When people hear Youngstown, they imagine defunct steel mills, a high crime area, and a depressed city. As a Youngstown native, I had always planned to attend Youngstown State University when the time came to choose a college, and despite these popular misconceptions, I did. YSU is an average size college located just north of downtown Youngstown in Ohio. This would be a great choice, especially for someone looking for an education in the fine and performing arts, which is home to one of the most well known programs at the university - the Dana School of Music. Youngstown State University offers a vast variety of majors at a reasonable price, along with many campus activities and intramural sports, and students can choose to live on campus or commute from home.

YSU offers over 100 undergraduate majors through its six colleges, along with thirty five master’s programs through The School of Graduate Studies and Research. It is backed by a strong tradition of teaching and scholarship and has more than 1,000 faculty members with a 19:1 student/faculty ratio. One thing I really like about Youngstown State is that between affordable tuition and sufficient financial aid, you’ll leave YSU with a much lighter debt load than most college graduates. An in-state student would expect to pay around $7,000 for an education at YSU, whereas an out-of state student would expect to pay about $20,000. This tuition seems affordable to me, especially because of the variety of scholarships they also have available.

Among the ways you can add dimension to your education at YSU is by getting involved in the many activities held by Campus Recreation and Intramurals. The Andrews Student Recreation and Wellness Center has something that would appeal to everyone. Intramural and club sports can even be made part of your experience at Youngstown State. Men’s, women’s and co-rec teams are available for any one of the eight activities they offer and you can even create your own club team. There is always something going on, on and around the campus to keep students busy while they aren’t studying, as it is within easy driving and walking distance from many restaurants, shopping centers, museums, and parks.

Living on campus at Youngstown State University completes the experience, but commuting can save you valuable dollars. YSU offers a number of housing options. There are four university residence halls housing 1,000 students in clean and modern units. There is also the option of the University Courtyard Apartments. These apartments have singles, doubles, and quads specifically for YSU students. However, residency is not the option - local students can choose to commute. YSU is easily accessible to and from many neighboring cities and is just a short drive for those choosing to commute from home.

After visiting Youngstown State University, I feel that this school is the perfect place for me: the whole campus is well-kept and clean, and I saw a diverse student body just walking from one building to the next in a few short minutes. Anyone will be sure to find a major he or she are interested in because there are so many to chose from and with all of the financial aid, tuition shouldn’t be a problem. The campus really allows for a great educational experience as well as other activities and events that are always available.