Hi there! Does anyone have experience with the Eminence Fellows Program at OSU? My son (rising senior this year) found out about the program online and it looks incredible! From what I can gather, it is a full-cost-of-attendance merit scholarship, but also looks very competitive. Are there any parents or students that can share some information about the program and what the application process is like? The program seems almost too good to be true. Thank you! -Jen
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Hi Jen,
My name is Ben, and I am in the sophomore class of Eminence Fellows. Congratulations on your son entering his senior year of high school—he’s in the final stretch now! When I first heard about the Eminence Fellows Program, I also thought it sounded too good to be true. With one year in the program under my belt, I can confidently say that the Eminence Fellows Program really is everything it’s made out to be! The program goes above and beyond in providing each class of Fellows with everything they could possibly need to make the most out of their time at OSU. This includes a full-cost-of-attendance merit scholarship, cutting-edge research opportunities and networking within the Eminence Faculty Network, professional development training, enrichment grants, an incredible sense of camaraderie among a tight-knit community, and so much more!
I would be happy to answer any questions that you or others may have about the Eminence Fellows Program, OSU, or the college application process. The application will be opening up in the next few weeks, so be on the lookout for that.
Best of luck to your son!
-Ben
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Hi, Ben!
Thank you for your response! My son and I have been looking more into the program, and it is simply amazing seeing the incredible things that all of you students are doing. Could you explain what the application process to the program looks like? It looks very competitive! What kind of stats do admitted students usually have? Thanks!
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The application just opened today! Students must first apply to OSU and the Honors Program before they can submit the Eminence application. The Eminence application consists of an essay and a short video introduction.
The essay prompt has been the same for the past couple of years: “You have just made the front page of the New York Times for doing something important that no one has ever thought or been able to do before. What did you do and why did you do it?” It’s a fun prompt that leaves a lot of room for creativity. The video introduction is limited to two minutes, in which you introduce yourself and talk a bit more about your essay.
The application window closes November 14. From the base applicant pool, about 75 students are selected for the finalist round and notified in January. All finalists have individual interviews, which have been conducting virtually for the past few years. The finalists then attend the Finalist Friday event in the beginning of March, which is usually held in-person on OSU’s campus. Finalists participate in various selection activities, meet distinguished faculty and current Eminence Fellows, and learn about the opportunities that The Ohio State University and the Eminence Fellows Program have to offer.
Of the 75 finalists, approximately 30 students are offered the scholarship. The Eminence program manager reaches out to each selected student by phone in mid-March, and rejection emails are sent out soon after that.
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To answer your question about the typical stats that admitted students have, I’d say there really is no “typical” Eminence Fellow. All of the students in our cohort come from very different backgrounds and have taken very different paths to get to where they are today. It’s easy to get nervous that you might not be “good enough” to get into the program. I know I felt that way, and I almost didn’t apply because of it. I am really glad I did decide to apply, because it has ended up being one of the best decisions of my life.
If you are on the fence about applying, do it. Apply now. Every single application gets read (multiple times), and there are no hard cutoffs for GPA or test scores. Don’t get caught in the trap of thinking you aren’t “good enough.” I know this is cliche, but you really do miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.
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Thank you! This is really great advice, and something that my son definitely needs to hear. I’ll be back soon with more questions for you. Thank you again for taking the time to answer so thoughtfully.
-Jen
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Hello Benjamin,
Thank you for all of your information! This sounds like a very interesting opportunity that I have never heard of, so I’d like to learn more.
For some context my daughter Emmaline is a rising senior this year from the Bay Area. Emma’s father and I have carefully been planning her college credentials since middle school, as we have been hearing from our older friends about how competitive college applications have become! Emma has a 3.9 GPA (darn U.S history!!), 36 ACT, and will have taken 15 AP Classes by the time she graduates. She’s very involved in her community, and started a nonprofit that rescues injured birds that have created nests in urban areas. She also loves journalism, and has won many awards for the articles she has written as well as having had the chance to interview several prestigious figures.
As you can see based on my short summary I think that Emma has a chance at many top schools, and she is definitely interested in the Ivy Leagues. However, due to a recent work accident that my husband had during his career in IT, we are worried about funding for Emma’s further education. This is why I have begun to research full ride programs such as this one! Ohio State as a school has especially caught our eye due to its amazing agricultural programs, which align with my Emma’s current passions. However, although this program seems ideal in many ways, I do have a few questions for you.
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How does Eminence support out of State Students vs In State Students? It seems that many of the fellows come from Ohio, will Emma be disadvantaged due to living in California?
