LHS Counseling Website - Portrait of an Applicant

The University of Akron

At UA we use a holistic review process for students, so there is not just one concrete thing that they need. We review each applicant based on several factors including cumulative grade point average (GPA), strength of school high coursework, grade trends and special talents. In addition to their initial application, students can submit additional materials for admission consideration:

• Personal statement

• Updated transcript when available

• Updated ACT/SAT scores, if available

• Letters of recommendation

Bowling Green State University

At BGSU, my biggest recommendation to students is to really focus on their grades and taking the ACT/SAT. For fall 2021 students, we do have a test waiver option but these are two of the biggest factors we use in making a decision. We want to see if a student is college ready and how they are progressing through their time in high school. At BGSU, we always re-consider so even if students aren’t happy with their first test score or are working to pull up their GPA, that is okay! We are also not a school that requires ‘perfect’ grades or test scores. Even if a student has a 2.5 GPA – they will be okay! We work on a sliding scale so there is no specific GPA or test score they must have. Of course, extracurricular involvement and leadership/service are always a great addition in a college application. Grades will carry the most weight, but it’s great to see a student involved outside of the classroom as well who we know will contribute well to our BGSU community as well.

Capital University

For all applicants, we conduct a holistic review process—which is especially helpful now that we’ve gone test-optional. I’ve included some statistics below to help give your students an idea of the average student we admit, but the holistic review drives our general admission application process. In essence, Capital looks for students who not only demonstrate academic ability but also strong character and inclination to get involved. The example I always provide to better illustrate this holistic review process involves imagining a two-sided coin:

On one side, there’s the student who, by all measures, is the perfect example of a straight A student. They have good grades, strong test scores, and write compelling essays. But they also have an inordinate amount of absences. While those can of course be explained and certainly aren’t automatic grounds for being denied admission, it does raise flags. In that scenario, I would likely want to gather more information to provide context before rendering an admission decision.

On the opposite side of the same coin is a student who is far from many people’s traditional conception of a strong student. Maybe they have very average grades and poor test scores. But they may also be working nearly full-time to help support their family, all while still participating in extracurricular clubs and activities. While their grades and test-scores may not be easy on the eye, this student still stands a decent chance of being admitted based on their individual circumstances.

I know it’s not a perfect example, but hopefully the (imagined) situations described above help better explain our holistic approach. What might be of more comfort to your students are the statistics I’ve included below—at least, in my experience, this is most often what they really want to know.

Middle 50%

GPA: 3.1 - 3.8

ACT: 21 - 27

SAT: 970 - 1170

**Disclaimer: programs like Nursing and Music have specific admission requirements so while the above figures include students from these programs, any student interested in either should reach out to learn more about their specific program’s requirements.**

Cleveland State University

CSU requires a 2.3 HS GPA and we are test optional this year due to COVID-19. In the past we required a 16 ACT or 880 SAT. I am not sure if we will stay test optional for the juniors.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

We are test optional and have been for a few years. Our application can be found directly on our website. We are not on the common app. Our average GPA is a 3.8. Our Aeronautical Science and Aerospace Engineering programs are our two most popular and fill up quickly. Students can submit a resume, letters of recommendation, test scores, and an essay if they wish, but they are all optional. Only an official high school transcript is required. If they attend a virtual session, then we can give them a code to waive the application fee.

Hiram College

At Hiram, we are looking for students who typically have a “B” grade average and college prep work! Also, we look for students who want that small school, intimate learning environment. We do encourage students to write essays or submit letters of recommendation if they think it will help as well J but, typically, we are looking at the transcript/GPA.

Miami (OH) University

For our Applications - we do a holistic review. We are looking for students who are involved in their community or high schools, working or volunteering. We are also looking at their academics and GPA - as well as test scores if they choose to send the scores this year. Letter of recommendation is always something in our considerations and the students' essay.

