Cincinnati media: UC surprises area high school students with admissions and scholarships
Decision Day is one of the 'most exciting' days for the University of Cincinnati
Class was already underway when Anna Horgan was ushered into a meeting room at Seton High School.
The high school senior was genuinely surprised with a visit by the Bearcat mascot, her family and the television cameras, who came along to capture the moment. Horgan was the first Bearcat admitted to the University of Cincinnati in 2023. She also received a $2,000 UC grant.
“I am very excited. I was not expecting it at all,” Horgan told Fox 19. “They did a good job of keeping it a secret.”
UC sent 25,000 of letters of admissions to students who applied by the early deadline for fall 2023. University officials, joined by members of UC's Bearcat Bands, dance and cheer teams and the Bearcat mascot, made surprise visits to area high schools.
Helen Dawit, a senior at Western Hills University High School, speaks with media after learning she won the Marian Spencer Scholarship to the University of Cincinnati. Photo?Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand
Four students who attended Cincinnati Public Schools also learned they were winners of the Marian Spencer Scholarship. The first batch of Spencer scholars were Helen Dawit of Western Hills University High School, Jaylen Green and Jamiah Mixon, both of Withrow University High School, and Kailei Brown of Woodward High School.
Some programs at UC are now closed for admissions while others are continuing to accept applications until March 1.
Media from across Cincinnati covered the day’s events:
“Happy Decision Day,” said Jack Miner, vice provost of enrollment management, to a Fox 19 audience. “This is the most exciting day for the University of Cincinnati and one of the most exciting days for Cincinnati as a whole. We are surprising some of the greatest students we have in the city.”
Read our full story and see photos from the day.
Featured image at top: Anna Horgan with her parents Jen and Tim Horgan at Seton High School on Decision Day 2023. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand
Tags
Related Stories
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine celebrates Class of 2026 at Honors Day
April 21, 2026
The UC College of Medicine celebrates the Class of 2026 at Honors Day. With a 100% residency match rate, 177 new MD, MD-PhD and MD-MPH graduates prepare for top-tier training nationwide.
Mini-brain reveals how concussions trigger neurodegenerative cascades
April 21, 2026
Medical XPress highlights biomedical engineering research at the University of Cincinnati that used a mini-brain model to study the cascade of neurodegenerative effects caused by blunt-force trauma associated with concussions.
UC hosts successful RAISE AI summit with high school outreach
April 21, 2026
The University of Cincinnati in March hosted its Responsible AI for Student Empowerment summit. The conference, created in collaboration by UC's 1819 Innovation Hub and UC Digital Technology Solutions, works to bring together students from local schools for a day of inspiration, robotics and cutting-edge AI exploration. Due to overwhelming interest from schools across the region, the university added a second conference date so other schools could participate.