The Ohio State University
Promoting Access and Diversity in a
Competitive Admissions Environment
Mabel Freeman, PhD
Assistant Vice President, Undergraduate Admissions and First
Year Experience
Jefferson Blackburn-Smith
Sr. Associate Director, UAFYE
Freshman Class Profile – Columbus Campus
Selective Admission Process
• AU06 admit rate: 65%
• SAT middle 50%: 1120 - 1380
• ACT middle 50%: 24 – 29
• 46% AU06 admits came from top 10% of class
• 81% of AU06 admits came from top 25% of class
• 16% AU06 enrollment students of color
What does Promoting Access Mean for Ohio State?
A) Provide college awareness and financial literacy
outreach for families with elementary and middle
school age children.
B) Develop the “pipeline” of targeted students*
through community engagement
C) Increase applicants and enrollments, through
recruitment activities, among targeted students*
who may not believe Ohio State is a real option.
These are not mutually exclusive efforts
*Targeted students may be
• Racial/ethnic minorities
• Low income students
• First generation students
• Ohio Appalachian students
• Gender/major combinations (i.e. women in
engineering, men in nursing)
• Majors (i.e. Agriculture)
Early College Outreach
• Consortium of 6 local institutions
serving 3 urban school districts
with student /parent/advocate
college planning sessions
• Ohio State effort working with
local community centers to
provide student/parent/advocate
sessions and develop lasting
relationships.
College Outreach: Raising Public Awareness
Develop a web presence
• www.osu.edu/access
“Educational Minutes” partnership with Radio
One, Ohio’s #1 urban radio corporation
• Daily 60 second educational tip featuring OSU faculty, staff or
local high school student with college aspirations
• Non-promotional
Developing the “Pipeline”
Young Scholars Program
• founded 1988, enrolls targeted 1st generation students from 9
Ohio cities in 6th grade with an opportunity to have all financial
need met by the university upon enrollment as an undergrad
Metro High School
• founded 2006 in partnership between OSU, Battelle and
Columbus Public Schools focusing on math and science
education
Developing the “Pipeline”
Ohio State P-12 Project
• The P-12 Project is a university-wide partnership created to
assist in improving Ohio's schools with a special focus on the
education of Ohio's underserved children and youth.
The Office of Economic Access
• Connects key players in a way that can be replicated by other
higher ed advocates
• Serves as a catalyst for academic research
Increasing Enrollments: Recruitment
Build your prospect/inquiry pools so they contain
significant numbers of under-represented
students:
– 60% of search names are students of color
– 26% of search names (from sources that allow
income as a criteria) are low income students
– Ohio State recruits more broadly for underrepresented students than others
Increasing Enrollments: Recruitment
Differentiate your communication flows:
– Make your messages population specific
•High ability, low income students hear about “stacking”
merit and need-based aid
– Add touches for targeted students
• Making Our Voices Heard mailings & dvds
•Joint Minority Affairs/Honors & Scholars mailing
•Special college mailings
•Call out cards in invitations highlighting sessions
of interest
Increasing Enrollments: Admission Process
• Holistic review process also considers
race/ethnicity, socio-economic status, first
generation status, residents of Appalachian
counties
• Two independent reads of application
• Ohio residents can select a second choice regional
campus and change to Columbus after completing
1 year with a 2.0 gpa on a regional campus
Increasing Enrollments: Financial Aid
Visible Access Scholarships
Pathways Scholarship: for minority and/or Pell eligible
students earning other merit awards; December 1 deadline; $2,100
Morrill Scholars Program: for minority, low-income, first
generation, or Ohio Appalachian students; Dec 1 deadline; Tuition+
Ohio Land Grant Opportunity Scholarship: for
one high ability, high need student in each Ohio county; minimum 88
per year; Feb 1 deadline and FAFSA by March 1; full-ride
Outcomes
Year
Race
Applications
Enrollment % of
2004 NFQF
2006
2004
% of
NFQF
2006
African
16%
American increase
Hispanic 19.8%
increase
3.4%
decrease
Native
21.6%
American increase
38.1%
increase
Asian
18.7%
American increase
11.4%
increase
6%
380
3%
187
< 1%
29
6%
380
2004 2006
13.2%
increase
7%
393
3%
166
< 1%
21
6%
341
Yield for Needy Students Increases
The Ohio State University: First-Year Students
Very high need
High need
Medium need
Low need
No-need/merit
Full-pay
85.0%
75.0%
Yield
65.0%
55.0%
45.0%
35.0%
25.0%
15.0%
Fall 1998 Fall 1999 Fall 2000 Fall 2001 Fall 2002 Fall 2003 Fall 2004 Fall 2005
Entering Term