ohio state common app essay questions

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Frequently asked questions

FAQs for students preparing to apply.

Are there changes to Ohio State's application process and deadlines for autumn 2023? 

Submitting ACT or SAT test scores is optional — learn more Testing FAQs . 

Note that Ohio State's early action deadline is November 1, 2022 for new first-year students applying to the Columbus campus. The regular decision deadline is February 1, 2023. 

What application can I use to apply for admission?

First-year students applying to the Columbus campus may use the Common Application . The application deadline is February 1, 2023.

Students applying to regional campuses or as a transfer will continue to use our Ohio State application . 

Should I file the FAFSA?

Yes. All students are highly encouraged to file the FAFSA by February 1 to receive priority consideration for the widest range of need-based scholarships, loans, grants and Federal Work-Study. (Priority consideration means you will be considered before those who don't meet the deadline.) Visit Student Financial Aid for more information. 

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Find out how to submit your app by February 1, 2023.

How to Get Into Ohio State Guide

How to get into ohio state – general information.

Ohio State University is a large public research university located in urban Columbus, Ohio. The overall Ohio State enrollment is approximately 62,000 , with an undergraduate Ohio State enrollment of about 47,000 . 

What we’ll cover in this “How to Get Into Ohio State” guide:

• The unofficial Ohio State GPA requirements
• The optional Ohio State SAT requirements
• Interpreting the Ohio State acceptance rate
• How to meet the Ohio State application deadline
• Answering Ohio admissions questions (in lieu of an Ohio State essay)
• Ohio State enrollment statistics, and much more about the Ohio State admissions process! 

When thinking about how to get into Ohio State, make sure each part of your application is top-notch. This means studying to keep your GPA and SATs above the informal Ohio State GPA requirements and Ohio State SAT requirements. To boost your chances of making the Ohio State enrollment, start making your “how to get into Ohio State” plan well before the Ohio State application deadline. 

Figuring out how to get into Ohio State takes strategy. We can help. CollegeAdvisor.com’s network of 300+ Admissions Experts (and former admissions officers) includes graduates from some of the country’s top schools. Want to maximize your Ohio State admissions odds? Create your free account or schedule a free advising consultation by calling (844) 343-6272. 

How can I get into Ohio State?

The Ohio State acceptance rate, Ohio State enrollment stats, and informal Ohio State GPA requirements suggest that it’s hard to make the Ohio State enrollment. Whether Ohio State is your dream school or you’ve only thought about an Ohio State application recently, your strategy for how to get into Ohio State will be very similar. 

To earn a spot in the Ohio State enrollment, strive to have the strongest academic profile that you can. This is especially important because there is no Ohio State essay. Therefore, challenge yourself by choosing the hardest courses offered at your school. Aim to surpass the Ohio State GPA requirements and Ohio State SAT requirements. This is how to successfully overcome the Ohio State acceptance rate and make the Ohio State enrollment!

Regardless of which Ohio State application deadline you choose, don’t get too caught up in the numbers. While the Ohio State acceptance rate and Ohio State enrollment figures matter, they don’t paint the whole picture. Your “how to get into Ohio State” plan should focus on the things you can control, like grades and extracurriculars.

How hard is it to get into Ohio State?

When creating a strategy for how to get into Ohio State, you’ll probably want to know the school’s rankings. Ohio State ranks #49 on the U.S. News’ list of Top National Universities and #17 on U.S. News’ list of Top Public Schools .

Your profile largely dictates your chances of making the Ohio State enrollment. Ohio State admissions could be more challenging if you choose a competitive major. Other factors such as geography matter too. For the class of 2021 , 31% of the Ohio State enrollment was out-of-state, while 69% was from the state of Ohio.

Although the university is test-optional for 2022 and 2023, the middle 50% of SATs for the latest Ohio State enrollment were 1260-1420 . For the ACTs, this middle range was 26-32. So, you should work as though the Ohio State SAT requirements span this range. 

In lieu of Ohio State SAT requirements and Ohio State GPA requirements, note that 64% of admitted students were in the top 10% of their high school graduating class. So, to boost your chances of making Ohio State enrollment, aim to earn grades at the top of your class.

What is the Ohio State acceptance rate?

You’re not the only one applying to be part of the next class of Ohio State enrollment. For the class of 2021 , 63,138 students applied to OSU, but only 33,247 were admitted. This means that the Ohio State acceptance rate was 52% for this Ohio State admissions cycle. 

Remember, the Ohio State acceptance rate does not measure the chances that you will be admitted. Each student’s Ohio State application has features that will improve its chances. For example, those who exceed the informal Ohio State GPA requirements stand a much better chance of making Ohio State enrollment.  

What are the Ohio State GPA requirements?

There are no published Ohio State GPA requirements. However, note that 64% of students accepted by Ohio State admissions are in the top 10% of their high school class. 

The unofficial Ohio State GPA requirements by college within OSU may also vary, though this information is not public. This said, given what we know about Ohio State admissions and Ohio State enrollment statistics, you should act as though the Ohio State GPA requirements are around 3.7.  

