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Special admissions information for veterans

How to apply

  • Determine if you are applying as a freshman (you have taken no college courses after graduating high school) or a transfer student (you have taken college courses after high school).

  • If applying as a freshman, you must request your final high school transcript be sent to Ohio State directly from your high school. Read about this and other required application materials at apply.osu.edu.

  • If applying as a transfer with less than one year of college credit (30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours), you must request your final high school transcript and all college transcripts be sent to Ohio State directly from those institutions. If you have more than one year of college credit, no high school transcript is required. Read about this and other required application materials at apply.osu.edu.

  • Students apply online at apply.osu.edu, where you can also find application deadlines and requirements.

Admissions criteria

Also read admissions criteria for freshmen or admissions criteria for transfer students.

Role of military service/experience in review process 
  • Ohio State considers your military experience during the application evaluation process.

  • Veterans should include a statement outlining their military service, responsibilities, rank achieved, leadership, supervisory experiences, and other recognitions. The more information that is included about your military service, the more weight can be placed on your service.

  • If ACE or SMART transcripts are available, please send them as well.
ACT/SAT 
  • Veterans who finished high school two or more years prior to their intended term of enrollment are not required to submit an ACT or SAT score.

  • Transfer students with more than a full year of college credit earned after high school do not need to submit an ACT score. Student applying with less than a full year of college credit and having graduated high school less than two years ago will need to submit an ACT or SAT score.
High school/College performance 
  • Please explain any inconsistencies in your academic record.
  • Include all college transcripts, even if no credit was earned.
  • Include a list of all course work in progress.
Information on competitive majors 
  • Several undergraduate programs at Ohio State have competitive criteria for direct enrollment into the college or major. These criteria may include certain prerequisite courses or test scores. Students may be admitted to the university without being admitted to a specific academic program; you would begin your studies at Ohio State in a pre-major program in your intended college or in University Exploration. Enrollment in a pre-major program does not guarantee admission to your intended major program.

  • While enrolled in a pre-major program, you will be assigned an academic advisor who will assist you in meeting your general education requirements and advise you on completing appropriate prerequisites for your intended major.

  • Veterans are encourage to speak with an academic advisor early in their career to understand any additional course work necessary to put them on a successful path to their degree.

    Programs with additional entrance requirements:

    Arts and Sciences (artsandsciences.osu.edu)

    Business (fisher.osu.edu)

    • Freshman: Students with an ACT composite score of 25 or higher (or SAT Critical Reading and Math score of 1150 or higher) or rank in the top 20 percent of their high school classes enroll directly as pre-majors.

    • Transfer: Transfer students with at least a 3.0 GPA on all previous college course work enroll as pre-majors in the Fisher College of Business (FCOB).

    • Notes:
      • Pre-major students enroll in business foundation courses that are required to apply for admission to the business administration major. Students are eligible to apply to the major once these foundation courses have been satisfactorily completed and the required GPA has been met. Currently the minimum GPA required for admission to the business administration major is 3.0 based on all grades earned at all previous institutions as well as Ohio State.

      • Students who do not directly enroll in FCOB enroll in the Management and Industry Exploration program to consider alternative majors.

    Engineering (engineering.osu.edu)

    • Freshman: Admitted students who have ACT Math scores of 24 or higher (or SAT Math scores of 560 or higher) enroll as pre-majors.

    • Transfer: Transfer students with 30 or more transferable semester hours (or the equivalent) of non-technical course work with at least a 2.8 GPA and credit for at least one calculus course directly enroll in ENG as pre-majors (students may not enroll as undeclared majors).

      Transfer students with fewer than 30 transferable semester hours (or the equivalent) who have an ACT math score of 24 or higher or an SAT math score of 560 or higher directly enroll in ENG as pre-majors.

    • Note: Students who do not directly enroll in ENG enroll in the Science and Technology Exploration program to consider alternative majors.

    Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (hrs.osu.edu)

    • Freshman: Admitted students enroll in AMP as pre-majors.

    • Transfer: Admitted students with at least a 2.5 GPA enroll in AMP as pre-majors.

    • Note: Enrollment in AMP majors requires a separate application.

    Nursing (nursing.osu.edu)

    • Freshman: Admitted students who have an ACT composite score of 25 or higher (or SAT Critical Reading and Math score of 1150 or higher) enroll directly as pre-nursing majors.

    • Transfer: Transfer students with at least 20 transferable semester hours (or the equivalent) and a 3.0 GPA on all previous course work enroll as pre-nursing majors.

      Transfer students with at least 30 transferable semester hours (or the equivalent), a 2.75 GPA, and an associate degree in nursing are enrolled in the pre- nursing degree completion program.

    • Notes:
      • Students who do not directly enroll in NUR enroll in the Health Professions Exploration program to consider alternative majors.
      • Enrollment to the NUR major requires a separate application.

What to cover in your essay

Veterans should answer the required essay question just as other students do.

In addition to the required essay, veterans are encouraged to include a statement detailing their military service, including years served, rank attained, specialized training, responsibilities, supervisory experience, leadership, and other recognitions. Veterans should explain how their military service has prepared them for Ohio State University. Veterans can write this statement under the Special Circumstances question on the application.

In-state tuition and expense help for veterans

Most veterans and their famiy members using education benefits should be able to attend at in-state rates through one of the following programs:

  • The State of Ohio passed the "GI Promise" bill further ensuring that, upon one year of service, military members (and their immediate family members) who retire or relocate to Ohio immediately qualify for in-state tuition. The bill also exempts military retirees from paying Ohio state income tax on their federal retired pay. Please see more at Ohio GI Promise.

    Under the new GI Bill, veterans who served after the 9/11 attack will receive benefits to cover the cost of in-state tuition at the most expensive public college, a monthly housing stipend, and an extra $1,000 annually for books. If a veteran serves for at least 10 years and chooses not to use the benefit, they can transfer it to a spouse or children. Read about the GI Bill benefit program.

  • Ohio State is a full participant in the Yellow Ribbon program, which makes it easier for veterans to attend the university's graduate schools, including medical and law schools. Under the program, the university is offering an additional $3,000/yr to eight veterans to attend the Moritz College of Law and an extra $8,000/yr to two veterans who attend Ohio State's College of Medicine. The Veterans Administration will match Ohio State's contribution. Read about the Yellow Ribbon GI Enhancement Program. This program also enables non-Ohio residents using the Post-9/11 GI Bill that are not covered under the GI Promise to attend at in-state rates.

Dependent benefits

Your dependent, enrolled children may be eligible to pay Ohio resident tuition, even if you are not currently a resident of the State of Ohio. They may also be eligible to use your GI Bill benefits. Read about the Ohio GI Promise and GI Bill benefit program.

Transfer credits

  • Course credit will transfer to Ohio State if the course was taken at a regionally accredited institution, the course was non-remedial, and you received a C- or better (in a few cases, a D or D+ may transfer; download Ohio State's Transfer Credit Policy, page 7 for information). In many cases, credit for equivalent courses is received when transfer credit is awarded. Visit transfer.org for details about the transferability of course credit to and from Ohio and regional institutions.

  • You will learn which credits transfered with your notice of admission. You may be able to see how your credits will transfer at transfer.org.

  • Credit for transcripted military training may be awarded after the summer of 2012. Learn more about miltary transfer credit in accordance with ACE on page 9 of Ohio State's transfer credit policy.

For help and more information…

If you have questions about admissions, please contact Undergraduate Admissions.

Other great sources of information:

 
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