osu application essay questions

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The Common Application

First-year applicants to Ohio State's Columbus campus apply through the Common Application .

Ohio State also requires completion of Ohio State-specific questions , which you'll find on the Common Application.

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Common application questions, writing: personal essay.

Ohio State requires a personal statement essay in response to one of the prompts provided. If you'd like to work on your response before beginning your application, here's a list of this year's essay prompts .

Note: The Common App provides students with an opportunity to share their experience and the impact of community disruptions such as COVID 19 and natural disasters through a dedicated question on the application.

Ohio State-specific questions

General: preferred admission plan.

Select "Early Action" if you are applying for autumn semester and plan to meet our November 1 early action deadline. Otherwise, select "Regular Decision."

General: School-specific fee waivers

If you have been given a fee waiver code for one of the programs listed, please select the program and enter your fee waiver code.

Academics: Your planned major

To learn more about Ohio State's majors, search Ohio State majors or read Undecided? if you're not sure what to major in.

Academics: Opportunities beyond the undergraduate level

Ohio State offers pre-professional programs in dentistry, law, medicine, optometry, pharmacy and veterinary medicine. Identifying your pre-professional interest on the application will enable your advisors to provide you with a wide range of support to realize your goals.

Academics: Alternate campus (Ohio residents only)

If you are not admitted to the Columbus campus, you will have the option of starting your Ohio State degree at a regional campus and changing to Columbus later. If you don't select an alternate campus, you will be automatically admitted to one based on your geographic location.

Academics: Honors and Scholars Programs

To be considered, we strongly recommend that you meet our November 1 early action deadline. On the application, indicate interest in the University Honors Program or Ohio State Scholars Program . If you wish to apply for the Stamps Eminence Scholarship Program, you must indicate interest in Honors or Scholars and complete the Eminence Application .

Academics: Morrill Scholarship Program

To be considered, we strongly recommend that you meet our November 1 early action deadline. On the application, indicate interest in the Morrill Scholarship Program and respond to the MSP essay prompt. Be sure to include leadership and diversity involvement under Activities.

Application fee and fee waivers

Before submitting your application, you will be asked for a $60 NONREFUNDABLE application fee. Ohio State accepts ACT, SAT, TRIO and other fee waivers meant to assist low-income families (the application will walk you through eligibility requirements). Please also see guidelines for application fee waivers .

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How to Write the Ohio State University Essay 2024-2025

If you’re interested in The Ohio State University, there are luckily no supplemental essays that apply to all applicants. There is an additional essay for the Morrill Scholarship Program, however. This is a competitive program for students who excel academically, have strong leadership skills, and are interested in fostering diversity and inclusion within their communities. 

Each year, only about 300 students are named Morrill Scholars, which provides both in-state and out-of-state students free tuition scholarships. In this post, we’ll discuss this year’s essay prompt for the program, and how you can maximize your chances of being selected for this prestigious scholarship by writing a great essay.

Want to know your odds of acceptance at OSU? Calculate your chances for free right now.

The Ohio State University Morrill Scholarship

The Morrill Scholarship Program (MSP) is one of Ohio State’s premier scholarship opportunities offered through the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI). MSP seeks academically talented student leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing diversity, inclusion, service and social justice.

MSP scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis to students admitted to the Columbus campus for the autumn semester following high school graduation. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents of the United States. Each applicant must also respond to the following prompt in 350-500 words.

Morrill Scholarship Program Prompt

In what ways have your life experiences and/or endeavors prepared you to be an active morrill scholar who will champion osu’s shared values of “diversity and innovation” and “inclusion and equity” while investing in our culture of service reflective of our land grant mission  please answer fully, and when possible, provide specific examples. (350-500 words), understanding the prompt .

In a way, this prompt is asking you two distinct questions. First, the prompt is asking you to pick a life experience that you want to discuss. Next, you’ll have to discuss why this experience would make you a good candidate for a Morrill Scholarship. To help you brainstorm some ideas, below are some questions you’ll want to think about before you start writing.

• What is one of your life experiences that has fundamentally questioned the way that you view life? 
• Are there any social justice issues that you are particularly passionate about? Why?
• Leadership takes many forms. How have you showed leadership in the past?
• What type of traits do you think a Morrill Scholar has?

Once you have answers to these questions, be sure to do some research on the Morrill Scholarship and what it entails, as well as what types of students typically receive the scholarship. Try and determine why these students were good applicants, and look for any similarities or things you have in common with them.

