And does applying early help?
My S applied in very early October well before the deadline for Early Action. He is OOS with a 31 ACT and 3.7 GPA. Very excited to be accepted. Would definitely suggest applying as early as possible. Key is ensuring you have all your best materials ready to go… test scores, letters of recommendations, essay, etc. You are very smart for beginning to think this all through now but don’t get too obsessed; it all works out in the end!
I had my application done and sent in in mid-August (I just wanted it done and out of the way!) Weighted GPA is 4.012, not sure about the UW. Composite ACT was a 27, and yes I believe applying early does help. Like researchQ said, the key is to have everything ready to go and to not obsess over it! Yes, there were days in November that I checked my application status about 4-5 times a day, but when I forgot about it and happened to randomly log on in mid-November, it showed that I was accepted.
So get everything sent in and finished so there’s less stress later 
93.80 avg and 29 act 1840 sat. got into the business program! i know this schools great but i need to find out the financial aid,.
My son did not apply early. He as a weighted GPA of about 3.9 and 32 ACT. So far its his number one. We are OOS waiting on a few more decisions.
I applied shortly after the EA deadline (around Nov 20, I believe) and heard back in early February.
OOS 1900 SAT 27 ACT 3.65 W GPA
top 20% of class
6 APs and all the rest were honors
I wish I had applied earlier because I don’t really have a chance at a scholarship now 
How about 3.4 cum. GPA and 31 act. Tons of volunteer and extracurricular. In state African American legacy student
Would the above stats get me in?
3.4 is low, you’re iffy on getting in, gonna be honest. OSU generally doesn’t accept people with that GPA, if you got it to a 3.5 then maybe.
Also legacy doesn’t matter at OSU
Well I’m finishing my sophomore year of high school and I’m finishing this year with a 3.1 GPA. My freshman year I had a 3.1 as well. Both unweighted. Even if I got a perfect 4.0 for all quarters my junior year I would only get a 3.4. I am going to apply early action for OSU. This is my number one school. I am getting 30-31 on my ACTs. I’m so involved in community and school. What if I rank 20%? What can I do to feel solid about getting admitted into OSU?
I had a 33 ACT and 4.5 GPA. I applied early and was accepted. Usually, when you apply early to a university, they see that as an indication that they are one of your top choice schools. This doesn’t usually make a huge difference in admissions, but it can help you if your test scores and GPA are a bit borderline (at or just below their average test scores/GPA). I liked applying early because the process was over sooner than if I had waited for regular decision.
@osubiggestfan just keep pushing forward in school like you have been. Work to get that GPA up, but also stay involved in your community. Be passionate about something. A passion will help you guide your activities and it’ll make for a great college essay in a couple of years. Best of luck!
@hardlyimaginary thanks for the great advice!
Does attending a private catholic school help? Because my classes are much harder than normal classes,
@osubiggestfan you’re welcome! As for your question about your high school, it’s not so much the type of school you attend but how you take advantage of the resources and opportunities that are available to you. As long as you are taking some of the more advanced classes that are offered at your school, the admissions committee will recognize that and you should be perfectly fine. (This applies to just about any college.) Good luck!
I had a 3.8 GPA and 2250 SAT and applied Early Action and was accepted into the college of engineering
It seems like it is getting incrementally harder to get on to main campus each year. We know a student from an excellent H.S. who was offered branch campus with a 3.6W and 27 ACT. So work on getting your grades up. If the 31 is a real ACT score, you’re in good shape on that front. If it is a practice score, just be aware that you really don’t know where you stand until you take the real thing.
3.9 uw GPA and 4% class rank with uw GPA (My school doesn’t weight, but I took 5 AP classes before senior year). 32 ACT. 2110 SAT. Applied EA from out of state, accepted in early December, got National Buckeye Scholarship ($12000) and Provost ($3000) about 2 weeks after.
Avice: DO apply early! I think they used up all their scholarships on EA applicants this year.
Focus on the ACT. Take lots of practice tests because it’s way easy and the only real issue is time. Practice that so you can get good at taking that test in the allotted time. Use your weighted GPA and weighted class rank if possible. If your school doesn’t rank at all, that also helps. This is for scholarship purposes. Ex: I meet all the requirements for Maximus Scholarship ($6000) except for class rank (%3), but I would have made that requirement too if my rank was weighted. If you ever have any questions or concerns, definitely call or email the school. They are amazing with communication and always willing to help. All my emails were answered within 24 hours and if I didn’t know who to talk to about an issue, they would just give me that person’s email.
35 ACT, 4.22W, 3.97UW, top of class at private, Catholic, college-prep school. Was awarded Maximus Scholarship. 56 credit hours awarded based on AP credits.
Based on what I’ve seen from your posts (osubiggestfan) you should have a decent chance at getting in. I would recommend taking the ACT at the end of your junior year at least one more time. I have found that many people have significant jumps in score between sophomore/junior year.
Definitely apply early. I did and it’s nice because I had a decision within three weeks and a scholarship a few weeks later. It’s also non-binding, which is nice because it was not my first choice. It was reassuring to have an acceptance in the bag while waiting on Ivies/Vanderbilt/Duke.
MOST OF ALL, don’t stress yourself out too much. You have plenty of time left in high school, so focus on your grades and ECs. A GPA does not make or break the application (unless you have less than a 3.0). If you commit yourself to ECs and maintain grades you can compensate for a lower GPA. Feel free to PM me with any questions about the college application process.
@cardinal1206 what are some good ideas for standout ECs that I can commit too?
And does anyone feel that a 3.4 UW cumulative is good enough to get into Osu’s main campus, coming from a private catholic school?