with the same diploma.”

Holly Davis can be reached at [email protected].