We are thrilled to announce that Youngstown State University is waiving the $45 application fee for first-year applicants who apply through Common App or our YSU institutional application until February 1, 2026. 

It's time to celebrate – BGSU Academic Summer Camps are back for Summer 2026! 

It might feel pretty wintry outside, but we are already dreaming of summer at Bowling Green!

We've got so many amazing opportunities for you to share with your pre-college students –some brand new – whether they're budding writers, future cyber sleuths, prospective nurses or something else fantastic!

We'll be ready to chat through exploring all the great things happening at BGSU during the summer of 2026, so reach out with questions!

CLICK HERE FOR BGSU SUMMER CAMP INFORMATION

Application is open now, and spots will fill quickly! Let us know if you have questions or need any specific details!

Erin Heilmeier
Assistant Vice President & Director of Admissions

As we enter the holiday season, we know this time of year can bring joy, excitement, and moments of connection, but it can also bring stress, grief, financial pressure, and emotional challenges for both children and adults. To support the well-being of our students, families, and community, we are sharing a resource developed in partnership with the Trumbull County Suicide Prevention Coalition (SPC) and the Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP).

Attached is the “Coping With the Holidays” booklet, which includes practical tools and guidance for families, such as:

• Tips to manage holiday stress

• Ideas for meaningful and low-cost ways to celebrate

• Self-care strategies for adults and children

• Support for families experiencing grief or change

• Suggestions for supporting children and teens

• Information about Seasonal Affective Disorder

• Help-seeking resources available within our community

• A recovery-friendly holiday guide

• Activities for kids

If you or someone you know needs support, please remember that help is available. The resource guide includes local crisis numbers, 24/7 support through 988, and additional mental health and wellness services in our area.

1. Timeline for decision release and other important notifications

Ohio State's decision release dates for autumn 2026 applicants:

• December 12: Early action (Ohio residents and applicants to the Stamps Eminence scholarship program)

• January 23: Early action (non-residents and international applicants)

• March 6: Regular decision (anyone deferred from early action as well as all regular decision applicants)

The early action notification dates will include decisions of admit, deny, admit to a regional campus (Ohio residents only), and defer from early action to regular decision release.

Ohio State's regular decision application deadline is January 15.

Other important notifications: 

• Invitations for Honors and Scholars applicants will begin arriving in late December.

• Morrill Scholarship Program applicants will begin receiving decisions in early January.

• Notifications of university merit scholarships (Maximus, Provost, Trustees and National Buckeye) are mailed within two weeks of a student's admissions decision to students who qualify. Students should also be able to see if they’ve received a university merit scholarship in their Applicant Center by the end of December for those notified of admission in December, and by the end of January for those students admitted on January 23. 

Please note that only students who met the early action deadline and are admitted to the Columbus campus will be considered for university merit scholarships. Regional campuses have different deadlines and award levels for merit scholarships.

2. FAFSA and Scholarship Universe priority deadline: February 1

It's time to help your students and families find their financial aid options! Here's what to know: The FAFSA is open! All domestic students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA to be considered for the most financial aid. Scholarship Universe is a scholarship matching platform that can help students find a wide range of internal and external scholarships.

Our priority deadline for both the FAFSA and Scholarship Universe is February 1, 2026.

3. Use Ohio State's school counselor portal to track admission

Ohio State's school counselor portal allows you to view students' admission decisions as well as upload student transcripts, documents and other files via the "Upload student documents" link in the Student Reports tab. 

Request or renew access to the portal.

(If you have documents that cannot be uploaded via the Common Application, the portal or other standard source, please message us from a school email address to ugdocs@osu.edu. CCP-related documents for Ohio school counselors can be emailed to ccpdocs@osu.edu.)

Note upcoming closure: Undergraduate Admissions will be closed from December 24 through January 1. Login and counselor portal support will resume January 2.

4. Regional campus updates

It's a great time to visit Ohio State Lima, Mansfield, Marion, Newark or Wooster ATI! Each campus has Buckeye Preview events and also welcomes groups. Find more information at each of the regional campus admissions websites.

Interested students may apply directly to a regional campus. The application is simple: an application and an application fee. No in-progress transcripts or test scores are required!

5. New Scholarship Programs

We are pleased to announce three new scholarship programs for Ohio residents! 

Regional Campus Commitment

Starting autumn semester 2026, low to middle-income students at Ohio State who start on a regional campus or at ATI in Wooster may qualify for this new program, which covers all tuition and mandatory fees.

To qualify, students must:

• Be an Ohio resident

• Enroll at an Ohio State regional campus or Ohio State ATI in Wooster

• File the FAFSA annually by the priority filing deadline

• Maintain full-time enrollment at Ohio State

• Have an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $100,000 or less (verified through FAFSA). 

