OSU or IU? Decisions, Decisions

[ellebelle57]

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Hello,

I am a biology major seeking a Master's in Health Administration (MHA) from either IU (on the IUPUI campus) or OSU. While I do not care about rankings, I am in a bind about my final decision - something that I initially thought would never happen. I thought maybe coming here would help me hear some unbiased opinions.

IUPUI
Pros
I am an Indiana resident, so the cost will be cheaper.
My boyfriend of 4 years will be attending IUSM in Indy next year.
Night classes -- full-time job is optional.
Health Professional mentor

Cons
The program seems unorganized (compared to OSU).
Saturday evening class.
Not very many resources (compared to OSU) departmentally.
Difficult to receive scholarships.

OSU
Pros
Very well-connected alumni group for networking
Small class size/tight-knit group.
~50% of students receive grad assistantship
Alumni mentor

Cons
$16,000 more per year (unless I receive an assistantship)
Will be 3 hours away from boyfriend
No family members or connections in Ohio

Any help would be greatly appreciated, especially from people who live in either areas or attend either program!

 

[wwxx]

I would say OSU.
First OSU's program is more well known and seems strong based on my research, and like you said, it has well-connected alumni
Second, lacking friends and family actually encourage you to go out and build new connections, which is a positive for your career
Lastly, Ohio and In are not that far from each other. 3 hours from your boyfriend doesn't sound too bad to me...

Good luck!

 

[2015MHA]

I agree with wwxx, OSU is a well-known, stong, 60 credit hr program that has a large and well-connected alumni network. It has fantastic connections with local hospitals and health systems and the smaller class sizes are a huge plus. It's also great that you have an alumni mentor in the area. On paper, I believe OSU to be the better option. But I understand how difficult it must be to make the decision to turn down in-state tuition and be further away from your boyfriend. But I think OSU would give you more bang for your buck and Indiana is only a few hours away, making weekend visits very doable. I don't know much about IU's program, so take these suggestions with a grain of salt. That being said, I wouldn't want to attend school where I would be uncomfortable. If you believe the personal and financial drawbacks of attending OSU are too great, then go with IU (I still can't get over the price of out-of-state tuition, but in many cases it's worth it). If you have any questions about Columbus or OSU in general, I'd be happy to help - I am from the area and did my undergrad at OSU and will be attending the MHA program there this fall.