Cliché Topics to Avoid

While you have the freedom to discuss nearly any important life experience, there are still some topics that you’ll want to avoid . These include: 

• Picking a topic such as sports injury, tragedy, or bad grade
• Picking a topic that isn’t significant enough and not explaining how the experience impacted you
• Using a privileged tone when discussing your perspective
• Having a cliché ending, such as  “ I learned that people can be happy with so little, ” or “ I learned the importance of giving back. ”

Writing the Essay 

Once you have an understanding of what the prompt and the program is looking for, you can start writing. Although there is no one perfect way to structure this essay, it might be helpful to follow this general format:

• Describe a memorable life experience that relates to a topic of diversity, inclusion, or social justice
• Demonstrate how this experience made you grow or highlighted an aspect of your personality
• Explain what you will bring to the program after going through this experience

Let’s look at each section in more detail now.

1.  Describe a memorable life experience

The admissions officers want to know what you have been through. They know about issues like racial injustice or mass incarceration—what they don’t know about is you. Starting your essay off with an anecdote that clearly expresses what you have been through is a great way to show the admissions officers reading your essay that topics like diversity and social justice are important and relevant to you.

Maybe you grew up as a minority in a community and you talk about the time you were racially profiled at the mall with your friends. Or maybe you started a program at your school for kids who normally sat at lunch to sign up and get a buddy so they always had someone to eat with. Perhaps after researching a refugee crisis for your history class, you went to the local shelter in your town and spoke to the refugees about their experiences to understand them more.

Your experience with diversity and inclusion doesn’t necessarily have to be a traditional topic of diversity like racial, religious, or socioeconomic. You could also discuss your diversity of interests: you love collecting stamps even though most of your friends think it’s old fashioned. Or maybe you want to discuss your diversity of perspective: you are really liberal among your conservative family.

The most important thing is that you choose a single experience to focus your anecdote on. So, a student who wants to write about her ethnicity shouldn’t give a general overview of how she feels discriminated against because of where her family is from. Instead, she should focus on a specific instance of discrimination that strongly affected her or gave her a chance to stand up and defend herself.

2. Demonstrate how this experience made you grow

This next part of your essay is super important to show why this experience is so impactful and has prepared you to be a Morrill Scholar.

After you have set up the anecdote, now you should give insight as to what your state of mind or emotions were in this situation. Answering questions like these could be helpful:

• What did you feel in the moment?
• What was your perspective before this experience? After?
• Did a certain personality trait shine through? Were you brave, resilient, creative, determined?

However, be careful while you are writing. You want to convey the growth or traits that you expressed during or after this experience, but you don’t want to tell the admissions officers that planning a school walkout to protest the lack of diversity in the administration made you a more confident leader—they should learn that without ever being explicitly told so. By interjecting emotions or including your inner thoughts in the moment, you will be able to show your readers the impact this experience had on you.

3. Explain what you will bring to the program

The best way to conclude your essay is to bring it back to OSU and the Morrill Program. At the end of the day, there are hundreds of other students who likely have had similar experiences or takeaways as you. You need to show how what you have been through and learned will prepare you to contribute to the diverse and inclusive community on campus.

When talking about what you will bring—or what you hope to get out of—the Morrill Scholarship Program, you should mention both implicit and explicit aspects. 

Some implicit things you might contribute to the community are teaching your new friends your culture’s traditions, discussing difficult topics with peers who have different perspectives, or approaching new and intimidating situations with confidence and clarity. 

So an example of an implicit aspect of the community might be a student who talked about his experience volunteering with an immigration lawyer, where he learned how important it is for lawyers to be billingual to communicate with their clients, might write about how he wants to practice speaking Spanish with his friends. Whether they are having a debate in his Spanish class or just hanging out and eating dinner in the dining hall, he’s looking forward to surrounding himself with others who are dedicated to becoming billingual, and hopefully encouraging others to learn Spanish. 

For explicit things you hope to contribute or gain from the Morrill Scholars community you should research the opportunities afforded to you through the program. You might mention a club that aligns with your interests that you want to join, an event you started at your high school that you hope to bring to the OSU community, or a certain professor you are looking forward to working with.

An example of a student writing about an explicit aspect could be someone who had a tutor in high school that helped her feel better about herself since she struggled in her history class. Her tutor made her feel welcomed and included, and now she wants to give back to other students by becoming a Supplemental Instruction leader through the Morrill Scholarship Program. She feels she has learned a lot about what it takes to be an effective and encouraging tutor, and now she wants to give back to her future OSU students.

