It’s THE Ohio State University. They actually trademarked the word the.

Pride is big here. You see it on the building signage but also on the sea of Ohio State clothing and gear. They even carry a buckeye in their pockets. (The buckeye is a seed like an acorn or chestnut with a tan patch that looks like the eye of a deer, or buck.) Greet a Buckeye with “O-H” and you’ll get the “I-O” in response.

The basics

They say you can walk from one end of the 1700-acre campus to the other in 15 minutes, but that has to be at the pace of a healthy 19-year-old, not a middle-aged woman. Undergraduates number 48,000, and there’s another 14,000 graduate and professional students on campus.

With size comes choice: over 200 majors and 500 minors and specializations. Here, you can build the academic experience you’re looking for, guided by academic advisers in the college you’re in. If you don’t know what you want to major in, it’s OK. Twenty percent enter undecided. They can explore their options thoughtfully and with guidance through University Exploration. You can enter as “undecided/exploring” or pick one of six themed areas. OSU reads your admission “major blind,” meaning you’re admitted to the university, not a major directly, in most cases.

Academic programs and opportunities

Undergraduate colleges and schools

College of Arts & Sciences
College of Business
College of Education and Human Ecology
College of Engineering
School of Architecture (no portfolio required for entry)
College of Food, Agriculture, & Environmental Sciences
School of Environment & Natural Resources
School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences
College of Nursing
College of Public Affairs
College of Public Health
College of Social Work

Graduate and professional schools

College of Dentistry
College of Law
College of Medicine
College of Pharmacy (includes B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences0
College of Veterinary Medicine
College of Optometry

For nursing and engineering, you start in pre-nursing and pre-engineering. Pre-health and pre-med students can study at the highly rated Wexner Medical Center. Aspiring lawyers can prepare as pre-law students. The nursing program is tied for #1 with University of Pittsburgh. Most of the nursing admits were in the top 5% of their high school class.

Honors and Scholars programs

When you apply through the Common App, you can opt to be considered for either Honors or Scholars. Honors is more academic in nature, while Scholars is more cocurricular and community based. There are over 350 sections of honors classes, averaging less than 25 students per class. Honors students pursue original research and write a thesis under faculty supervision. Scholars students live together in theme-based halls. You won’t need to write an essay to be considered for either Honors or Scholars.

Career preparation

Each college within the university has its own career center, helping more than 70% to find internships; engineering and business have close to 90% participating in internships.

Campus life and engagement

The Ohio State University is confident in the quality of their academics, but the co-curricular aspects complement the academics. They emphasize the importance of getting involved outside of class, in research, study abroad, Greek life, intramurals, or in some of the 1400 organizations on campus. To encourage participation, an involvement fair sets up on the Oval in the fall. Admissions made the point that OSU is not a commuter campus. Buckeyes are fully involved in campus life.

Application process

Important deadlines

November 1: Early Action deadline
Deadline for merit scholarships, Honors & Scholars, Nursing direct enrollment, Engineering
Non-residents will hear decision by end of January. Ohio residents will hear in December.

January 15: Regular Decision deadline
Decision in March

Required materials

ALL MATERIALS must be submitted by the deadline.
TEST SCORES ARE REQUIRED. (They do not use the science section of the ACT.) Send official test scores from the testing agency. Request SAT scores by October 10 for EA, December 31 for RD.
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT

What Ohio State is looking for

Experiences that demonstrate leadership or engaged involvement
Outstanding talent in a particular area
First-generation status
Ability and commitment to contribute to and engage with a diverse campus community
Demonstrated personal qualities of collaboration, determination, and resilience.

What is not considered

demonstrated interest
major
legacy
race/ethnicity

Admissions profile

Test scores are one factor in a holistic review. The middle 50% for SAT while test-optional: 1360-1500. ACT: 29-33. The middle 50% for SAT scores before the test-optional policy was enacted: 1330-1470.

Ohio residents may be offered admission to a regional campus if they aren’t admitted to the flagship’s Columbus campus. Out-of-state residents may be admitted, denied, deferred, or waitlisted, but they will not be offered a regional campus.

For the class of 2029, Ohio State had 90,000 applications and an overall admit rate of 51%. The Early Action admit rate was slightly higher, 59%, and regular decision was 39%, according to the Common Data Set 2023-2024. There’s no state-mandated cap on out-of-state admissions; however, the CDS shows that 79% come from Ohio and 21% are non-residents.

The bottom line

The Ohio State University offers the best of both worlds: the vast resources and opportunities of a major research university combined with personalized support systems to help students navigate their academic journey. For students seeking a vibrant college experience where school pride runs deep and opportunities are limitless, Ohio State delivers on its promise of academic excellence within a supportive, engaged community. Whether you enter knowing exactly what you want to study or need time to explore through University Exploration, OSU provides the guidance and resources to help you discover your path and achieve your goals.