Buckeye Bridge

This is a strategic initiative between Columbus State Community College, Ohio's largest community college, and Ohio State. The program provides eligible CSCC associate degree graduates guaranteed admission to Ohio State's Columbus campus, full tuition and mandatory fee coverage for up to eight semesters or until completion of the first bachelor's degree. It also provides coordinated onboarding and support services to promote little-to-no debt bachelor's degree completion.

To qualify, students must:

• Be an Ohio resident

• Complete an associate degree at CSCC in spring 2026 or later

• File the FAFSA annually by the priority deadline

• Maintain full-time enrollment at Ohio State

• Have an adjusted gross income (AGI) or $100,000 or less, verified through FAFSA.

President's Ohio Scholarship Program

This scholarship recognizes students who earn a perfect ACT/SAT score on a single test date. Students who earn this award will receive a scholarship covering full cost of attendance to Ohio State and a $5,000 supplemental award to support additional educational opportunities.

To qualify, students must:

• Be an Ohio resident

• Score a perfect ACT (36) or SAT (1600) test score on a single test date

• Submit all application materials by the November 1 early action deadline

Learn more about Ohio State's commitment to affordability and accessibility.

6. Ohio Guaranteed Admission Program

We're excited to participate in Ohio's Guaranteed Admission (OGA) Program! Under Ohio Revised Code § 3345.06, students who meet certain academic criteria are entitled to admission at Ohio’s public colleges and universities through the program.

Students in the top 5–10% of their graduating class are invited to learn more.

Reminder: All certification forms should be sent to ugdocs@osu.edu.

7. Buckeye Student Leadership Academy: Application open

The Buckeye Student Leadership Academy application is open, and the deadline to apply is March 1, 2026. 

Strong candidates will:

• Be a junior in high school

• Be a first-generation student or attend high school in a rural or urban school district

• Rank in the top 25% of their class

• Be enrolled in a competitive curriculum, which might include AP, IB or honors; foreign language; or advanced mathematics courses

• Be actively involved in extracurricular and leadership activities

Learn more and apply: Buckeye Student Leadership Academy.

8. Discover resources for students with disabilities

Ohio State's Office of Student Life and Disability Services is hosting a webinar that will guide students through what changes after graduation, how to choose a campus that fits their needs and the steps to register for accommodations at Ohio State.

Next Stop: College!

Navigating Disability Supports After High School

• February 19, 2026 at noon

• April 16, 2026 at 6 p.m.

Learn about available resources, documentation tips and why self-advocacy matters. Take this opportunity to engage all students (even those not headed to Ohio State!) in a discussion about how they can transition successfully to college with confidence.

A note from our assistant vice provost:

Beth A. Wiser, PhDOur staff is truly grateful to you for welcoming Ohio State representatives into your schools over the last few months. We're now enjoying getting to know many of your students through reviewing their applications.

We received more than 60,000 applications for early action admission to the Columbus campus!

Two important reminders for your students:Students may check their application status (including receipt of materials) regularly at appstatus.osu.edu. Incomplete reminders are emailed to students biweekly. This is also where they view their admissions decision.We understand that sending test scores can be challenging for students. For Ohio State, test scores must be sent from the testing agency.Thank you for all the support that you provide them through this process. We could not do this work without you!

As always, to connect with us, please reach out to your admissions counselor or email us at askadmissions@osu.edu.

Beth A. Wiser, PhD

Assistant Vice Provost, Undergraduate Admissions

Bonus updates from our academic colleges

University Exploration

With so many majors to choose from, a student's decision can be daunting. Experienced advisors with University Exploration are trained to help students use their time strategically and productively so that they can make an informed decision about which major to pursue.

Here's what your students need to know:

• Common App: University Exploration is on the Common App! If students are unsure about what they want to major in, they can choose "Undecided/Exploring/University Exploration" on the Common App.

• It's okay to be undecided: Ohio State admits students "major-blind." Applying as "undecided" does not hurt your chance of acceptance.

• Timely graduation: Students in the exploration program can often graduate on time AND can pursue nearly* every major at Ohio State.

• Advising: University Exploration advisors are trained to help each student explore their academic options and find the major that fits them best.

Any questions about this program may be directed to Nicole Vangas, University Exploration Advising Manager. 

*If students are interested in any of these majors, they should plan to apply directly to these majors and not start in Exploration: Aerospace Engineering; Biomedical Engineering; Computer Science and Engineering; Computer and Information Science; Mechanical Engineering; Nursing; Design.

Major spotlight: Health Promotion, Nutrition and Exercise Science

Students passionate about supporting wellness will enjoy the HPNES program in the College of Education and Human Ecology. In this rigorous, flexible program, students learn how food, exercise and lifestyle choices combine to promote health and prevent disease. They gain the skills needed to educate individuals and communities on how to adopt healthier behaviors.