The best essays will combine implicit and explicit things you want to contribute or get out of the program, but as long as you can make the admissions officers feel like you belong in this program and on OSU’s campus, you will have done your job.

Where to Get Your OSU Morrill Scholarship Essay Edited for Free

Do you want feedback on your OSU Morrill Scholarship essay? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

Need feedback faster? Get a  free, nearly-instantaneous essay review  from Sage, our AI tutor and advisor. Sage will rate your essay, give you suggestions for improvement, and summarize what admissions officers would take away from your writing. Use these tools to improve your chances of acceptance to your dream school!

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Ohio State University | OSU’s 2024-25 Essay Prompts

Morrill scholar program short response.

In what ways have your life experiences and/or endeavors prepared you to be an active Morrill Scholar who will champion OSU’s Shared Values of “diversity and innovation” and “inclusion and equity” while investing in our culture of service reflective of our land grant mission? Please answer fully, and when possible, provide specific examples.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

Ohio State University (OSU) Secondary Essay Prompts

These are the secondary application essay prompts for Ohio State University College of Medicine. To put your best foot forward and maximize your chance of an interview invitation, visit our secondary application editing page .

about Ohio State University College of Medicine

Secondary Deadline : December 16, 2024 Secondary Fee : $80 FAP Waiver : Yes CASPer Required : No Screens Applications : Yes Accepts Application Updates :

The Ohio State University College of Medicine mission is to improve people’s lives through innovation in research, education and patient care.

We share a common vision: to work as a team shaping the future of medicine by creating, disseminating and applying new knowledge and by personalizing health care to meet the needs of each individual.

Excellence Collaborating as one university Integrity and personal accountability Openness and trust Diversity in people and ideas Change and innovation Simplicity in our work Empathy and compassion Leadership

REQUIRED ESSAYS for those applying to the Regular M.D., M.D./PhD, and the Primary Care Track:

1. The mission statement of The Ohio State University College of Medicine is to “improve peoples lives” through innovation in research, medical education, and patient care. Please describe how your past experiences predict your potential to contribute in two of these three areas (250 words or less).

2.The OSU COM Admissions vision statement states that the admissions committee will assemble a class that displays “diversity in background and thought”. Why is “diversity in background and thought” a desirable characteristic for a medical school’s student body? (250 words or less)

REQUIRED ESSAYS only for those applying to the Primary Care Track:

1. Describe past experiences that have shaped your decision to choose a Family Medicine specific accelerated training track. (250 words or less).

2.. “Health is Primary” is a communications campaign to advocate for the values of family medicine, demonstrate the benefits of primary care, and engage patients in our healthcare system. The aim is to build a primary care system that reflects the values of family medicine, puts patients at the center of their care, and improves the health of all Americans. How do you plan to reflect the values of Family Medicine in your future career? (250 words or less)

OPTIONAL ESSAY for those applying to the Regular M.D., M.D./PhD, and the Primary Care Track:

1. The OSUCOM Admissions Committee understands that everyone may have been impacted by the COVID 19 public health crisis. Please use the space below to communicate anything you would like to share with the admissions committee related to the pandemic. Possible topics might include, for example: your biggest lessons and insights from the pandemic; creative ways in which you were able to serve your community during the crisis; or hardships you may have faced as a result of the virus or quarantine.

1. REQUIRED ESSAY FOR THOSE APPLYING TO REGULAR M.D., M.D./PhD AND THE PRIMARY CARE TRACK: The mission statement of The Ohio State University College of Medicine is to “improve people’s lives” through innovation in research, medical education, and patient care. Please describe how your past experiences predict your potential to contribute in two of these three areas. (250 words or less)

2. REQUIRED ESSAY FOR THOSE APPLYING TO REGULAR M.D., M.D./PhD AND THE PRIMARY CARE TRACK: The OSU COM Admissions vision statement states that the admissions committee will assemble a class that displays “diversity in background and thought.” Why is “diversity in background and thought” a desirable characteristic for a medical school’s student body? (250 words or less)

3. ADDITIONAL REQUIRED ESSAY ONLY FOR THOSE APPLYING TO THE PRIMARY CARE TRACK: Describe the experiences you have had in Primary Care and the influences they have had on your decision to apply to the Primary Care Track three year program. (500 words or less)

4. ADDITIONAL REQUIRED ESSAY ONLY FOR THOSE APPLYING TO THE PRIMARY CARE TRACK: Why are you interested in a family medicine specific accelerated track? (250 words or less)

