Interview Day

The Cutler Scholars Program hosts two Interview Days on Ohio University’s main campus. Interviews for geographic awards will take place January 26 and those for disciplinary awards, February 9. Your invitation indicates the specific date of your interview.

Geographic Interviews – January 26, 2018
Discipline Interviews – February 9, 2018

RSVP For Interview Day

What to expect. Interview Day is a full-day event that allows us to learn more about you and helps you get to know the Cutler Scholars Program and Ohio University! The interview itself consists of two evaluated activities:

  • a 25-minute individual interview with a committee of professors, Cutler Scholars program staff, and alumni
  • a team leadership activity during which finalists work in groups to address a challenge

You will also have opportunities to take a campus tour, visit Read Johnson Scholars Complex, and meet with professors or advisors in your intended academic program. Each finalist is welcome to have one parent, guardian, or other guest accompany them and participate in the day’s activities, including lunch. A lounge area will be available for your guest to wait during your interview.

Finalists will receive a detailed itinerary when they check in on the day of their interview, but here is some general information about the schedule of activities.

Interview Day begins at 8:30 AM with a welcome from Dr. Margaux Cowden, the Director of the Cutler Scholars Program. After the welcome, finalists will either meet with representatives from their intended major, depart for a tour of campus and Read Johnson Scholars Complex, or head to the lounge area to wait for their individual interview. Lunch will be provided for finalists and their guests at mid-day. Immediately following lunch, finalists will begin the team leadership activity. During this time, parents, guardians, and other guests are invited to attend a panel discussion featuring a current Scholar, a Cutler Scholar parent, and Ohio University administrators. At the conclusion of the team leadership activity, individual interviews will resume. Finalists who completed morning interviews will depart for a campus tour and/or a meeting with representatives from their intended area of study. Interview Day comes to a close at 4:00 PM.

Finalists and guests will have plenty of time to chat informally with current Cutler Scholars and learn more about the student experience at Ohio University! Throughout the day, current Scholars will circulate through the lounge, accompany tour groups, and escort finalists to academic meetings.

How to prepare for the individual interview. During the interview, our primary goal is to get to know you. Your application piqued our curiosity and we want to know more about your interests, ideas, and aspirations. The committee will ask you questions related to the four pillars of the Cutler Scholars program: intellectual curiosity, leadership, service, and character. They may also ask you to say more about ideas or activities you mentioned in your application. In most cases, there will also be enough time for you to ask
questions that you may have about the program and Ohio University.

The best thing you can do during the interview is relax and be yourself. In short, you should just prepare to do you!

Here are a few additional suggestions to help you feel confident and comfortable during your interview:

Identify two or three important things you want to communicate about yourself during the interview. Reread your application and reflect on your academic interests, leadership, and community engagement experiences. Is there anything you wish you had mentioned in the application? Important experiences you want to say more about?

Spend time reviewing our website and reading about the mission and history of the Cutler Scholars Program. Familiarize yourself with the Cutler Scholars Program experience by reviewing the webpages about our community, enrichment experiences, and colloquium.

To learn more about the day-to-day life of a Cutler Scholar, check out our Instagram page! Current Cutler Scholars take turns posting and curating our feed.

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