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How to Respond to the 2023/2024 Ohio University Supplemental Essay Prompt
By
Savannah Dawson
Prior to coming to Scholarships360 for her first internship in 2022, Savannah utilized her campus publications by joining various fashion publications that are offered at Ohio University. One of those publications is Thread Magazine, where Savannah has had the opportunity to work on articles related to world-wide related fashion news and events, as well as articles closer to home, such as a fashion piece on Athens hometown-hero Joe Burrow. This year, Savannah also had the opportunity to be a content writing intern for Aiken House, as well as a section editor for Southeast Ohio Magazine. In 2023, Savannah served as the Chapter President of her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta. These collective experiences, as well as her experience currently working for Ohio University’s Undergraduate Admissions, has led her to Scholarships360 and aided in her passion for helping students better understand the college admissions process and financial aid. In her free time, Savannah enjoys horseback riding, watching Formula One races, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family. Savannah will graduate from Ohio University in May 2024 with a degree in Journalism News and Information and a certificate in Italian Studies.
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Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.
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At Ohio University, there is a deep culture rooted in tradition and passion for their school. Athens, Ohio is home to one of the most amazing schools in the state– if not the country! (Proud OU Bobcat author here!). The Ohio University supplemental essays are a perfect way to show the admissions counselors that you are ready to be a part of that tradition, and that your passion will align with that of your fellow peers. Today, we are going to break down the Ohio University supplemental essay prompts to make them easier to understand and write. Let’s get started!
Honors Tutorial College application essays
The Honors Tutorial College is Ohio University’s honors program that allows students to choose from 35 programs to receive an honors degree from. Although not required, the university encourages all students to apply to the program. For this application, there are two essays that are both required, and both are a 500 word limit.
Prompt #1
“Please explain why you have chosen your particular program of study.”
Another simple, yet important question. Think about what your turning point was when you realized that you are interested in something so much that you decided you wanted to do that for the rest of your life. Maybe you haven’t had that turning point yet, and that is totally fine. You can talk about that, as well, if you have yet to choose your major.
Questions to consider:
- Why did you choose your major?
- Did someone or some event influence your choice of major?
- What makes your major important to the world around you?
Prompt #2
“We expect that one reason you seek a tutorial education is for the one-on-one interaction with faculty, but other than that, what interests you about pursuing a tutorial-based undergraduate education? What aspects of your education and life experience have prepared you for a tutorial education with its emphasis on research and creative activity?”
For this question, if you don’t already have our answer ready, you may want to prepare a bit by researching Ohio University’s Honors Tutorial College. One thing that many students find most intriguing about a tutorial education is that they are able to write a thesis and do master’s degree level research at the undergraduate level. These accomplishments will look great on your resume and make you a shoo-in for graduate school applications.
Now for the second part of the question: how have your experiences prepared you for a tutorial education? Think back through your high school years and the classes, teachers, and extracurricular activities that helped you to grow as a student. Channel these things while you are writing this essay.
Questions to consider:
- What sparked your interest in the Honors Tutorial College?
- Why are you ready for a tutorial level education?
- How have you prepared for this level of education?
Related: How to write a great supplemental essay
Optional additional information essay
There is a third essay selection that is completely optional, but is a great option to write in case there is anything that you need to explain further about yourself that is not already in your application.
Prompt #1
“This essay is optional. You may use this space to describe any academic challenges you have faced, your preparation for success in your academic and career objectives, or any additional information that you would like to have associated with your application.”
This is another one of those prompts that are there to help you explain certain aspects of your transcript that you may not be able to defend for yourself, such as a bad grade in a certain class, your GPA, or a lot of missed days of school. This question is pretty open ended, and you can really do whatever you’d like with it. Just tell them your story and make sure you are open and honest.
Questions to consider:
- Have you had any academic challenges throughout high school?
- How have you prepared for your major or for your future career?
- How have you made your challenges into life lessons?
Don’t miss: 10 tips for successful college applications
Final thoughts for students
The number of optional essays on top of the required ones may seem a bit overwhelming. It is important to look through each of them and decide which one will help the admissions professionals see you in the most honest way.
Additional resources
Now that you’ve completed your Ohio University supplemental essay, give yourself a pat on the back! But once you have a break, remember it’s time to get back to business.
As you complete your college applications, you probably have a lot on your mind. Luckily, Scholarships360 can to take some of the stress off of your shoulders. Check out our guides on when to apply to college, how many colleges to apply to, and how to plan a college tour. Good luck with the rest of your college search, and don’t forget to apply for all the scholarships you quality for!
