Accepted Students

students welcoming new students to campus

Welcome to ONU

You’ve made it. Nice work. Your high school journey is coming to an end, but your future begins right now. When you join our community, you’re joining a unique combination of academics and tradition, where you’ll develop as a student, as a leader and as a person. Your time at Northern will be a celebration of everything you’ve worked so hard to achieve – and the goals you’ve yet to meet. So let’s get started.

New Polar Bear Resources

Next Steps

TIME TO CELEBRATE

The value of choosing ONU

A statue of Klondike stands at Ohio Northern University’s Dial-Roberson Stadium.

Photo of ONU students with welcome signs

Orange and Black Accepted Student Days

Accepted for Fall 2025? Make plans to attend our next Orange and Black Accepted Student Day. This program is offered to our accepted students and parents to assist you in finalizing your college decision. The schedule includes academic programming in your chosen major, a campus life and student activity fair, residence hall and campus tours, and sessions on campus services and financial aid.

Dates:
Feb. 22, 2025
March 22, 2025

Register

Make your deposit and make it official

Reserve your spot in the entering class by submitting your deposit. When you submit your deposit, you will be given access to set up your ONU email, register for Summer Orientation, and select your housing.

Make Your Deposit Now

Summer Orientation & Welcome Weekend

Each summer, New Polar Bears and their parents participate in ONU's Summer Orientation Program. During this program, you'll meet other students, become familiar with campus services, and register for fall classes.

Summer Orientation Dates: June 3, 4, 12, 13

Welcome Weekend consists of Move-In Day and five days of fun activities designed to help you make new friends and get ready for the start of fall classes. Dates for Welcome Weekend are August 20-24.

Registration for Summer Orientation will open Jan. 1, 2025.

Learn more

Traditions, Legacies and Legends

At Northern, tradition isn’t just about the past. It’s about our people, today and tomorrow, and the stories we author along the way. All of them speak of the strong bonds we build at ONU.

POLAR PLUNGE–We’ve been known to brave temperatures in the teens to raise funds for charity during Delta Sigma Phi’s Polar Plunge.

student jumping into cold water at polar plunge

THE SPIRIT ROCK–Painting the Spirit Rock is the way we express our Polar Bear pride in support of events, clubs and organizations.

FESTIVAL OF COLORS–We celebrate spring’s arrival with the Hindu Festival of Colors, a free-for-all frolic of throwing colored powder at each other.

GET DOWN AND DIRTY–If we’re not tossing colored powder at each other, we’re flinging mud. The unofficial start of the school year happens each fall during our annual Mud Volleyball Tournament.

KLONDIKE SPIRIT–We cheer each other on for absolutely everything. From game day to exam day, we have each other’s backs.

SITTING WITH OUR SWEETHEARTS–ONU draws together people who might not otherwise cross paths. Polar Bear sweethearts often get engaged on campus, and the stone benches scattered across campus commemorate their love.

POLAR BEAR KISSES–Studying is a great start, but everyone knows the surest way to ace an exam is to kiss the nose of the polar bear in Dicke Hall.

RUN, WALK OR ROLL–No matter the time of day, someone is putting ONU’s nearly three-mile Green Monster jogging path to good use. But it’s much more than just a jogging path; students, faculty and the community can be found riding bikes, rollerblading and w

VIRTUAL FINANCIAL AID MEETINGS

Connect with the financial aid staff in virtual meetings specifically designed for accepted students and families. You are able to review financial aid offers, discuss payment options and outline important next steps. All virtual meetings are held on Zoom.

Schedule a virtual meeting

IMPORTANT LINKS

You’re getting so close! You’re almost a Polar Bear. There are just a few more things to know.

Spring Semester 2025 | Accepted Student Information

Accepted Student Information

Check out important information below for freshmen and transfer students starting in January 2025.

All new students/transfer students will arrive and move-in on Thursday, Jan. 16.
Please log into our internal site (my.onu.edu) to access important information, a detailed schedule, and your arrival checklist. Go to my.onu.edu/orientation/spring_experience (you will need to use your ONU network log-in to access it).

SPEAK LIKE A POLAR BEAR

GenEd - General Education Program, the liberal arts core curriculum required of every student.

GNBs or Good News Bears will assist new students during the Summer Orientation program.

Green Monster - Emerald green outdoor track located around campus for walking, biking or roller blading. Track is 2.5 miles in length.

King Horn is the complex which includes cardio and weight rooms, various sports courts, an indoor track, and pool.

Klondike the polar bear is our beloved mascot!

Klondike’s a student lounge in McIntosh Center.

Mac is the all-you-care-to-eat dining facility located within McIntosh Center.

Orientation Leaders or OLs are a group of energetic, fun and dedicated leaders will assist during the Welcome Weekend program.

Polar Dollars students can use their ONU Student ID card as a debit card by depositing money onto their card in the Controller’s Office.

Northern Lights located in Heterick Library sells smoothies, coffee and bottled drinks.

RA - Resident Assistant is a student who supervises, assists and provides programming for residents in residence halls

RD - Resident Director is the upper-class student who coordinates the residence hall community and oversees the RAs

ResLife - The Office of Residence Life, located in McIntosh Center, is in charge of all on-campus housing.

SPC - (Student Planning Committee) is a student organization on campus which puts on FUN and always FREE entertainment each week for all students.

Student Senate - The governing student body of Ohio Northern University which is comprised of student leaders who strive to actively participate in the formulation and application of University policy

Student-Ls - The google group based system that sends campus announcements to your inbox.

The Tundra is the large grassy area between the residence halls and the academic buildings, with the English Chapel at one end and Fraternity circle on the other. This 8.56 acre area – which would hold 8 football fields side by side – serves as a popular location for events as well as downtime for students.

WOW Café (World of Wings American Grill) is the grab and go dining location in McIntosh Center