Want the best chance of making Ohio State enrollment despite the low Ohio State acceptance rate? Start by showing strong academic achievement throughout high school. Challenge yourself with rigorous coursework and earn high marks . The informal Ohio State GPA requirements and Ohio State SAT requirements are benchmarks. As you make your “how to get into Ohio State” plan, they give you a sense of how you compare to the Ohio State enrollment.

Regardless of which Ohio State application deadline you choose, academic success is essential. If you are applying Early Action, your junior year grades carry even more weight in the Ohio State admissions process. However, all of your high school grades are important if you’re serious about making the Ohio State enrollment. 

What does the Ohio State application include?

There’s more to completing the Ohio State application than just checking all the boxes. 

Want to know how to get into Ohio State? Make sure that each element of your Ohio State application is your best work. You must submit the Ohio State admissions requirements by the Early Action or Regular Decision deadline . A polished Ohio State application is key to your strategy for how to get into Ohio State. Plan to complete it well before the Ohio State application deadline. 

Applicants must submit :

• The Common Application
• Two teacher recommendations 
• A secondary school report
• Counselor recommendation
• A midyear report (after your first semester grades)
• A final school report (for admitted students only)
• Application fee

There is no Ohio State essay. Instead of an Ohio State essay, Ohio State admissions will only read your Common App essay.

For more tips on how to ace the Common App, click here . 

Ohio State has instituted a test-optional policy for students applying for admission in 2022 and 2023. For more information on Ohio State SAT requirements, click here . 

What extracurriculars do I need for Ohio State?

Extracurriculars can help boost your “how to get into Ohio State” plan. 

When choosing the next Ohio State enrollment, Ohio State application readers look for students with varied backgrounds, interests, and experiences. Show your extracurriculars in your candidate profile and Common App essay. Since there is no Ohio State essay, the rest of your application matters even more.

There are no right or wrong activities to choose from. Just make sure you work hard, show leadership, and stay passionate. And don’t forget to start pursuing your chosen activities early!

When thinking about how to get into Ohio State, put aside the informal Ohio State GPA requirements, assumed Ohio State SAT requirements, and Ohio State acceptance rate. Think about the other qualities Ohio State admissions looks for when crafting the Ohio State enrollment. Ohio State admissions evaluates you based on your potential to excel and make the campus a better place. 

The short answer to how to get into Ohio State is “be authentic.” The Ohio State admissions office will be impressed by a candidate who explores their passions, serves, leads others, and gets involved in their community. 

Read more about how to use your extracurriculars to improve your chances of Ohio State enrollment here . For more on developing the depth and breadth of your extracurricular activities, watch this webinar .

Are there any Ohio State essays?

Ohio State admissions does not require an Ohio State essay in your Ohio State application. Instead of an Ohio State essay, students must complete the Common App essay as part of their Ohio State application. 

Although there is no Ohio State essay, there are Ohio State application questions . The questions ask about things like your intended major and interest in pre-professional programs. 

If you are applying to the Honors Program, Scholars Program, Eminence Scholarship, or Morrill Scholarship, you must submit an Ohio State essay as part of your Ohio State application. Learn how to write the Morrill Scholarship Ohio State essays here . When working out how to get into Ohio State, review the requirements for these programs to see if you are eligible. 

In summary, even without an Ohio State essay requirement, there are plenty of opportunities to show Ohio State admissions who you are.

How does Ohio State admissions review applications?

Figuring out who gets in is a key part of determining how to get into Ohio State. 

According to the Ohio State admissions page, Ohio State admissions evaluates Ohio State applications holistically.

They seek students who:

• Submit an application that demonstrates that they are prepared for academic rigor
• Are willing to lead
• See strength in diversity of people and ideas
• Seek collaboration when solving problems
• Make use of all opportunities to figure out what kind of impact they want to have on the world

Additionally, information from the 2020-2021 Common Data Set can be a valuable tool as you work out how to get into Ohio State.

Ohio State admissions ranks the following as “very important” factors in their decision:  

• Rigor of secondary school record
• Academic GPA
• Standardized test scores (if submitted)

Click here to read about those factors which Ohio State admissions considers “important” and “considered.”   

Ohio State applications are not evaluated for demonstrated interest. There is also no option to complete an interview. 

Will Ohio State consider my social media accounts?

While thinking about how to get into Ohio State, you may worry about how your social media presence might affect your Ohio State admissions odds. Ohio State admissions officers receive tens of thousands of applications each year, so they usually don’t have the time to check socials. 

However, you shouldn’t post offensive or irresponsible content on social media regardless. Even beyond the Ohio State application process, you should use social media responsibly . 

Ohio State likely won’t read your Twitter or check your Instagram, but there’s always an outside chance. The Ohio State acceptance rate is low, and you don’t want to do anything that might reduce your chances of making the Ohio State enrollment. So, our final recommendation is to play it safe.

Lastly, remember that Ohio State’s social media can be an excellent way for you to learn about campus life.

Is Ohio State a good school for me?

When strategizing how to get into Ohio State, you should also work out whether you want to join the Ohio State enrollment. If Ohio State admissions accepts your Ohio State application, you’ll have the chance to spend four years at OSU, so you should know if this school is right for you. 

To do this, research the major you intend to study , other academic programs you could pursue, the feel of the campus community, opportunities for research, and other ways you will spend your time. Each applicant for Ohio State admissions is different. 

