Student-centric advice and objective recommendations
Higher education has never been more confusing or expensive. Our goal is to help you navigate the very big decisions related to higher ed with objective information and expert advice. Each piece of content on the site is original, based on extensive research, and reviewed by multiple editors, including a subject matter expert. This ensures that all of our content is up-to-date, useful, accurate, and thorough.
Our reviews and recommendations are based on extensive research, testing, and feedback. We may receive commission from links on our website, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our marketing partners don’t review, approve or endorse our editorial content. It’s accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted. You can find a complete list of our partners here.
How to Respond to the Ohio University Supplemental Essay Prompt
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. If you are looking for scholarships to apply to, we can find you tons that are specific to you with our scholarship database! Good luck with the rest of your college search!