Graduates work in health coaching, corporate wellness, clinical exercise or go onto graduate study in health and wellness professions. The program also qualifies them to apply for a variety of certificates, such as the exam to become a Certified Health Education Specialist. Learn more on the EHE website.

College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences at Ohio State is unique in its wide offering of interdisciplinary academic programs, allowing students to be creative in combining their interests across academic areas to design and meet their own vision for the future. 

We encourage counselors and prospective students to use our explore tool to research the 80+ major and 100+ minor programs offered within the College. Our future students webpage is another excellent resource to explore opportunities outside of the classroom such as global education, service learning, research and internship opportunities.

Please visit our website for updates from individual departments within the College of Arts and Sciences. 

In the spirit of the season, we're offering all domestic 2026 applicants the opportunity to apply to UToledo for free using fee waiver code “UT1872” (available on our UToledo application only, not the Common App). The deadline to apply for FREE is Dec. 15, 2025, the same date as our priority deadline for merit aid consideration. We've communicated this information to students and parents on our email list, but we know a nudge from you makes much more of an impact. 

Here's how to use the fee waiver code: 

1. Start the UToledo App (NOT the Common Application). 

2. On the application fee page, indicate that the student has a fee waiver in the blank dropdown selection (second dropdown option). 

3. Type in the fee waiver code "UT1872" to apply for free. 

Andrew Hartley

Senior Admission Counselor

Office of Undergraduate Admission

Libbey Hall 3015, Mail Stop 524

2801 W. Bancroft Street

Toledo Ohio 43606

419.530.5746 (phone)

419.540.4078 (text)

andrew.hartley@utoledo.edu

A Message From Muskingum University....  

We know CCP students often try to align their coursework with future academic and career plans, especially those interested in Nursing. To better support that path, Muskingum University has updated our Nursing CCP pathway to provide more accessibility with the chemistry requirement.

                                                                                                                                    Students may now meet this course requirement with one General Chemistry course that includes a lab, allowing them to stay on track to complete their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree in as little as three years after enrolling at Muskingum.

We encourage students interested in following this pathway to complete the interest form here so we can make sure we’re aware of their interest: https://admission.muskingum.edu/register/ccp-pathway 

The Sokolov Honors College at is currently accepting applications for the 2026 academic year.  Students should apply before the priority deadline for consideration for scholarships. 

In addition, it is important when students are completing the application that they use the same email address when applying to YSU and honors, regardless of if they are applying through the Common App or directly through YSU.

Please reference this link for full information on how to apply.

The 2026-27 FAFSA is now open and we want to remind students and families to create their FSA IDs in order to file the FAFSA. All household contributors and the student must have an FSA ID to file the FAFSA.

If your seniors wish to be considered for admission to our prestigious Honors College, they should apply to Kent State by our next priority application date of Dec. 1 to be considered. They can learn more here.

 If your seniors wish to be considered for the Nursing Early Admit program, they must apply to Kent State by our next priority application date of Dec. 1 to be considered. They can learn more here.

I  hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Go Flashes!

Associate Vice President, Enrollment Management, Admissions

Kent State University

The program encourages people of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum-going habits.

The program supports those receiving food assistance (SNAP) benefits visiting our MVHS sites – The Arms Family Museum and Tyler History Center for a minimal fee of $1 per person, up to four people, with the presentation of a SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card.  Guests can simply present their SNAP EBT card at the admissions desk and enjoy our local history exhibits, interactive displays, and more!

Similar free and reduced admission is available to eligible members of the public at more than 1,350 museums across the country, with many right here in the Mahoning Valley.  Museums for All is part of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society’s broad commitment to seek, include, and welcome all.  Museums for All helps expand access to museums and also helps raise public awareness about how museums in the U.S. are reaching their entire communities.

CCP Night is Monday, November 24, 2025 @ 6 pm.  All students who are interested in taking a CCP class in the 2026-2027 school year are encouraged to attend this meeting with a parent/guardian. 

Click HERE to set up your FSA ID Account.

See the flyer for additional documents that you will need to bring with you to complete FAFSA!

We look forward to seeing you tonight!

Reminder:

CAP & GOWN / GRAD ORDER DEADLINE – NOV. 7

Order at Jostens.com

CAP & GOWN: Provide accurate height & weight for proper fit. Do NOT add inches for shoes. Tassel is included in the unit.

Must be ordered by the deadline to avoid additional fees.

Paper Products and Cap & Gown are delivered at school later in the spring.

Order at Jostens.com

OR by mail/phone with the local Jostens office

(order forms available upon request)

Jostens

PO Box 452

Uniontown, OH 44685

330-877-4700

Questions?  Email:  rich.petro@jostens.com

Unity Day is Wednesday, October 22, 2025.  

All students are encouraged to wear orange to unite against bullying.