The Ohio State enrollment is large, and the campus is in an urban environment. Consider the many opportunities to get involved in the broader Columbus community—internships, co-ops, service, and other ways to immerse yourself. 

One of the best ways to discover whether Ohio State is for you is to go visit campus . Attending an information session and taking a campus tour are two excellent ways to learn more about OSU. Don’t be shy, and make sure to get your questions answered! 

If you aren’t able to go in person, consider a virtual campus tour . Talking to former or current students is another way to learn more about OSU when trying to determine how to get into Ohio State. 

Additional tips to get into Ohio State

Start early.

The Ohio State application deadlines can sneak up on you, especially if you are applying Early Action. The sooner you begin planning how to get into Ohio State, the more time you have to improve your profile, activities, and Common App Ohio State essay.

Build your profile

Your candidate profile is yet another factor that will help you make Ohio State enrollment despite the low Ohio State acceptance rate. It is the narrative you tell through your extracurriculars, service, and projects. How does what you do show who you are and what is important to you?

This guide was written by  Caroline Marapese , Notre Dame ’22. If you want to know how to get into Ohio State, we’ve got you covered. CollegeAdvisor.com’s network of 300+ Admissions Experts (and former admissions officers) includes graduates from some of the country’s top schools. Create your free account or schedule a free advising consultation by calling (844) 343-6272.

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, complete strategies: common app essay prompts (2023-24).

College Essays

If you're applying to more than one or two colleges, there's a good chance you'll have to use the Common Application, and that means you'll probably have to write a Common App essay .

In this guide, I'll cover everything you need to know about the essay. I'll break down every single Common App essay prompt by going over the following:

• What is the question asking?
• What do college admissions officers want to hear from you?
• What topics can you write about effectively?
• What should you avoid at all costs?

This will be your complete starting guide for Common App essays. After reading this, you should have a lot of ideas for your own essays and directions to write a really strong personal statement .

What Is the Common App Essay? Overview

Before we dig into the nitty-gritty of the individual prompts, let's quickly go over the logistics of the Common App essay and some general tips to keep in mind.

Most—but Not All—Schools Require the Essay

Keep in mind that the Common App essay is optional for some schools.

Here are a few examples of schools that do not require the Common App essay (note that some may require a school-specific writing supplement instead):

• Arizona State University
• Clemson University
• DePaul University
• Eastern Michigan University
• Georgia State University
• Old Dominion University
• Pratt Institute
• University of Idaho

If you're applying to more than one or two schools through the Common App, you'll almost certainly need to write a response to the Common App prompts. As such, we recommend sending your essay to schools even if they don't explicitly require it. You're writing it anyways, and it's the best way for the school to get to know you as a person.

It's also worth noting that because of the way this system is set up, you could theoretically send a different essay to each school. However, doing so isn't a good use of your time : if schools want to know something more specific about you, they'll require a supplement. Focus on writing a single great personal statement.

Pay Attention to the Word Limit

The exact word limit for the Common App essay has varied somewhat over the years, but the current range is 250-650 words . You must stay within this length; in fact, the online application won't allow you to submit fewer than 250 words or more than 650.

Some schools will state that if this isn't enough space, you can send them a physical copy of your essay. Don't do this. No matter how tempting it might be, stick to the word limit . Otherwise, you risk seeming self-indulgent.

In general, we advise shooting for an essay between 500 and 650 words long . You want to have enough space to really explore one specific idea, but you don't need to include everything. Editing is an important part of the essay-writing process, after all!

Don't Stress Too Much About the Question

As you'll see, the Common App prompts are very general and leave a lot of room for interpretation.

Moreover, colleges interpret the questions generously —they're more concerned with learning something interesting about you than with whether your topic perfectly fits the question.

Per a Common App survey from 2015 , 85% of member schools " feel the prompts should be left open to broad interpretation."

You can write about almost anything and make it work, so if you have an idea, don't let the fact that it doesn't fit neatly into one of these categories stop you. Treat these breakdowns as jumping-off points to help you start brainstorming , not the final word in how you need to approach the essay.

Make Sure You Look at This Year's Prompts

The Common App changes its prompts fairly frequently , so make sure you're familiar with the most up-to-date versions of the Common App essay questions . If you have friends or siblings who applied in past years, don't assume that you can take the exact same approaches they did.

This guide will go over the details of all seven current prompts, but first let's talk about some overall advice.

4 Tips For Finding Your Best Common App Essay Topic

As you're brainstorming and preparing to write your Common App essay, you'll want to keep these tips in mind.

#1: Make It Personal

The point of a personal statement is to, well, make a personal statement , that is to say, tell the reader something about yourself . As such, your topic needs to be something meaningful to you.

What does it mean for a topic to be "meaningful to you"?

First, it means that you genuinely care about the topic and want to write your college essay on it— no one ever wrote a great essay on a topic that they felt they had to write about .

Second, it means that the topic shows off a quality or trait you want to highlight for the admissions committee . For example, say I wanted to write about my summer job with the Parks Department. It's not enough to simply tell a story about my feud with a raccoon that kept destroying all the progress I made repairing a bench; I would need to make it clear what that experience ;shows about my character (perseverance) and explain what it ;taught me (that there are some things in life you simply can't control).

