Off-site auditions: faculty representatives typically attend Dancewave Through College & Beyond and other events throughout the year. Please be sure to stop by our booth at Dancewave to introduce yourself and email dance@osu.edu to request a dance audition application fee waiver. 

You must still plan attend one of our in-person auditions for best consideration. You may also select the online option. In order to be considered for admission to the university and accepted as a Dance major, you must fulfill all of the items in the timelines above! 

All applicants must complete the Department of Dance Audition Application. You will receive further instructions after submitting the audition application. If you have any questions, please contact the Academic Program Coordinator. 

Acceptance into the BFA Program is determined through careful consideration of your:

• dance training, experience, and goals
• essay for Ohio State Admissions
• activities and interests outside of dance
• required creative prompt (solo) and interview responses. You will receive instructions about creative work to share and preview the interview prompts.
• required movement audition: includes a variety of movement practices, such as African, contemporary, and ballet.  No separate headshot or dance resume are required as part of the audition. Please wear comfortable clothing with clear and simple lines. It is best to wear a bright colored leotard or top. Bare feet and ballet shoes requested. No pointe shoes.

Considerations in the movement audition are:

• basic skills/coordination
• strength, flexibility, and alignment
• kinesthetic/spatial awareness
• mobility/weight transfer
• movement flow
• rhythm/musicality
• artistry
• stylistic versatility
• presence/performance quality

Dance Major Acceptance Process

Please note that all university admission materials must be submitted by November 1 for full consideration of competitive merit scholarships, honors, and scholars programs. If after the November 1 deadline, please apply prior to February 15 for FAFSA and university scholarships. The Common Application will be available beginning on August 1; the FAFSA will be available beginning on December 1.  

Transfer applicants to dance are encouraged to apply for admission to the Ohio State Columbus campus prior to February 1, which is the FAFSA and university scholarship deadline, and must apply no later than March 1 to be considered for admission to the university in autumn. Ohio State students changing/adding the Dance major or changing campus from regional to Columbus must audition in person; it is strongly recommended to schedule a meeting with the Academic Program Coordinator to plan coursework to prepare for the audition. 

Please note that admissions application and the dance audition are separate processes; in other words, you may hear about one decision before the other. While it is possible to hear from the dance audition first and then the university admissions office, it may also be that you will not hear an admissions office decision until after the audition. We recommend auditioning and applying early!

Within the audition application, you will be able to select your audition date. We do not pre-screen auditionees - we look forward to seeing all auditionees at our audition events! You will receive a confirmation email closer to the chosen date. All auditionees are notified of the audition decision within two weeks after the audition, with both audition dates being considered equally. Our goal is to have approximately 30 incoming freshmen to the BFA Program for the Autumn Semester. Transfer, major change/add, and campus change students may join the major in Spring semester if accepted at the October audition if openings are available.

If you are unable to attend the audition events, please contact the Academic Program Coordinator. Family members are encouraged to attend. Review accommodation and transportation info for your convenience and reference. You will receive instructions for the online video audition process after submitting the audition application. Our goal is to be accessible (you need a phone and the internet, no paid choreographer or space rental necessary) and we can also collaborate with the admissions office for need-based travel grants once you are both accepted to the dance major and admitted to the university. 

University Undergraduate Admissions

First, please check the University Undergraduate Admissions webpage to access procedures and deadlines. Freshman applicants need to complete the Common Application for Ohio State University. Transfer applicants new to Ohio State must complete the University application in order to be considered for admission to the University. Current Ohio State students wishing to change majors to the BFA in Dance need not complete the University application. U.S. residents who are applying to Ohio State as freshmen or transfer students may qualify for an application fee waiver based on financial need. If you are eligible for a Common Application fee waiver, please email dance@osu.edu to request a dance audition application fee waiver as well. 

You may complete the Dance Audition Application prior to completing the University Application; however, we strongly encourage you to complete your University Application and submit ALL materials, including optional test scores and any letters of academic recommendation, no later than the priority deadline of November 1  in order to be considered for competitive university merit scholarships.  Any applications and materials not submitted by the regular deadline of January 15 will impact you receiving a university admission decision. 

IMPORTANT: ACT or SAT scores are required for University Admissions for Autumn 2026 onward!

While it is not required, we strongly recommend that Dance applicants submit a letter of recommendation from a core academic subject high school teacher or counselor that will specifically address any insights into your academic context (academics outside of dance). 

The Ohio State application does not need to be submitted or completed by the time you audition but it IS your responsibility to follow the university undergraduate admissions policies and deadlines. Applicants are encouraged to begin the university review process as early as possible, especially if the applicant wants to be considered for merit scholarship opportunities.  Deadlines are November 1 for merit scholarships and February 15 for FAFSA and university scholarships.

The University also offers Honors and Scholars programs. Visit the Honors and Scholars website for details; Scholars opportunities are ONLY available to incoming freshman while Honors is available to all eligible students either upon admission or after you have been enrolled at Ohio State. 

We strongly recommend that transfer applicants do indicate interest in STEP on the application. The Second-Year Transformational Experience Program is an excellent mentoring and research opportunity that includes a potential research/study abroad funding opportunity.

We encourage all Ohio residents to also select the Newark campus as an alternative choice to the Columbus campus. In special cases, a student may be eligible to start academically at a regional campus and later transfer to the Columbus campus.

For all admitted applicants and accepted auditionees, the Department of Dance requests your decision about coming to Ohio State by May 1 in order to prepare for our incoming class.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

For information on university financial aid please visit the Office of Student Financial Aid. Deadlines are November 1 for university merit scholarships and February 1 for FAFSA and university scholarships. You do not need to wait for the release of your financial aid "package" to come from Ohio State in March - be proactive and seeking additional and external scholarships early. Refer to our Undergraduate Tuition Scholarship page for helpful resources and tips.