COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Thousands of students arrive on Ohio State University’s campus Wednesday as the university begins the move-in process for the fall semester.
The university administration has not yet confirmed the size of the new class of freshmen and said it wants to first check how many students will be accommodated in the dormitories.
“We are excited about the expected size and strength of our new and returning classes,” OSU spokesman Ben Johnson told ABC 6/FOX 28. “We had a record number of applicants – more than 80,000 – and are honored that Ohio State is a top choice for students from across Ohio and around the world.”
Historically, the university has admitted an average of about 14,000 new students.
Previously, the move-in of the new students was planned as part of a large one-day event. However, the university has spread the move-in over several days in order to comply with the social distancing rules during the pandemic.
“When we spread it out over multiple days, we found that many parents and students liked that aspect,” said Dave Isaacs of OSU’s Office of Student Life.
This year, the move will last four days and end on August 17. Families will be given 30-minute windows to unload their vehicles.
“It’s an exciting day, but there’s also some nervousness,” Isaacs said. “For the students, it may be their first day of college. For the parents, it may be the time to drop off their first child at college. Everyone is taking a deep breath. I can see there’s a lot of excitement with this. It’s going to be OK.”
Expect increased traffic on campus every day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The university warned of the following changes in traffic patterns:
- 11th Avenue will become one-way westbound and CABS will be diverted to 12th Avenue.
- On August 18, College Road between 12th Avenue and Annie and John Glenn Avenue will be closed for the Student Involvement Fair and CABS will be diverted to High Street.
- On August 19, Annie and John Glenn Avenues will be closed for Buck-i-Frenzy. Heavy pedestrian traffic is expected near RPAC and Ohio Stadium, as well as along the Olentangy Trail.
The first day of classes is August 20th.
