Stamps Eminence Scholarship Program Application

For students entering as first year students in Autumn semester, 2025

Welcome to the application for the Stamps Eminence Scholarship Program.

To be considered for the scholarship award and a place in the program, you must complete and submit the Stamps Eminence Scholarship Application by Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at 11:59 PM EST. To access the application, you need your OSU username (lastname.#), which you receive after submitting your application to The Ohio State University. You should allow approximately 5 days for receipt of your Ohio State username via email after submitting your admissions application.

Consideration for this scholarship is contingent upon admission to the Ohio State Columbus campus. Only new, first-year students entering in the Autumn 2025 semester are eligible for this scholarship. Before completing the Stamps Eminence Scholarship application, please review the checklist below, scholarship description, and program requirements.

Following the application review process, a select number of applicants will be named as finalists. All finalists will be interviewed via a virtual platform during the months of January and February. Finalists are required to participate in the Stamps Eminence Finalist Friday event, which is scheduled for Friday, February 28, 2025. This day will provide a glimpse of the Stamps Eminence experience and will include special department visits and various group activities that precede a special finalist reception that evening. There will be no exceptions.

Students awarded the Stamps Eminence Scholarship are required to be members of the University Honors Program and active participants in the Stamps Eminence Scholarship Program. Please review information about both programs to learn more about the opportunities and expectations of students who remain in good standing in each.

Online Application Checklist:
Please affirm that you have completed the following steps of your Stamps Eminence application materials, and your Stamps Eminence application materials are ready for submission before continuing to your application.

  1. Confirm you have applied to The Ohio State University for first year admission by the early action deadline of November 1, 2024.

• Note: You will not be able to complete the Stamps Eminence Scholarship application without your Ohio State username (lastname.#) and password, which are issued via email after you apply to the university. You should allow approximately five days for receipt of your Ohio State username via email after submitting your admissions materials.

  2. On the university application, indicate your interest in being considered for the University Honors Program or Ohio State Scholars Program.

Default.aspx
• Note: Students who are awarded the Stamps Eminence Scholarship are required to be members of the Honors Program.

  3. Prepare your Stamps Eminence essay and video introduction. The video link box immediately follows the essay text box.

Essay prompt: Imagine yourself fifteen years from now, being honored for your outstanding accomplishments and significant contributions to your community and/or your professional discipline. As part of this recognition, you have been invited to be a featured speaker at the prestigious Stamps Eminence Annual Dinner. In the audience are current undergraduate Stamps Eminence Scholars and fellow alumni.

In your speech, what key topics will you address? What specific achievements or contributions are you being celebrated for? In what ways did the Stamps Eminence Program support and facilitate your journey to success?

• Note: We recommend you use a word processing program (e.g. Microsoft Word) to respond to the essay prompt. You will need to copy and paste your essay response into the appropriate text box in the Stamps Eminence application. The essay is in Section 2 of the application. Remember to carefully proofread your work and limit your response to 500 words.

Video Introduction: Applicants will have the opportunity to introduce themselves via a 2-minute YouTube introduction. The following parameters will help you create your introduction:

• First minute: Introduce yourself and remember, we already know what is in your application. What don't we know about you? If you are recording a video of yourself speaking, please use a simple and uncluttered background. You may also choose to narrate the video of shared pictures, slides, and objects that demonstrate your interests, personality, and what is important to you. Do not include another video in this introduction.
  
• Second minute: Talk about your Stamps Eminence Essay and share your thought process on crafting your response. What do you want as your main takeaways?

Note: Your video does not need to be extensively rehearsed, polished, or edited. Be yourself! The video is just one component of your application materials. For our selection committee’s access and your privacy, please be sure to create and provide an unlisted (not private) YouTube link. If your link is not set up this way, the selection committee will not be able to view it. The video link box immediately follows the essay text box.

  4. Verify your availability for Stamps Eminence Finalist Friday, February 28, 2025. If selected as a finalist, you will be required to attend.

Proceed to the final part of the application process. If you have read through all the above directions, you are now ready to complete the Stamps Eminence application. Please have your Ohio State Username and password information ready. If you need help in retrieving your username or password, visit http://my.osu.edu or contact the IT Service Desk at (614) 688-4357.

Questions regarding the Stamps Eminence Scholarship Program should be directed to the University Honors & Scholars Center, honors-eminence@osu.edu or (614)292-3135.