Ohio State or Miami University for social life?

The biggest practical tradeoff is scale versus intimacy. Ohio State has a much bigger, more constant social scene because of its size, Big Ten sports culture, and location in Columbus, so there are simply more parties, student organizations, bars, events, and off-campus options on any given weekend. Miami University tends to feel smaller, more traditional, and more centered on campus itself, which can be very social too, but in a narrower and more repetitive way for some students.

For a typical student who wants it to be easy to meet people and always have something happening, Ohio State usually has the stronger overall social life. The student body is enormous, residence halls are active, and football weekends in particular create a campus-wide energy that is hard to match. Columbus also matters a lot here, because your social options are not limited to campus traditions alone.

Miami definitely has a real social culture, and some students love that it feels more close-knit and easier to recognize familiar faces. Greek life tends to be more visible there, and the campus social world can feel more concentrated around a few established scenes. That can be fun if you want a classic college-town atmosphere, but it can also feel less varied than Ohio State.

If your priority is the broadest, most active social environment for the average student, I would lean Ohio State. Miami can be a great social fit for someone who wants a smaller, more contained campus scene, but Ohio State offers more ways to plug in and more room to find your crowd.