Office of Student Life
Get Involved
Student Involvement Fair

Timeline for Getting Involved

Every student chooses a different way to get involved and a different timeframe that suits their own schedule. Some find one or two things right away to start meeting people and getting acclimated. Others wait a few weeks or even a semester before jumping in. It’s never too late to get involved, but the sooner you do, the sooner you start reaping the benefits. *Note that deadlines are likely to change. Consult individual websites for most up to date information.

Autumn Semester

  • Student Involvement Fair: Held during Welcome Week on the Sunday before autumn classes begin welcomeweek.osu.edu
  • Community Commitment: Start the first weekend of the semester with community service payitforward.osu.edu
  • Community Councils: Elections to community council positions are at the start of autumn semester (Check with your RA or Hall Director)USG Committee Representatives: Application online beginning of autumn semester usg.osu.edu
  • OUAB: Applications due beginning of autumn semester ouab.osu.edu
  • Commuter Mentoring Program: Sign up in Autumn or Spring offcampus.osu.edu
  • Basketball Tickets: Order basketball tickets in the beginning of autumn semester ohiostatebuckeyes.com
  • BuckeyeThon Autumn Events: Attend the BuckeyeThon Welcome event, Fashion Show and more throughout the semester. Participation is free for all; some events may require you to be a registered team member buckeyethon.osu.edu
  • BuckeyeThon Dance Marathon: Sign up in fall to dance in spring semester buckeyethon.osu.edu
  • BuckeyeThon Internal Team: Applications open at the beginning of autumn semester buckeyethon.osu.edu/getinvolved
  • Sorority and Fraternity Life: Meet chapters in all four councils before recruitment or intake begins sfl.osu.edu
  • CarnOval: Learn about The Office of Student Life’s Leadership and Community Engagement programming and cohort opportunities at our mini carnival on the South Oval during the first week of September go.osu.edu/LCECarnOval
  • Leadership Week: A week of leadership programs held the first week of October go.osu.edu/LeadershipWeek
  • Buck-I-SERV Alternative Winter Break Trip Leader and Participant Applications: Available mid-August and due in October buckiserv.osu.edu
  • MLK Day of Service Site Leader Applications: Available in November payitforward.osu.edu
  • Buck-I-SERV Alternative Spring Break Trip Leader and Participant Applications: Available early October and due at the end of November buckiserv.osu.edu
  • Peer Leader Applications: Available at the end of autumn semester and generally due around the third week of January fye.osu.edu
  • Semester of Service Spring Participants Applications: Available and due in November go.osu.edu/semesterofservice
  • Beanie Drake Scholarship: Application available at the end of autumn semester and due mid-March go.osu.edu/beaniedrake
  • National Hazing Prevention Week: An annual campaign to raise awareness and increase education about hazing stophazing.osu.edu

Spring Semester

  • Spring Student Involvement Fair: Held during January in the Ohio Union go.osu.edu/SIF
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service: Occurs on MLK Day in January payitforward.osu.edu
  • Resident Advisor: Applications due in January housing.osu.edu
  • Service Cohorts: Applications for Buck-I-SERV Board and Pay It Forward are available in Spring semester go.osu.edu/servicecohorts
  • SAC Scholarships: Typically come out the first or second week of January and are usually due around the end of January osu.edu/alumni/communities/sac/
  • Leadership Awards: Applications open in early January and close at the end of January. Celebration occurs in April! To learn more, visit go.osu.edu/LeadershipAwards
  • Class Honoraries: Applications out in January and due in February getinvolved.osu.eduBuckeyeThon’s Dance Marathon: Sign up in fall to dance in spring semester buckeyethon.osu.edu
  • BuckeyeThon Internal Team: Applications go out on the Monday following the event (February), and they are typically selected in March buckeyethon.osu.edu/getinvolved
  • Denman Undergraduate Research Forum: Applications out in January and due in March ugresearch.osu.edu
  • Sorority and Fraternity Life: Meet chapters in all four councils before recruitment or intake begins sfl.osu.edu
  • USG Elections: Petitions to run for an elected office are due in February. Elections are held in March usg.osu.edu
  • OWL Coordinator: Applications available at the beginning of spring semester housing.osu.edu
  • Denman Undergraduate Research Forum: The forum itself takes place in April denman.osu.edu
  • Community Commitment Site Leader applications: Available in August go.osu.edu/ComCom
  • Buck-I-SERV Alternative Summer Break Trip Leader and Participant Applications: Available in January and due mid-February buckiserv.osu.edu
  • RHAC: Elections for the Residence Halls Advisory Council executive board held during spring semester rhac.osu.edu
  • Community Ambassadors: Applications available spring semester offcampus.osu.edu
  • Football Tickets: Order student football tickets in late May/early June ohiostatebuckeyes.com
  • Second Year Transformational Experience Program: While submitting your housing contract, enroll in the STEP program step.osu.edu
  • Housing Contracts: All students living on campus should submit your housing contracts housing.osu.edu
  • BuckeyeThon Spring Events: Attend the BuckeyeThon Block Party and more throughout the semester. Participation is free for all buckeyethon.osu.edu
  • Homecoming Court Applications: Recognizing students who embody leadership qualities, spirit, integrity and achievement through their contributions and involvement at Ohio State, are due in the spring homecoming.osu.edu/court
  • Philanthropy Week: A week of programming around Philanthropy at Ohio State held the first week in March go.osu.edu/philanthropyweek

Ongoing

  • Student Organizations: Many student organizations accept new members all year go.osu.edu/FindAStudentOrg
  • Heritage and Awareness Events: Weeks and months honoring cultural history traditions throughout the year cbsc.osu.edu
  • D-Tix: Purchase discount tickets to events, museums and experience around Columbus dtix.osu.edu
  • OUAB Events: OUAB hosts free educational, entertaining and thought-provoking programs all year ouab.osu.edu
  • Apply for a job on-campus: On-campus employers are hiring all year handshake.osu.edu
  • LEAD Series: Develop your leadership skills in this workshops open to all Buckeyes. Learn more at go.osu.edu/LEADSeries
  • Leadership Certificates: Build leadership skills in a 6-week certificate program go.osu.edu/LEADCertificates
  • Intramural Sports: Get active and have fun with friends playing intramural sports. Learn more and sign up at go.osu.edu/getinthegame
  • Local Service Trips: Check out local service opportunities go.osu.edu/LocalServiceTrips