Remember that the most important thing is that your essay is about you . This advice might sound obvious, but when you're used to writing academic essays, it can be tricky to dive deep into your own perspective.

#2: Take Your Time

Give yourself plenty of time to brainstorm and write so you don't feel rushed into jotting down the first thing you can come up with and sending it right off. We recommend starting the writing process two months in advance of your first college application deadline .

On a similar note, you should take the essay seriously: it's an important part of your application and worth investing the time in to get right. If you just dash something off thoughtlessly, admissions officers will recognize that and consider it evidence that you aren't really interested in their school.

#3: Avoid Repetition

Your essay should illustrate something about you beyond what's in the rest of your application . Try to write about a topic you haven't talked about elsewhere, or take a different angle on it.

A college essay is not a resume —it's the best opportunity to show off your unique personality to admissions committees. Pick your topic accordingly.

#4: Get Specific

The best topics are usually the narrowest ones: essays focused on a single interaction, a single phrase, or a single object. The more specific you can get, the more unique your topic will be to you.

Lots of people have tried out for a school play, for example, but each had their own particular experience of doing so. One student saw trying out for the role of Hamlet as the culmination of many years of study and hard work and was devastated not to get it, while another was simply proud to have overcome her nerves enough to try out for the chorus line in West Side Story . These would make for very different essays, even though they're on basically the same topic.

Another benefit of a specific topic is that it makes coming up with supporting details much easier. Specific, sensory details make the reader feel as if they're seeing the experience through your eyes, giving them a better sense of who you are.

Take a look at this example sentence:

General: I was nervous as I waited for my turn to audition.

Specific: As I waited for my name to be called, I tapped the rhythm of "America" on the hard plastic chair, going through the beats of my audition song over and over in my head.

The first version could be written by almost anyone; the second version has a specific perspective—it's also intriguing and makes you want to know more.

The more specific your essay topic is, the more clearly your unique voice will come through and the more engaging your essay will be.

Breaking Down the 2022-23 Common App Essay Prompts

Now that we've established the basic ideas you need to keep in mind as you brainstorm, let's go through the 2022-23 Common App essay questions one at a time and break down what admissions committees are looking for in responses.

Keep in mind that for each of these questions, there are really two parts . The first is describing something you did or something that happened to you. The second is explaining what that event, action, or activity means to you . No essay is complete without addressing both sides of the topic.

Common App Essay Prompt 1: A Key Piece of Your Story

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

What Is It Asking?

This prompt is very broad. Is there something you do or love, or something that happened to you, that isn't reflected elsewhere in your application but that you feel is vital to your personal story ? Then this prompt could be a good one for you.

The key is that whatever you write about needs to be genuinely important to you personally, not just something you think will look good to the admissions committee. You need to clarify why this story is so important that you couldn't leave it off your application.

What Do They Want to Know?

This question is really about showing admissions officers how your background has shaped you . Can you learn and grow from your experiences?

By identifying an experience or trait that is vital to your story, you're also showing what kind of person you see yourself as. Do you value your leadership abilities or your determination to overcome challenges? Your intellectual curiosity or your artistic talent?

Everyone has more than one important trait, but in answering this prompt, you're telling admissions officers what you think is your most significant quality .

What Kinds of Topics Could Work?

You could write about almost anything for this prompt: an unexpected interest, a particularly consuming hobby, a part of your family history, or a life-changing event. Make sure to narrow in on something specific, though. You don't have room to tell your whole life story!

Your topic can be serious or silly, as long as it's important to you. Just remember that it needs to showcase a deeper quality of yours.

For example, if I were writing an essay on this topic, I would probably write about my life-long obsession with books. I'd start with a story about how my parents worried I read too much as a kid, give some specific examples of things I've learned from particular books, and talk about how my enthusiasm for reading was so extreme it sometimes interfered with my actual life (like the time I tripped and fell because I couldn't be bothered to put down my book long enough to walk from my room to the kitchen).

Then I would tie it all together by explaining how my love of reading has taught me to look for ideas in unexpected places.

What Should You Avoid?

You don't want your essay to read like a resume: it shouldn't be a list of accomplishments. Your essay needs to add something to the rest of your application, so it also shouldn't focus on something you've already covered unless you have a really different take on it.

In addition, try to avoid generic and broad topics: you don't want your essay to feel as though it could've been written by any student.

As we touched on above, one way to avoid this problem is to be very  specific —rather than writing generally about your experience as the child of immigrants, you might tell a story about a specific family ritual or meaningful moment.

Common App Essay Prompt 2: Coping With Obstacles

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

This prompt is pretty straightforward. It's asking you to describe a challenge or obstacle you faced or a time you failed, and how you dealt with it .

The part many students forget is the second half: what lessons did you learn from your challenge or failure ? If you take on this question, you must show how you grew from the experience and, ideally, how you incorporated what you learned into other endeavors.

This question really raises two issues: how you handle difficult situations and whether you're capable of learning from your mistakes.

You'll face a lot of challenges in college, both academic and social. In addressing this prompt, you have the opportunity to show admissions officers that you can deal with hardships without just giving up .

You also need to show that you can learn from challenges and mistakes. Can you find a positive lesson in a negative experience? Colleges want to see an example of how you've done so.

