Cutler Scholars Scholarships
Scholarship Sponsored by Ohio University
Description
Cutler Scholars is a merit-based program that recognizes students who combine academic promise with sustained community impact through engagement, service, and leadership. Candidates must demonstrate a track record of positive contributions and a commitment to lifelong growth. Selection emphasizes the applicant’s potential to thrive in an intellectually rigorous college environment while advancing the common good.
- Targets students with demonstrated community impact and leadership.
- Values sustained engagement and service alongside academic promise.
- Focuses on long-term growth across multiple dimensions.
Core Criteria
Selection is based on four core qualities: intellectual curiosity, leadership, civic responsibility, and character. Intellectual curiosity reflects a desire for rigorous learning inside and outside the classroom. Leadership is defined by initiative for the common good rather than individual recognition. Civic responsibility and character reflect ethical decision‑making, empathy, persistence, and commitment to community improvement.
- Intellectual curiosity: eagerness for rigorous academic engagement.
- Leadership: initiative that enables and energizes others.
- Civic responsibility and character: ethical, empathetic, persistent engagement.
Eligibility
Applicants must be freshman applicants to Ohio University and meet either geographic or discipline eligibility requirements. Selection for an award is contingent on admission to an eligible program of study for discipline-based awards. The program encourages any eligible student with strong intellectual curiosity and community engagement to apply. Standardized test scores are not considered in the selection process.
Geographic Awards: A student must attend or hold a degree from one of the eligible high schools.
Discipline Awards: A student must apply to one of the eligible academic disciplines at Ohio University; award selection requires admission to that program.
- Freshman applicants only.
- Two eligibility paths: geographic or discipline.
- Test-optional policy: standardized scores are not used.
Application & Interview
Qualified students receive a supplemental Cutler Scholars application after submitting the Common Application, provided they met the November Early Action deadline. Program staff and alumni review applications and select finalists for interview. Finalists are invited to virtual interviews, which typically occur in late January and early February.
Application Timeline: Supplemental application follows the Common Application for students who met the Early Action deadline; interviews are scheduled late January through early February.
- Supplemental application follows Common App for Early Action applicants.
- Alumni and staff jointly review applicants.
- Virtual interviews are part of the finalist evaluation.
Selection & Timeline
Finalists are notified of their selection status by late March. Students who receive awards must accept by May 1 to secure their place in the program. This timeline aligns with standard university admission and enrollment deadlines, allowing awardees to confirm commitments in a timely manner.
- Final decisions communicated by late March.
- Award acceptance deadline: May 1.
- Timeline coordinates with university admission deadlines.
Benefits
All Cutler Scholar awardees receive automatic admission into the Ohio University Honors Program unless they have earned admission to the Honors Tutorial College. This affiliation provides access to honors-level coursework and community. Additional program-specific benefits and expectations are provided to awardees upon selection.
- Automatic admission to the OHIO Honors Program for awardees.
- Access to honors-level curricular and co-curricular opportunities.
- Further program details shared with selected scholars.