Applying for college is an exciting step but can also be confusing and overwhelming. This page provides helpful tips and information to make the process easier to understand and help you take your first steps towards Beaver Nation! What you can find here includes:

  • Deadlines
  • Videos
  • Schedule an Appointment with an Admissions Advisor
  • Frequently Asked Questions about the Application

Deadlines

Early Action- November 1st

  • Students who have a complete application including documents (i.e. transcripts, etc.) on file by November 1st will receive an admissions decision no later than mid-December.
  • Early action is non-binding.

Priority- February 1st

  • Students who have a complete application including documents (i.e. transcripts, etc.) on file by the deadline will receive an admissions decision no later than mid-March.

  • Documents (i.e. transcripts, etc.) must be received by February 15th. 

Videos

Prospective Student Presentation

A recorded overview of Oregon State University including academics, student life, admissions & scholarships, and more.

Watch Here
Eager Beaver Essay Workshop

Need some guidance on writing a strong application essay? During this presentation, Admissions Advisors and Honors College Staff will provide some tips to approaching the college essay. 

Watch Here
Why Apply?

Hear from some of our current student TOUR ambassadors about why they chose Oregon State!

Watch Here

Individual Meetings with an Admissions Advisor

Need more help? We're here for you! Connect with your Admissions Advisor to set up an individual meeting.

Frequently Asked Application Questions

  • Students who have not graduated from high school yet, will still be considered an incoming first-year freshman no matter how many credits they completed through dual-enrollment. Taking college level classes is a great way to not only strengthen your application but also prepare you for the transition into OSU courses. You will send us an official college transcript upon high school graduation so we can award you transfer credits.
  • All incoming students need to submit the application online and have a high school transcript on file. You can upload your unofficial transcript with your application, or your high school can send the Office of Admissions an official transcript. All students who commit to OSU are required to have a final transcript sent to OSU after they graduate high school.
  • If you elected to have an ACT or SAT included in your review, you will need to have an official score sent to OSU by the testing agency. Visit our test-optional website for more information on our new test-optional policy.
  • Check out your Beaver Basecamp to check on your application status, make changes to your application, and upload documents to your file.
  • You should check with your high school counselor to see how your school handles this process. Official transcripts can be mailed, faxed, or electronically sent through a transcript service to the Office of Admissions.
  • OSU has a test-optional admissions policy, so students will get to decide whether they will submit standardized test scores (SAT or ACT). If you think they add something of value to our review you can choose to have them included in your review, or you can choose not to submit them if you want us to focus more intently on your high school record and other supporting documents.  Visit our test-optional website for more information on this policy.
  • Not submitting an ACT or SAT score will not negatively impact your chances to be admitted to OSU or be considered for scholarships.
  • Oregon State does not have a set minimum GPA for first-year freshman admissions, but the preferred cumulative unweighted GPA is a 3.0. Having over an unweighted 3.0 GPA does not guarantee a student admission to OSU and being under a 3.0 does not automatically deny admission. Oregon State has a holistic review process and considers not only GPA but strength of curriculum, essay/personal statement, completion of college prep courses, and more. Visit our first-year admission requirements website for more information.
  • There are many options at OSU that align with pre-health professional programs (pre-medicine, pre-dental, etc.) curriculum. Many students choose degrees in BioHealth Science, Kinesiology, Biology, etc. to complete the requirements for their professional school goals. Academic Advisors at Oregon State make sure students are taking the right courses to be a viable candidate.  Some academic colleges even have special advisors who will work with you on these pursuits.
  • Students should include dual credits/college level credits they are taking during high school on the application. Incoming first-year students are evaluated on their high school work and decisions can be made without college transcripts but additional information on dual-credits is helpful during the review. Upon completion of the college credits, students will need to submit an official college transcript to the OSU Office of Admissions.
  • Home school students and students of non-regionally accredited schools using college credits for admission will not be reviewed until college transcripts for credits already earned are received.
  • When students apply, they will select which campus they are most interested in at the time. It is important to remember that not all majors are available at both campuses so students may not be able to choose a specific campus. Students can change campuses during the admissions process if the application is still open or while they are a current student.
  • Degree Partnership Program (DPP), is Oregon State’s dual enrollment program with Oregon (and some Hawaii) community colleges. Students enrolled as a DPP student can take classes from both OSU and the community college partner they choose.
  • If you are in the US on a current visa, you will need to apply through international admissions.
  • With over 200 academic programs it can be hard to know which program is the best fit. Try the Find Your Major tool to learn more about the different programs at OSU. Students who are undecided can choose University Exploratory Studies on the application and work with an Academic Advisor their first year to find a major that fits their interests.
  • Students who meet OSU’s Early Action deadline of November 1 will hear from the Office of Admissions no later than mid-December regarding their admission decision.  Those who complete their application after Early Action, but meet OSU’s Regular Application deadline of February 1, may not hear back until mid-March.
  • Applying Early Action is non-binding, so students do not have to commit early, and it is not more difficult to be admitted when you apply early. The review process is the same for both deadlines but applying early allows us to give you a decision earlier in the year giving you more time to complete the ScholarDollars application after you are admitted and you’ll be able to access the housing application when it opens for admitted students.
  • The application fee to apply is $65. OSU offers fee waivers to students who are eligible for a variety of financial-support options, TRIO-type programs, and to active duty and U.S. veteran applicants.  Students may request a fee waiver in the Fee Waiver Request tab of their OSU application.  We do not offer fee waivers on our non-degree and post-baccalaureate applications.
  • OSU does not have a preference between the Common App and the application on our website, both provide the same information and have the same application fee. If students are applying to multiple Common App schools, it may be easy to include OSU in their Common App plan. If the student is not applying to any other schools through Common App, they may find the application on the OSU website a better option.
  • Visit our transfer student website for more information on transfer admissions requirements, transfer credits, and contact information for your transfer admissions advisor.
  • Students with an active permanent resident card (PRC), need to submit a copy of the front and back of the card to the Office of Admissions through their Beaver Basecamp portal.
  • First-generation students are the first in their family to attend college. If neither of your parents attended or graduated from a 4-year university, you would be considered a first-generation student at Oregon State. There are many support resources on campus to help first-generation students navigate the transition to college including TRiO Student Support Services and Educational Opportunities Program (EOP).
  • Admitted- This means that you have been accepted to OSU! Many schools use admitted/accepted interchangeably so you may hear both being used.
  • Deferred- Students who apply early in the year may hear that they have been deferred. This means that we are not ready to make a decision yet and need more information such as a 7th semester high school transcript. Students who are deferred do not need to reapply for admission, we will move your application to the next decision round.
  • Denied- Students who are denied admissions for academic reasons can go through an appeal process to provide more information and be reviewed by the Undergraduate Admissions Committee (UAC). 
  • If we requested your 7th semester transcript, we want to see how the first part of your senior year is going. Generally, when students apply in the fall we only see grades through their junior year and sometimes we need to see the first term of your senior year before we can make a decision. OSU does not require a 7th semester transcript for all applicants.
  • All students should use their full legal name when applying for admission to Oregon State, but may also include their preferred name at that time.