Good topics will be specific and have a clearly explained impact on your perspective . You need to address both parts of the question: the experience of facing the challenge and what you learned from it.

However, almost any kind of obstacle, challenge, or failure—large or small—can work:

• Doing poorly at a job interview and how that taught you to deal with nerves
• Failing a class and how retaking it taught you better study skills
• Directing a school play when the set collapsed and how it taught you to stay cool under pressure and think on your feet

Make sure you pick an actual failure or challenge—don't turn your essay into a humblebrag. How you failed at procrastination because you're just so organized or how you've been challenged by the high expectations of teachers at school because everyone knows you are so smart are not appropriate topics.

Also, don't write about something completely negative . Your response needs to show that you got something out of your challenge or failure and that you've learned skills you can apply to other situations.

Spilling your coffee is not an appropriate failure, no matter how disastrous it may feel.

Common App Essay Prompt 3: Challenging a Belief

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

There are two ways to approach this question. The first is to talk about a time you questioned a person or group on an idea of theirs. The second is to talk about a time that something caused you to reconsider a belief of your own.

In either case, you need to explain why you decided the belief should be challenged, what you actually did —if your story is just that someone gave you a new piece of information and you changed your mind, you should probably find a different topic— and how you feel about your actions in hindsight .

The obvious question this prompt raises is what your values are and whether you're willing to stand up for what you believe . Whether you've reconsidered your own beliefs or asked others to reconsider theirs, it shows you've put genuine thought into what you value and why.

However, colleges also want to see that you're open minded and able to be fair and kind toward those who have different beliefs than you do. Can you question someone else's beliefs without belittling them? If not, don't choose this prompt.

This prompt is really one where you either have a relevant story or you don't . If there's a belief or idea that's particularly important to you, whether political or personal, this might be a good question for you to address.

The main pitfall with this question is that it lends itself to very abstract answers . It's not that interesting to read about how you used to believe chocolate is the best ice cream flavor but then changed your mind and decided the best flavor is actually strawberry. (Seriously, though, what is wrong with you!?) Make sure there's clear conflict and action in your essay.

Divisive political issues, such as abortion and gun rights, are tricky to write about (although not impossible) because people feel very strongly about them and often have a hard time accepting the opposite viewpoint. In general, I would avoid these kinds of topics unless you have a highly compelling story.

Also, keep in mind that most people who work at colleges are liberal, so if you have a conservative viewpoint, you'll need to tread more carefully. Regardless of what you're writing about, don't assume that the reader shares your views .

Finally, you want to avoid coming off as petty or inflexible , especially if you're writing about a controversial topic. It's great to have strong beliefs, but you also want to show that you're open to listening to other people's perspectives, even if they don't change your mind.

Common App Essay Prompt 4: Gratitude Reflection

Reflect on something that someone had done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

The first part is straightforward: describe a time someone did something positive for you that made you happy or thankful  in a surprising way.  So it can't have been something you expected to happen (i.e. your parents gave you the birthday present you were hoping for).

Next, you need to explain how that surprising gratitude affected or motivated you. So, what was the result of this positive feeling?  How did you keep it going?

This prompt helps admissions officers see both what your expectations are for certain situations and how you react when things go differently than expected. Did you take it in stride when you were pleasantly surprised? Were you too shocked to speak? Why? What about the situation wasn't what you were expecting?  Additionally, it shows them what you personally are grateful for. Gratitude is an important personal characteristic to have. What in life makes you thankful and happy? Your answer will show admissions officers a lot about what you value and how you think.

Finally—and this is the key part—they want to know the larger impact of this gratitude. Did you decide to pay it forward? Use it as motivation to better yourself/your world? When something good happens to you, how do you react?

Because this is a reflection prompt, it's a great way to show admissions officers the kind of person you are and what you value. You'll have a lot of surprising moments, both good and bad, in college, and they want to know how you deal with them and how you spread the happiness you come across.

You can choose any event, even a minor one, as long as your reaction is  unexpected happiness/gratefulness. The "unexpected" part is key. You need to choose a situation where things didn't go the way you expected. So if your uncle, who has always been a great mentor, gives you great advice, that likely won't work because you'd be expecting it.

Next, it had to have had some sort of real impact so you can explain how your gratefulness affected you. This means that, even if the event itself was small, it had to have brought about some sort of lasting change in how you live your life.

To start, brainstorm times when something went better than expected/you were happily surprised by an outcome/you were especially grateful/someone restored your faith in humanity. Remember, this has to be, overall, a positive situation, as you're being asked about an event that made you happy or grateful. This is in contrast to prompts 2 and 3 which focus more on challenges you've faced.

Once you have your list, eliminate any instances that didn't affect or motivate you. The key part of this prompt is explaining the impact of your gratitude, so you need to write about a time when gratitude made you do something you normally wouldn't have done. This could be focusing on self-care/self-improvement, paying it forward by helping someone else, shifting your values, etc. Colleges want to see how you changed because of this event.

For example, say you decide to write about your first time traveling through an airport alone. You're not sure where to go, and all the workers look busy and like they're just waiting for their break. You're wandering around, lost, too shy to ask someone for help, when a gruff-looking employee comes up and asks if you need something. When you admit you don't know how to find your gate, they take the time to walk you to it, show you which screen to watch so you know when to board, and tell you to come get them if you need any more help. It's much more help than you thought anyone would give you.