1. REQUIRED ESSAY FOR THOSE APPLYING TO REGULAR M.D., M.D./PhD AND THE PRIMARY CARE TRACK: The mission statement of The Ohio State University College of Medicine is to “improve people’s lives” through innovation in research, medical education, and patient care. Please describe how your past experiences predict your potential to contribute in two of these three areas. (250 words or less)

The key to answering this question skillfully is to choose experiences that exemplify your abilities to achieve these missions without repeating what was already stated in the personal statement and primary application. This can be difficult to achieve because likely the most important experiences you had prior to applying were listed there. Two strategies can be useful:

A. Describe a prior experience from a different angle, perhaps with an anecdote that exemplifies a particular strength or skill you gained that will help you achieve the above goals. A story is a unique way to approach the same experience from a new angle.

B. Be creative in thinking of less conventional experiences that may have helped you gain these skills. Instead of research or clinical work, consider perhaps a time when you bridged a gap or resolved a dispute between disparate parties from different backgrounds. This can help show your ability to unite and lead diverse people which will help you empower your patients and provide effective patient care. This is an example of a creative approach to this question.

2. REQUIRED ESSAY FOR THOSE APPLYING TO REGULAR M.D., M.D./PhD AND THE PRIMARY CARE TRACK: The OSU COM Admissions vision statement states that the admissions committee will assemble a class that displays “diversity in background and thought.” Why is “diversity in background and thought” a desirable characteristic for a medical school’s student body? (250 words or less)

For this answer, think about the ideals which you hold in high esteem that help a team function and allow differing groups to work together. Different viewpoints in collaboration often create a unique outcome which is stronger than it otherwise would have been in isolation. You can consider using an anecdote from an occasion on which you collaborated with someone with a differing opinion. In the end, craft an answer that fits your ideals and beliefs about this topic. A genuine answer is always strongest.

This question necessitates a prior background with primary care and an interest in the field. This should be relatively straightforward for students interested in such a track. What may make your answer unique is discussing alternative primary care experiences besides the conventional medical school clinic experience. Did you institution have a free clinic? Did you work with underserved populations providing health screening or educational services in the community? This may make your answer unique. Describe how your experiences inform your overall goals in medical school and beyond.

4. ADDITIONAL REQUIRED ESSAY ONLY FOR THOSE APPLYING TO THE PRIMARY CARE TRACK: “Health Is Primary” is a communications campaign to advocate for the values of family medicine, demonstrate the benefits of primary care, and engage patients in our healthcare system. The aim is to build a primary care system that reflects the values of family medicine, puts patients at the center of their care, and improves the health of all Americans. How do you plan to reflect the values of Family Medicine in your future career? (250 words or less)

The key here is to discuss your future career in order to specifically answer the question. It is reasonable to draw on past experiences (just be sure not to repeat your answer above) but use them to convey how you will craft your career as a primary care physician. Consider the following large roles of a primary care physician that you may strive towards: excellence in patient care, patient education, preventative health, medical student and resident education, holistic approach to medical care, collaboration with mental health providers.

1. REQUIRED ESSAY FOR THOSE APPLYING TO REGULAR M.D., M.D./PhD AND THE PRIMARY CARE TRACK:

The mission statement of The Ohio State University College of Medicine is to “improve people’s lives” through innovation in research, medical education, and patient care. Please describe how your past experiences predict your potential to contribute in two of these three areas. (250 words)

2. REQUIRED ESSAY FOR THOSE APPLYING TO REGULAR M.D., M.D./PhD AND THE PRIMARY CARE TRACK:

The OSU COM Admissions vision statement states that the admissions committee will assemble a class that displays “diversity in background and thought.” Why is “diversity in background and thought” a desirable characteristic for a medical school’s student body? (250 words)

1. The Ohio State University College of Medicine’s mission is to “improve people’s lives through innovation in research, education and patient care.” Briefly describe how you aspire to further this mission, in whole or in part, as a medical student or as an alumnus of this College. (250 words or less)

2. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr made the following statement: “Of all the injustices in the world, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.” Describe how you would like to contribute to ensuring quality healthcare for all people. (250 words or less)

REQUIRED ESSAYS ONLY FOR THOSE APPLYING TO THE PRIMARY CARE TRACK: 1. Describe the experiences you have had in Primary Care and the influences they have had on your decision to apply to the Primary Care Track three year program. (500 words or less)

2. “Health Is Primary” is a communications campaign to advocate for the values of family medicine, demonstrate the benefits of primary care, and engage patients in our healthcare system. The aim is to build a primary care system that reflects the values of family medicine, puts patients at the center of their care, and improves the health of all Americans. How do you plan to reflect the values of Family Medicine in your future career? (250 words or less)

Disclaimer: The information on this page was shared by students and/or can be found on the medical school’s website. Med School Insiders does not guarantee the accuracy of the information on this page.