Muskingum University

In a broad sense, we want our applicants to have a college prep schedule. That doesn’t necessarily mean a bunch of CCP or AP courses, but we want to see foreign language (at least 2 years in the same language). We want to see some lab based math (we don’t count Physical Science as a Science class for our purposes). We generally look for 4 years of English, 4 years of Algebra based math, 2 years of lab based science (like Bio and Chem), and 2 years of foreign language. Anything over 2 years for Science and Foreign Language show us that they are more prepared for college than other applicants might be. I would suggest that kids take a 3rd year of science if they can (like Physics or Bio II or Anatomy), especially if they want to go into any sort of STEM major.

Outside of academics, we look for kids who are involved in more than 1 extra-curricular activity, especially athletes. A lot of athletes miss out on scholarship opportunities from us because they aren’t doing anything outside of their sport, like getting volunteer hours, or being involved in any sort of club or organization, either at school or outside of school. The majority of our kids who receive our Horizon Award, which is based on their extra-curricular involvement that isn’t tied to athletics, are involved in Student Council, Yearbook, NHS, School Newspaper, they have a job during High School, FFA, 4-H, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Youth Group Involvement, Camp Counselors, things like that. The kids that succeed at Muskingum are kids who have wide ranging interests and aren’t afraid of getting involved in multiple organizations.

Ohio Dominican University

We look for someone who is going to contribute to the Panther community on campus. For some perspective, on average our students have around a 3.4 GPA and a 22 ACT. I have attached my video below that we talked about on the phone that gives a little more info about ODU.

The Ohio State University

Every individual who applies to The Ohio State University will be reviewed holistically, which means we are viewing all of their submitted materials with an in-depth analysis. We will view their materials such as their application, transcripts, test scores (if submitted), and letters of recommendation (if submitted).

Each application is read multiple times by multiple readers and we are looking for qualities such as demonstration of leadership ability, quality performance in the classroom, contributions to and engagement with the diverse community, and much more. We’re really building a class of diverse students in backgrounds, experiences, and passions they want to pursue.

Ohio State continues to strive for students who are ready to take on new challenges and to strive for success. Below you’ll find a slide of the nine factors of admission that we will examine when reviewing an application. By no means is this a checklist or list of requirements to be admitted but, these are the areas we want to see as part of an applicant’s contribution to the university.

Ohio University

OHIO Undergraduate Admissions operates on a holistic, selective review and looks for evidence of academic preparation in a strong college-preparatory curriculum when reviewing applications for admission. We consider the following criteria:

Strength of curriculum

Performance in curriculum

Class rank

Grade point average

ACT and/or SAT scores (if provided)

Students can also send optional application materials, such as essays, letters of recommendation, and/or lists of extra-curricular interests and activities.

Some of our colleges and programs have selective criteria above and beyond general admission guidelines. These include Biological Sciences, the College of Business, the Russ College of Engineering and Technology, the College of Fine Arts, Honors Tutorial College, the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, the School of Media Arts and Studies, and the School of Nursing.

For reference, here are the average ranges of the middle 50 percent of our fall 2019 freshman class in a variety of academic areas:

Top 12-38% of their graduating high school classes

Average composite ACT score of 21-26

Average combined SAT score of 1060-1240 (math and evidence-based reading and writing)

Average high school grade point average of 3.55 (on a 4.0 scale)

Otterbein University

We do have a holistic review process, taking into account everything about a student from their GPA and transcripts all the way to clubs they're in and the personal essay. We base admission on potential of academic success and possible unique talents/contributions to our campus. So there is not exactly a "you must have this and this score" attitude or requirement. However, in general, we look for well-written personal essays, our average incoming GPA is between a 3.35-3.99 (just as the middle, we do absolutely still accept students outside of that range!), ACT scores ranging from 20-26 and SAT scores ranging from 960-1210 (again, just the average not the exclusive requirements). Ultimately we are looking for students who have a history of being engaged in and outside of the classroom.