Because of that person's actions (and this is the key part), you now always keep an eye out for people who look lost or confused and try to help them because you know how intimidating it can be to be out of your depth. You also know that many times people feel embarrassed to ask for help, so you need to make the first move to help them. If you have a specific example of you helping someone in need as a result, including that will make the essay even stronger.

Avoid scenarios where you were the first person to help another. The prompt is asking about a time someone was kind to you, and  then  you reacted in response to that. You need to have the grateful moment first, then the change in behavior.

Additionally, avoid examples where someone treated you badly but you rose above it. This is a situation where someone was kind to you, and you decided to keep that kindness going.

Look at those dummies, solving a problem!

Common App Essay Prompt 5: Personal Growth and Maturity

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Like Prompt 1, this one is very general. It's asking you to talk about something you did or something that happened that caused you to grow or mature as a person.

The other key point to remember when addressing this question is that you need to explain how this event changed or enriched your understanding of yourself or other people.

In short: when and how have you grown as a person ? Personal growth and maturity are complicated issues. Your essay might touch on themes such as personal responsibility and your role in the world and your community.

You don't have to explain your whole worldview, but you need to give readers a sense of why this particular event caused significant growth for you as a person.

This prompt can also help you show either your own sense of self-concept or how you relate to others.

Much like Prompt 3, this question likely either appeals to you or doesn't . Nonetheless, here are some potential topics:

• A time you had to step up in your household
• A common milestone (such as voting for the first time or getting your driver's license) that was particularly meaningful to you
• A big change in your life, such as becoming an older sibling or moving to a new place

It's important that your topic describes a transition that led to real positive growth or change in you as a person .

However, personal growth is a gradual process, and you can definitely still approach this topic if you feel you have more maturing to do. (Fun fact: most adults feel they have more maturing to do, too!) Just focus on a specific step in the process of growing up and explain what it meant to you and how you've changed.

Almost any topic could theoretically make a good essay about personal growth, but it's important that the overall message conveys maturity . If the main point of your essay about junior prom is that you learned you look bad in purple and now you know not to wear it, you'll seem like you just haven't had a lot of meaningful growth experiences in your life.

You also want the personal growth and new understanding(s) you describe in your essay to be positive in nature . If the conclusion of your essay is "and that's how I matured and realized that everyone in the world is terrible," that's not going to work very well with admissions committees, as you'll seem pessimistic and unable to cope with challenges.

Common App Essay Prompt 6: Your Passion

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

This prompt is asking you to describe something you're intellectually passionate about .

But in addition to describing a topic of personal fascination and why you're so interested in it, you need to detail how you have pursued furthering your own knowledge of the topic . Did you undertake extra study? Hole yourself up in the library? Ask your math team coach for more practice problems?

Colleges want to admit students who are intellectually engaged with the world. They want you to show that you have a genuine love for the pursuit of knowledge .

Additionally, by describing how you've learned more about your chosen topic, concept, or idea, you can prove that you are self-motivated and resourceful .

Pretty much any topic you're really interested in and passionate about could make a good essay here, just as long as you can put can put an intellectual spin on it and demonstrate that you've gone out of your way to learn about the topic.

So It's fine to say that the topic that engages you most is football, but talk about what interests you in an academic sense about the sport. Have you learned everything there is to know about the history of the sport? Are you an expert on football statistics? Emphasize how the topic you are writing about engages your brain.

Don't pick something you don't actually care about just because you think it would sound good.

If you say you love black holes but actually hate them and tortured yourself with astronomy books in the library for a weekend to glean enough knowledge to write your essay, your lack of enthusiasm will definitely come through.

Common App Essay Prompt 7: Your Choice

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

You can write about anything for this one!

Since this is a choose-your-own-adventure prompt, colleges aren't looking for anything specific to this prompt .

However, you'll want to demonstrate some of the same qualities that colleges are looking for in all college essays: things like academic passion, maturity, resourcefulness, and persistence. What are your values? How do you face setbacks? These are all things you can consider touching on in your essay.

If you already have a topic in mind for this one that doesn't really fit with any of the other prompts, go for it!

Avoid essays that aren't really about you as a person. So no submitting your rhetorical close-reading of the poem "Ode on a Grecian Urn" you wrote for AP English!

However, if you want to write about the way that "Ode on a Grecian Urn" made you reconsider your entire approach to life, go ahead.

The Common App Essay Questions: 5 Key Takeaways

We've covered a lot of ground, but don't panic. I've collected the main ideas you should keep in mind as you plan your Common App essay below.

#1: A Prompt 1 Topic Must Go Beyond What's in the Rest of Your Application

For prompt 1, it's absolutely vital that your topic be something genuinely meaningful to you . Don't write about something just because you think it's impressive. Big achievements and leadership roles, such as serving as captain of a team or winning a journalism award, can certainly be used as topics, but only if you can explain why they mattered to you beyond that it was cool to be in charge or that you liked winning.

It's better if you can pick out something smaller and more individual , like helping your team rally after a particularly rough loss or laboring over a specific article to make sure you got every detail right.