This is a reminder that the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at Youngstown State University will be hosting a Financial Aid Night for area high school juniors, seniors, and their parents on Thursday, October 23, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. at Stambaugh Auditorium. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear a financial aid presentation, meet our financial aid staff, and file the 2026-2027 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Registration is still open for the event. Early registration is strongly encouraged but not mandatory. If attendees do not get the opportunity to register online prior to the event, registration forms will be available at the door.  (FAFSA assistance does require pre-registration)

This event will be an excellent opportunity for students and parents to learn about the financial aid process and get their questions answered. If you have any inquiries about the event, please feel free to have parents or students contact our office at 330-941-3505 or refer them to the webpage www.ysu.edu/finaid/night

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will be hosting an optional event beginning at 3 p.m. prior to Financial Aid Night that includes an information session, tours, and dinner.  Attendees can register for this event online on the Financial Aid Night registration form.

News Release:  Apprentice Openings

Each year, Ursuline College hosts a High School Writing Contest, for a chance to be published in the college’s literary and fine arts annual, Inscape.

Open to all high school students, writers can submit either a poem, short story, essay, or memoir for Ursuline College's annual writing contest.

🔹 Submissions are limited to 500 words.

🔹 Three winners will be selected and published in Ursuline's annual literary magazine, Inscape.

🔹 Cash prizes available:

$100 first place

$50 second place

$25 third place

🔹 Submissions are due before January 12, 2025.

Click HERE to get started!

REMINDER:  

There is a Senior Meeting scheduled for this Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025!  All seniors & their parent(s)/guardian(s) should attend!  Important graduation information will be presented.  Registration is at 5:30 pm and the presentation begins at 6 pm.

Kent State is here to support your students in completing the 2026–27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which opened today, one week earlier than scheduled.

Kent State applicants and families must complete the FAFSA by FEBRUARY 1, 2026, to maximize financial aid eligibility. 

• Maximize their financial aid opportunities, including grants, loans and work-study programs, to reduce out-of-pocket expenses. 

• Qualify them for additional Kent State funding, such as scholarships and other need-based aid.

• Allow them to compare financial aid offers and make informed financial decisions.

 Please click HERE to visit the Kent State FAFSA website to access videos, information and upcoming events.

Ashland University's next Fall Open House at our College of Nursing and Health Sciences [CONHS] Academic building in Mansfield, Ohio is fast approaching on Thursday, October 9. Please see the attached flyer with the QR code to register.

Also on the flyer, Ashland University's CONHS, Mansfield location nursing program is offering Summer Camp 2026 to rising junior and senior high school students (16 years and older) interested in becoming a registered nurse. This summer camp is being offered in conjunction with our nearby hospital clinical partners. Participants can choose to attend on either July 9th or July 10th and will be responsible for their own transportation. This is an opportunity for participants to:

• engage in activities in the nursing simulation lab with nursing instructors who teach in the BSN nursing program at Ashland University

• experience a demonstration of Virtual Reality (VR) nursing simulated scenarios

• have lunch and meet nurses at one of the hospital clinical sites partnering with us

• tour various hospital departments to meet registered nurses and see them in action

Please see the brochure and the Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest and 3-Dimensional Patriotic Art Contest.

 More information can be found on their website by clicking HERE

Essay contest on on the topic of: 

"How Are You Showing Patriotism And Support For Our Country?

Deadline to submit your entry is Oct. 31, 2025 at midnight.  See the flyers for more details!

Students who are interested in West Point are invited to  attend their Admissions Event on Thursday, Sept. 25th at the Austintown Library from 4-7 pm.  

Please RSVP for the event by clicking HERE.

Class of 2026 students & parents...

Please mark your calendar for our Senior Night on Thursday, Oct. 9th!   

Important senior information will be presented!

Representatives from colleges, universities, trade schools, & the military will be available for you to ask questions & pick-up additional information after the meeting. 

You are invited to attend Muskingum University's Get Hooked Visit Days in October!

FREE suits, tuxedos, dress pants, shoes, shirts, belts, vests, and hygiene kits!

Juniorettes are examples of how the call to community service can be answered at any age. The girls get involved in volunteerism and leadership opportunities, with guidance from our sponsoring club, GFWC Ohio Warren Junior Women's League. Since our Juniorettes club was federated in 1996, we've have participated in countless volunteer programs and events throughout the community. Scholarship opportunities are available to graduating members.

Yard signs for display honoring LaBrae seniors are now available for sale at the Board of Education Office between the hours of 8:00 to 3:00.  Signs are $10.  These are a perfect way to publicly acknowledge your graduating senior.  Also, if your child is a senior next year, buying your sign now allows you to display it during the coming school year. 

{Signs are paid for by the LaBrae Levy Committee; Karen Ancell, Treasurer}