Getting into Ohio State (main campus)

College Search & Lists
1

<p>OSUs my top choice. </p>

<p>Im a junior in high school. My cumulative GPA is a 2.8, but it should go up to a 3.2ish after this semester, then up to a 3.6ish after second semester. </p>

<p>I swim, and Im really good. Im expected to place in the top 8 at the state meet and get the school record. </p>

<p>My projected ACT score was a 30. I’m taking the SAT soon. I dont want to swim in college; it wouldnt be my first option, BUT I would be willing to swim in college if it meant that I would get into OSU. </p>

<p>By the time I apply with early decision to OSU later this year, I will have completed three honors courses and two AP/IB courses, I will have made the varsity swim team 3 years in a row, and have attended the state meet for swimming 2 years in a row, I will have been a 2 year varsity water polo player, and I will be water polo and swimming captain my senior year. </p>

<p>I was selected from my school to be awarded the MLK JR Scholar Award </p>

<p>My father went to OSU for grad school and he taught at OSU for a period of time. (Does that help?) Im in German Club, BARE (our school’s literary magazine, which is nationally acclaimed and highly ranked), Yearbook (editor next year), in my school’s program which helps freshmen transition into high school, and Ill have service hours. </p>

<p>I also work as a lifeguard over the summer I’m also african american. I don’t know if that helps or not lol. I can get really good letters of rec. </p>

<p>My schedule for senior year is:
AP English
AP German
AP Biology
Lunch
Study Hall
PreCalculus
AP Government</p>

<p>This is my plan: Apply early decision to OSU. Determine whether or not swimming will help me get in. If I get in, great. I’ll probably submit my updated transcript after my first semester senior year to get more scholarship money if possible. But if I get deferred, I’ll re-submit my transcript and hope for the best. But here’s the thing: I want to get in w/o swimming onto the main campus. Would it be better to apply with regular application and with my updated GPA or to do early decision and re-submit my stuff? And what else can I do to increase my chances of getting in besides boosting my GPA and performing well in swimming? Thanks!</p>

<p>Oh ALSO, will OSU see my senior year grades and class schedule if I submit early decision? (We’ll have only finished first quarter.) And if they won’t see my classes, should I wait until first semester’s over?</p>

2

<p>I recently got admitted to OSU main campus and have seen a bunch of my kids from school admitted and some rejected/deferred.</p>

<p>I’ve heard having parents who went to OSU does nothing in terms of helping you get in; it didn’t ask for that info on the app. Also, there’s no rec letters.</p>

<p>Their scholarship deadline/early action date was December 1st, 2011 for the fall 2012 term…keep that in mind. Submit as early as possible. December 1st/whenever the deadline is for you next year won’t be in time for semester grades, so it really doesn’t matter. I submitted a few days before the deadline, but looking back, I wish I would have just done it in October like a lot of my much wiser friends. They got their acceptance within a few weeks because they applied so early but mine took a little bit longer. And to answer your question, their app asks to you to self-report a list of your senior classes but you don’t give them grades or anything.</p>

<p>Overall, make sure you’re well-rounded. Make sure you have some good leadership, work experience, and a nice balance of activities. Continue doing stuff that’s somewhat not-school related like the MLK thing. </p>

<p>You might even want to look at the application from this year, fill it out (don’t submit it or anything though!) and find the areas you think you could improve on and focus on those.</p>

<p>REALLY work on getting that GPA up! Start studying for the ACT and take it before junior year ends at least once. But I think you should be fine if you just keep working on that GPA and get good test scores. </p>

<p>Also, check out Miami for swimming scholarships.</p>

3

<p>If you don’t get admitted as a freshman, you can always transfer after a year. I believe it’s easier to transfer into OSU than to be admitted as a freshman.</p>

4

<p>so just work on getting involved in other activities outside of school? I can probably get some internships with some collegagues of my father’s (he’s a chemist and I can get an internship there) and I can get an internship with my sister’s friend at a law firm.</p>

<p>Also, should I swim over the summer? Ohio State’s swim team is at some of the meets we go to, but I’m not sure if I want to swim over the summer. And if I swim over the summer, I can’t do those internships.</p>

5

<p>and you’re saying that I should submit as early as possible, even though they won’t see my semester one grades for senior year? wouldn’t it help if they saw them though?</p>