Frequently Asked Questions

Ohio University is a member of The Common Application. Freshman, transfer and international students applying to the Athens campus are encouraged to apply using the Common App, which opens annually in August. For applicants who do not want to use the Common App, please visit our alternative online application.

Students applying to an OHIO regional campus must use our online application, which is available year-round.

To view a comprehensive list of application options and the corresponding instructions, visit the apply page.

For fall semester, Ohio University's Athens campus early action deadline for freshmen is November 15. For transfer students, the fall priority date is June 15. The priority application deadline for OHIO regional campuses is January 15.

Visit the dates and deadlines web page for a complete list of all dates and deadlines.

Undergraduate Admissions operates on a holistic, selective review and looks for evidence of academic preparation in a strong college-preparatory curriculum when reviewing applications for admission. For admission to Ohio University's Athens campus, we consider the following criteria:

• Strength of curriculum
• Performance in curriculum
• Class rank
• Grade point average
• ACT and/or SAT scores

The following items indicate the average ranges of the middle 50 percent of our fall 2021 freshman class in a variety of academic areas:

• Top 12-44% of their graduating high school classes
• Average composite ACT score of 22-27
• Average combined SAT score of 1090-1280 (math and critical reading)*
• Average high school grade point average of 3.59 (on a 4.0 scale)

OHIO regional campuses have an open admission policy for high school graduates. Admission is based on an official high school transcript or equivalent. Standardized test scores (Accuplacer, ACT or SAT) are not required for admissions but are required for placement.  

Some of our programs have more selective criteria above and beyond general admission guidelines.

Applicants to Ohio University may choose to be considered for admission to more than one campus. Students who would like to be considered for admission to both Athens and a regional campus at the same time should complete and submit the form below. You can complete this form even if you didn't select an alternate campus when submitting your application. Your complete applications will be processed by Undergraduate Admissions. You will receive decision notification for both campuses, though not at the same time.

Submit Form

Applying for scholarships is easy! When you apply for admission to any Ohio University campus, you are automatically considered for all OHIO first-year and transfer student scholarships.

For priority consideration for all freshman scholarships on the Athens campus, you must have a complete application for admission on file by the early action deadline of November 15 for the following fall semester; the priority consideration date for freshman on OHIO regional campuses is January 15. To be considered for transfer scholarships, you must apply and be admitted by the priority date of May 15 for the following fall semester. 

Applicants for all campuses who apply by the rolling admission deadlines — including the application form and all required supporting materials — will be considered for all University benefits, as space permits.

You are considered to be a "re-enrolling student" if you take a fall or spring semester off, and then decide to return to Ohio University. Taking the summer off does not make you a re-enrolling student. Re-enrolling students should complete the Registrar's Office re-enrollment form. Students seeking reinstatement because of an academic dismissal should visit the University College Academic Advising website.

You are only required to submit your application materials including transcripts once. An official copy of your high school transcript must be sent directly from the high school counseling office to:

Undergraduate Admissions
Chubb Hall 120
1 Ohio University Drive
Athens, OH 45701-2979

admissions@ohio.edu

Transcripts for applications to any Ohio University campus are received and processed by Undergraduate Admissions on the Athens campus. OHIO also has the capability to accept many electronic transcripts. For a complete list of accepted electronic formats, please call 740.593.4100. Transcripts are part of a complete application.

You will receive an official admission decision notification for each campus to which you have applied, though not at the same time. Final transcripts are required after high school graduation to finalize admission.

Students applying for degree-seeking freshman admission to the Athens campus may elect to apply via the test-optional pathway or choose to submit standardized test scores. All Athens campus applicants, including test-optional applicants, will be eligible to be considered for University benefits, including direct admission to academic programs, merit-based scholarships, and honors and scholars programs. Athens campus applicants should indicate their preferred testing plan when they apply for admission. Students who select to have their test scores considered as part of their application should have test scores sent directly from the testing agency. Regional campus applicants are not required to submit ACT or SAT scores, so the test-optional pathway is not needed.

You will receive an admissions decision notification from any campus to which you have applied, though you may not receive them at the same time. Once you've activated your OHIO ID, you can check your application status online in MyOHIO Student Center. Statuses are updated at least nightly. Please remember that while we may have received your application materials, we can provide updates only on those materials that have been processed.

If you have applied to multiple campuses and you are unable to determine application status in MyOHIO Student Center, you can contact Undergraduate Admissions for assistance at 740.593.4100 or admissions@ohio.edu.  

For students admitted to the Athens campus, submission of the housing contract and $200 refundable deposit or commuter application is the way to confirm your intent to enroll at OHIO. Students admitted to a regional campus are not required to confirm their intent to enroll, but they should watch their email for instructions on next steps. Students may also notify Undergraduate Admissions by email if they wish to withdraw an application at any campus.