<p>Making an official visit/tour, talking to the honors and scholars office and conveying your seriousness in your essay will be more than enough.</p>
<p>What might set off their spidey senses is just getting a blind app from someone with your stats and no other contact–particularly since you’re in-state and a visit is not a huge geographic difficulty.</p>
<p>I don’t think you need to apply to another safety. Like I said, if you make a decent effort to show Ohio State they are a serious option (don’t even have to be at the top of your list), you’re certainly going to get accepted. After all, it is part of their job to convince students like you to matriculate. Even if Ohio State is not at the top of your list, they’ll definitely woo you if they think they have a fighting chance.</p>