Common App FAQ

We are excited to announce our acceptance to the Common Application! Please read the FAQs below to learn more about what this could mean for you as you consider applying to OU as an undergraduate incoming freshman. For more information on the Common App, you can also visit commonapp.org.

• All incoming freshmen applying for undergraduate admission to OU
• Note: Students are considered incoming freshmen if they graduated from an accredited high school or have received a GED or are home-schooled, if their high school class will have graduated by the time they plan to enter OU, and if they have completed fewer than seven semester hours of college-level work after graduating from high school. Students who have taken courses for college credit during high school are still considered incoming freshmen.

The application will be available on August 1. Students should not create a Common Application account or apply before this date.

The admission application is available at apply.ou.edu or by visiting commonapp.org.

• The Common App simplifies the process for students applying to more than one university by allowing the submission of a standardized admission application to any of the more than 500 Common App member colleges and universities (spanning 47 states, the District of Columbia and seven countries outside of the United States). This eliminates the need to complete separate forms and essays for each college.
  
• Our holistic admission process also encourages students to present a wide array of objective and subjective accomplishments and capabilities to be considered for admission to OU. This more comprehensive process provides students with a greater opportunity to describe ways in which their academic goals are aligned with those of the university.

• Begin gathering the information that you will need to complete the Common App starting on August 1. We’ve created a worksheet to help you keep track of this – find it here (PDF).
  
• Identify who you will ask to write your letter of recommendation (this can be a counselor, teacher or other high school representative).
  
• Review essay prompts. Students will also be asked to submit an essay between 250 and 650 words. Five essay prompts will be listed and students will select one to complete. Read the five essay options here.
  
• In order to be considered for certain OU scholarships (those based on leadership, community involvement and specific to certain degree programs), students will also need to complete two to three additional short-answer questions as part of a Common App supplement for OU. Review the short-answer questions below and begin considering responses.
  1. The University of Oklahoma believes strongly in educating leaders of communities in
  Oklahoma and across the world. Please share your leadership experiences and why they
  are important to you.
  2. The University of Oklahoma is the home of a vibrant, diverse and compassionate
  University community. President Boren refers to our strong community as “the OU family.”
  Please describe your cultural and community service activities and why you chose to
  participate in them.
  3. What is your career area of interest, and why do you have a desire to work in this
  particular field?
  (This third, academic-based question is asked by certain academic departments. Therefore, it may or may not appear in your scholarship section depending on the academic preferences you list in your application.)

• The Common App sections will ask you about (worksheet to help you keep track is available here (PDF)):
  Family/demographic information
  Education (i.e. a list of which schools you have attended)
  Academic credentials (classes taken, grades, test scores, honors, etc.)
  Extracurricular activities and work experience
• Students will also be asked to submit an essay between 250 and 650 words. Five essay prompts will be listed and students will select one to complete. Read the five essay options here.
• In order to be considered for certain OU scholarships (those based on leadership, community involvement and specific to certain degree programs), students will also need to complete two to three additional short-answer questions as part of a Common App supplement for OU. Review the short-answer questions below and begin considering responses.
  1. The University of Oklahoma believes strongly in educating leaders of communities in
  Oklahoma and across the world. Please share your leadership experiences and why they
  are important to you.
  2. The University of Oklahoma is the home of a vibrant, diverse and compassionate
  University community. President Boren refers to our strong community as “the OU family.”
  Please describe your cultural and community service activities and why you chose to
  participate in them.
  3. What is your career area of interest, and why do you have a desire to work in this
  particular field?
  (This third, academic-based question is asked by certain academic departments. Therefore, it may or may not appear in your scholarship section depending on the academic preferences you list in your application.)