#2: Prompts 2, 4, and 6 Are Generally the Simplest Options

Most students have an experience or interest that will work for either Prompt 2, Prompt 4, or Prompt 6. If you're uncertain what you want to write about, think about challenges you've faced, a time you were grateful, or your major intellectual passions.

These prompts are slightly easier to approach than the others because they lend themselves to very specific and concrete topics that show clear growth. Describing a failure and what you learned from it is much simpler than trying to clarify why an event is a vital part of your identity.

#3: Prompts 3 and 5 Can Be Trickier—but You Don't Need to Avoid Them

These questions ask about specific types of experiences that not every high school student has had. If they don't speak to you, don't feel compelled to answer them.

If you do want to take on Prompt 3 or 5, however, remember to clearly explain your perspective to the reader , even if it seems obvious to you.

For Prompt 3, you have to establish not just what you believe but why you believe it and why that belief matters to you, too. For prompt 5, you need to clarify how you moved from childhood to adulthood and what that means to both you and others.

These prompts elicit some of the most personal responses , which can make for great essays but also feel too revealing to many students. Trust your instincts and don't pick a topic you're not comfortable writing about.

At the same time, don't hesitate to take on a difficult or controversial topic if you're excited about it and think you can treat it with the necessary nuance.

#4: Make Sure to Explain What Your Experience Taught You

I've tried to emphasize this idea throughout this guide: it's not enough to simply describe what you did—you also have to explain what it meant to you .

Pushing past the surface level while avoiding clichés and generalizations is a big challenge, but it's ultimately what will make your essay stand out. Make sure you know what personal quality you want to emphasize before you start and keep it in mind as you write.

Try to avoid boring generalizations in favor of more specific and personal insights.

Bad: Solving a Rubik's cube for the first time taught me a lot.

Better: Solving a Rubik's cube for the first time taught me that I love puzzles and made me wonder what other problems I could solve.

Best: When I finally twisted the last piece of the Rubik's cube into place after months of work, I was almost disappointed. I'd solved the puzzle; what would I do now? But then I started to wonder if I could use what I'd learned to do the whole thing faster. Upon solving one problem, I had immediately moved onto the next one, as I do with most things in life.

As you go back through your essay to edit, every step of the way ask yourself, "So what?" Why does the reader need to know this? What does it show about me? How can I go one step deeper?

#5: Don't Worry About What You Think You're Supposed to Write

There is no single right answer to these prompts , and if you try to find one, you'll end up doing yourself a disservice. What's important is to tell your story—and no one can tell you what that means because it's unique to you.

Many students believe that they should write about resume-padding activities that look especially impressive, such as volunteering abroad. These essays are often boring and derivative because the writer doesn't really have anything to say on the topic and assumes it'll speak for itself.

But the point of a personal statement isn't to explain what you've done; it's to show who you are .

Take the time to brainstorm and figure out what you want to show colleges about yourself and what story or interest best exemplifies that quality.

What's Next?

For more background on college essays and tips for crafting a great one, check out our complete explanation of the basics of the personal statement .

Make sure you're prepared for the rest of the college application process as well with our guides to asking for recommendations , writing about extracurriculars , taking the SAT , and researching colleges .

Alex is an experienced tutor and writer. Over the past five years, she has worked with almost a hundred students and written about pop culture for a wide range of publications. She graduated with honors from University of Chicago, receiving a BA in English and Anthropology, and then went on to earn an MA at NYU in Cultural Reporting and Criticism. In high school, she was a National Merit Scholar, took 12 AP tests and scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and ACT.

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How to Write the Ohio State University Essay 2021-2022

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 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 acceptance by writing a great essay.

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

The Ohio State University Morrill Scholarship Essay Prompt

Below is information about the Morrill Scholarship, as well as the essay prompt. Each applicant must respond to the prompt in 350-500 words. 

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.

Morrill Scholarship Program Prompt

How have your life experiences and/or endeavors prepared you to be a morrill scholar 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 an 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?If so, consider using our Peer Essay Review Tool , where you can input your essay and other students can provide constructive feedback on your writing. It can be hard to evaluate your own writing, which is why we created this helpful tool. You can even evaluate other student’s essays as well. Best of all, this tool is completely free! 

