I have (somewhat obsessively) checked out gradcafe for the last 2 months, but this is my first post. I thought I could contribute, though, by providing some information on OSU. First off, I have a graduate degree from OSU (not in political science) and have lived in Columbus for 4+ years. I currently am weighing a couple of acceptances, including OSU. I have a friend in the PS department (2nd year-American sub-field), who has told me nothing but great things about his experience there-both in regards to the approachability of faculty and the collegiality of the graduate students. I am unable to attend the Recruitment Weekend, so I recently had a visit to the department, which was arranged by a faculty member there. I am interested in comparative, so I primarily spoke with comparative faculty. I also spoke with a few more students. I was extremely impressed by the visit. Although OSU is historically strong in American and IR, I found the recently tenured comparative faculty there to be of the highest quality and think they will anchor a strong future in comparative for years to come. Plus, I was told that the next few hires would be in comparative, as they are trying to boost that sub-field. Obviously, the point of a recruitment visit is for them to "sell" you on their department. However, I was surprised at the candor with which the faculty spoke about both the strengths and weaknesses of the department (as well some comments on their experience at other departments that I am considering). The students seemed very happy there (and I know this is not just a "sell" because I have a friend there that has confirmed this for the past year or so). I would encourage anyone that is considering OSU to definitely visit and check it out. While I am not sure where I will end up, I feel stronger that OSU is a great place (plus, I had a fantastic time here before and I really enjoy Columbus as well). I hope this helps. Feel free to PM me if you want any more specifics.