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How does Ohio State compare in terms of an Ivy League education? Although OSU is a top 50 school, Emma can’t quite seem to get over the brand name of the Ivy Leagues. Are the opportunities and education truly comparable?
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Based on my own research it seems that this program has a high emphasis on nonprofit work and service to the community. Could you elaborate more on this? My Emma is very passionate about her birds, and I know that she wants to continue to serve whatever community she is in during her college years.
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How does Eminence support students socially? Is the environment competitive or friendly? Growing up in the Bay area, my Emma has experienced a lot of toxicity from previous classmates. Most of her current friends are the animals she cares for, and I would really like for her to network more during her time in college.
Thank you Benjamin for your kind insights! I will be sure to monitor this chat to see your reply and return with more questions after my Emma and I discuss this opportunity more. I am so glad that you brought it to my attention! Bless you!
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Hello! I’m so glad that Emma is interested in The Eminence Fellows Program. I’ll try to answer your questions separately so this post doesn’t get too long.
You are correct that the majority of Eminence Fellows are in-state students. The Ohio State University usually stands around a 30% out-of-state enrollment. I am an out-of-state student, and I haven’t found it negatively impacting my experience. I also know a few current Fellows that are also from California. With the Eminence Fellows Program, you’ll never end up feeling isolated. I like to say that being an Eminence Fellow is like having a “built-in” friend group as soon as you arrive on campus. Additionally, the Eminence Fellows Program fully covers the higher out-of-state tuition and also gives a considerable stipend for travel expenses.
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I am a firm believer that Ivy League schools are overrated. Sure, the name of an Ivy League institution carries a certain level of prestige with it, but the benefits of an Ivy League stop there. In terms of actual opportunity and resources, it doesn’t get better than being an Eminence Fellow at The Ohio State University. I have several high school friends at Ivy League institutions, and they all tell me that students are lucky to get meaningful research opportunities before their senior year. At OSU, I am going to be running my own research project with mentorship from one of the most distinguished faculty members in my field as soon as my sophomore year.
So far, every single one of my professors has been incredible. They are always open to interacting with students outside of class, and I think they are a lot more “down to Earth” than Ivy League professors.
Plus, I am getting all of this without going even a cent in debt. So, yes, not only is an education at OSU comparable to an Ivy League, I believe that my college experience will be more fruitful than those of the majority of Ivy League students.
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Emma’s nonprofit work is incredible. She’ll be excited to hear that the class community service project (aka “community impact”) is one of the most important and unique features of the Eminence Fellows Program. Starting the summer going into freshman year, each class of Fellows begins creating a service project that they will continue to develop and grow throughout their four years at OSU. Some of the service projects that have come out of this process are extremely impressive and continue to have a strong presence. These projects range from student organizations on campus to 501(c)(3) non-profits. Last year, an Eminence project won a $150,000 grant in their efforts to mitigate the opioid crisis in the Columbus area. The sky is the limit for these projects.
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Although the scholarship component of the Eminence Fellows Program is really great, my favorite part of being an Eminence Fellow is the sense of camaraderie that exists within each cohort. Each class/cohort of Fellows is usually 20-25 students, so the entire program is a tight-knit community. The program even has a special early arrival welcome week and then a retreat a few weeks later for each incoming freshmen class to facilitate this bonding. Each class also lives in the same dorm for their first year.
As an out-of-state student, this was huge. I was nervous about traveling far from home to a school where 90% of the student body is in-state, but with the Eminence Fellows Program I never once felt alone. It’s kind of like having a built-in friend group—a “home base” that I know I can always turn to.
The social environment in Eminence is the opposite of toxic. We all support each other and want to see each other succeed. The sense of community we have is really special.
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I applied to Eminence as well! Do we know if we will receive some sort of notification either way, saying that we’ve been either rejected or accepted as finalists?
I am waiting as well, hope to hear back soon
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Just received an email on my buckeye mail account, I was rejected as a finalist 
My son was also rejected.
I Just found out I qualified as a 2023 finalist !!!
Do I accept my position or does that mean I am committing to OSU
I am still waiting on other school’s decisions.
Congrats! My daughter is a finalist too! You do need to accept (her invite said by tomorrow) but that only commits you to attending the Finalist Friday on March 3rd. It does not commit you to attending OSU.
If you have other questions I’m guessing the Fellows Program Manager is your best bet.
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Oh Thanks 
I’m still deciding where to go, but I’m excited I got it
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My daughter hasn’t received an email either way. Are they still going out?
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Do you find out either way if you are a finalist?