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carolina central university, north carolina state university, north central college, north park university, northeastern illinois university, northeastern university, northeastern university london, northern illinois university, northern kentucky university, northern michigan university, northland college, northwest nazarene university, northwest university, northwestern university, northwestern university in qatar, northwood university, norwich university, notre dame of maryland university, nova southeastern university, oakland university, oberlin college of arts and sciences, oberlin conservatory of music, occidental college, oglethorpe university, ohio dominican university, ohio northern university, ohio university, ohio wesleyan university, oklahoma baptist university, oklahoma city university, oklahoma state university, old dominion university, ole miss - the university of mississippi, oral roberts university, oregon state university, oregon tech, otis college of art and design, otterbein university, pace university, pacific lutheran university, pacific northwest college of art, pacific university oregon, paine college, palm beach atlantic university, park university, paul smith's college, pennsylvania college of art & design, pennsylvania college of technology, pennsylvania western university, pepperdine university, pfeiffer university, piedmont university, pitzer college, plymouth state university, point loma nazarene university, point park university, pomona college, portland state university, pratt institute, presbyterian college, prescott college, princeton university, principia college, providence college, purchase college, suny, purdue university, purdue university fort wayne, queen's university, canada, queens university of charlotte, quincy university, quinnipiac university, radford university, ramapo college of new jersey, randolph college, randolph-macon college, reed college, regent university, regis college, regis university, reinhardt university, 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mary's college of california, saint mary's college, notre dame, indiana, saint mary's university of minnesota, saint mary-of-the-woods college, saint michael's college, saint peter's university, saint vincent college, saint xavier university, salem college, salem state university, salisbury university, salve regina university, samford university, san francisco bay university, santa clara university, sarah lawrence college, savannah college of art and design, savannah state university, school of the art institute of chicago, schreiner university, scripps college, seattle pacific university, seattle university, seton hall university, seton hill university, sewanee: the university of the south, shaw university, shawnee state university, shenandoah university, shepherd university, shippensburg university of pennsylvania, siena college, simmons university, simpson college, simpson university, skema business school - us campus, skidmore college, smith college, soka university of america, south carolina state university, southeast missouri state university, southeastern university, southern california institute of architecture, southern connecticut state university, southern illinois university carbondale, southern illinois university edwardsville, southern methodist university, southern new hampshire university, southern university at new orleans (suno), southwestern university, spalding university, spartanburg methodist college, spelman college, spring arbor university, spring hill college, springfield college, st. ambrose university, st. andrews university (nc), st. augustine college, st. bonaventure university, st. catherine university, st. edward's university, st. francis college, st. john fisher university, st. john's college (md), st. john's college (nm), st. john's university (ny), st. joseph's university, new york - brooklyn campus, st. joseph’s university, new york - long island campus, st. lawrence university, st. mary's college of maryland, st. mary's university, st. norbert college, st. olaf college, st. thomas aquinas college, st. thomas university (fl), st. thomas university, canada, stanford university, stephen f. austin state university, stephens college, sterling college, stetson university, stevens institute of technology, stevenson university, stockton university, stonehill college, suffolk university, suny alfred state college of technology, suny binghamton university, suny buffalo state university, suny cobleskill, suny college at brockport, suny college at geneseo, suny college at old westbury, suny college of environmental science & forestry, suny college of technology at canton, suny cortland, suny farmingdale state college, suny fredonia, suny maritime college, suny morrisville state college, suny new paltz, suny oneonta, suny oswego, suny plattsburgh, suny polytechnic institute, suny potsdam, suny stony brook university, suny university at buffalo, suny, university at albany, susquehanna university, swansea 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arizona, the university of findlay, the university of memphis, the university of oklahoma, the university of olivet, the university of scranton, the university of south alabama, the university of tennessee knoxville, the university of texas at austin, the university of texas at dallas, the university of texas at el paso, the university of texas at san antonio, the university of toledo, the university of tulsa, the university of utah, the university of virginia's college at wise, the university of west florida, thiel college, thomas college, thomas jefferson university, thomas more university, tiffin university, towson university, transylvania university, trevecca nazarene university, trine university, trinity christian college, trinity college, trinity university, trinity washington university, truman state university, tufts university, tulane university, tusculum university, tuskegee university, umbc: university of maryland, baltimore county, unc pembroke, underwood international 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wheaton college, massachusetts, wheeling university, whitman college, whittier college, whitworth university, wichita state university, widener university, wilberforce university, wilkes honors college of fau, wilkes university, willamette university, william & mary, william jewell college, william paterson university of nj, william peace university, william woods university, williams college, wilmington college, wilson college, wingate university, winston-salem state university, winthrop university, wisconsin lutheran college, wittenberg university, wofford college, woodbury university, worcester polytechnic institute, worcester state university, wright state university, xavier university, xavier university of louisiana, yale university, york college of pennsylvania, youngstown state university, zaytuna college.

This resource will be available in late August.

Ohio State University Common App Essay Examples

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<p>cant seem to find any essay questions of the common app? does osu require?</p>

<p>never mind—found it under the common app tab—was looking in the colleges tab.</p>

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Common App announces 2024–2025 Common App essay prompts

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We are happy to announce that the Common App essay prompts will remain the same for 2024–2025.

Our decision to keep these prompts unchanged is supported by past research showing that overall satisfaction with the prompts exceeded 95% across our constituent groups - students, counselors, advisors, teachers, and member colleges. Moving forward, we want to learn more about who is choosing certain prompts to see if there are any noteworthy differences among student populations and incorporate feedback into future decisions.

While some schools are beginning discussions with juniors and transfer students about college options, it's important to clarify that this doesn't mean students need to start writing their essays right away. By releasing the prompts early, we hope to give students ample time for reflection and brainstorming. As you guide students with their planning, feel free to use our Common App Ready essay writing resource, available in both English and Spanish .

For students who wish to start exploring the application process, creating a Common App account before August 1 ensures that all their responses, including their personal essays, will be retained through account rollover .

Below is the full set of essay prompts for 2024–2025.

• Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
• The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
• Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
• Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
• Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
• Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
• Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

We will retain the optional community disruption question within the Writing section. Over the next year, we'll consult with our member, counselor, and student advisory committees to ensure we gather diverse perspectives and make informed decisions.

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