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Conquering Ohio State University Supplemental Essays for 2023-2024

Hello, aspiring Buckeyes! If you’re preparing your application for the Ohio State University (OSU), the supplemental essays can seem like a daunting task. However, these prompts provide an excellent opportunity to showcase your personality, experiences, and commitment to your academic journey. Let's break down the prompts and discuss how you can create impactful responses.

1. The "Why Ohio State" Essay (350 words)

This essay is your chance to demonstrate why OSU is the ideal fit for your academic goals and personal growth. To nail this essay, research specific programs, clubs, or initiatives that align with your interests and aspirations. Show OSU how you will contribute to the community, and also how it will nurture your growth.

As a young child visiting Ohio State University’s Mirror Lake with my family, I was immediately drawn to the vibrant student community and the spirit of innovation that pervaded the campus. As I grew older, my interest in bioengineering emerged and I realized that OSU, with its top-ranked bioengineering program, was my ideal choice.

OSU’s unique Bioengineering Honors program, which combines hands-on research with industrial exposure, aligns with my aspirations to design medical devices that enhance patient care. Moreover, the opportunity to work in the Biomedical Optics Lab would allow me to combine my fascination with physics and medicine. I am particularly excited about Professor Smith's research on non-invasive glucose monitoring, an innovation that can revolutionize diabetes care.

Beyond academics, I am drawn to the Buckeye spirit that embodies unity, resilience, and ambition. I aim to actively participate in the Engineers for Community Service club, merging my love for engineering and community service.

2. Leadership and Involvement Essay (350 words)

Here, OSU wants to understand your capability to take on responsibilities and make a positive impact. This prompt does not limit you to school-related activities. You can discuss leadership in various contexts, such as part-time jobs, volunteering, family responsibilities, or personal projects.

Last year, as the President of our school’s Science Club, I spearheaded a school-wide recycling initiative. I noticed that our school was generating significant amounts of paper waste, and I believed we could make a difference.

Organizing a team, we initiated paper collection drives and collaborated with a local recycling plant. However, the project wasn't immediately successful; many students were indifferent to our efforts. To overcome this, I introduced an inter-class competition and arranged awareness talks about the environmental impact of waste.

The campaign became a hit, and our school reduced paper waste by 40% in six months. This experience taught me the power of perseverance, collaboration, and the impact one can make with the right efforts.

3. Community Service Essay (Optional, 350 words)

Although this essay is optional, consider it an opportunity to show your dedication to service, a value OSU deeply cares about. Share specific experiences where you've made a tangible impact and reflect on how these experiences shaped your perspectives.

For the past two years, I have been tutoring underprivileged children in my community. Meeting twice a week, we cover various subjects, but my main focus has been improving their English literacy.

One of my students, Lily, struggled with basic reading. Using phonics games and interactive storytelling, I managed to spark her interest in reading. Slowly, Lily started making progress. The day she read a full sentence without my help was one of the proudest moments of my life.

Through this experience, I've learned the value of patience and the joy of empowering others. It's a service I hope to continue at OSU, contributing to literacy initiatives on and off-campus.

4. Major Specific Essays

Some colleges or programs at OSU may require additional essays. Make sure to answer these thoughtfully and demonstrate your passion and understanding of the chosen field.

Short Answer Questions (100 words)

These short responses are a chance for the admissions committee to get to know you on a more personal level. Be genuine and sincere in your responses, showcasing your character and personal experiences.

Q: What's your favorite book and why?

A: My favorite book is "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. The narrative, seen from Scout’s innocent perspective, contrasted with the harsh realities of racism and prejudice, deeply moved me. The character of Atticus Finch, with his unwavering moral compass, inspires me to stand up for what is right, despite the challenges.

When writing your OSU supplemental essays, remember to:

• Be specific: Vague statements can make your essay feel generic. Tailor your essay with details unique to your experiences and aspirations.
• Show your personality: Let your character shine through your writing. OSU is not just interested in your academic achievements but also who you are as a person.
• Reflect: Don't just recount experiences. Reflect on what you learned from them and how they have shaped you.

Best of luck, future Buckeyes, as you embark on this exciting journey!

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