Many of the thousands of undergraduates who have received Goldwater Scholarships have gone on to win other prestigious awards that support our Scholars’ graduate school work, such as the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship, the Churchill Scholarship, the Rhodes Scholarship, and the Graduate Fellowship from the National Science Foundation. You can make full use of this chance!
Overview of Barry Goldwater Scholarship
The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation was founded by Congress in 1986 with the goal of promoting and encouraging excellence in science and mathematics.
The program’s objective is to offer educational opportunities to American undergraduate students who have demonstrated exceptional academic performance and exceptional potential for research.
Each award pays for qualified undergraduate expenses such as books, room & board, tuition, and fees. Scholarship recipients for one or two years are called Goldwater Scholars.
Eligibility Requirements
- US citizens, permanent residents (Green Card holders), or US nationals who are enrolled full-time as sophomores or juniors who want to work in mathematics, engineering, or the natural sciences as researchers are eligible.
- A minimum grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale is required of applicants.
- It is anticipated that Goldwater Scholars will work in fields involving research and seek graduate degrees. Candidates who want to pursue a career in research rather than medicine (such as an MD or PhD) are the only ones eligible to apply.
Application Information
Prospective applicants should first thoroughly review the materials provided on the official Goldwater website and this application page.
Please disregard any instructions to complete a pre-application on the Goldwater site; the pre-application questions are replicated in this form. Use of the Goldwater system will be restricted to nominated candidates only.
In order to apply, you must submit:
- Three letters of recommendation are required; two must come from someone who can speak to the applicant’s potential for a future in mathematics, engineering, or the natural sciences, and one must come from a faculty member in the applicant’s field of study. The person who oversaw the applicant’s work must provide one rating if the applicant has participated in research.
- An application will be submitted through the Student Grants Database. You will use the Goldwater application tool to submit an application if you are chosen as a nominee.
- Typed research essay, limited to three pages. An important topic or subject in the applicant’s field of study that particularly interests them should be covered in the essay. At the top of each page of the essay, the following identifying information must be included: 1) The student’s name; and 2) The college or university that the student attends. A format with one or two columns can be employed.
- Transcripts: Unofficial transcripts may be submitted by applicants for the first campus competition. However, nominees will have to ask the University Registrar for official transcripts in order to compete in the subsequent national competition. Any other post-secondary school attended must also provide an authentic transcript, which should be delivered straight to the Fellowships office. For every transcript, only one official copy is needed.
In advance of the national deadline in late January, candidates whose applications are selected to advance to the national competition will have the chance to complete them with guidance from the committee.
The next class of Goldwater Scholars and Honorable Mentions are typically announced in late March, following the national selection process.
The candidates’ subject of study, professional goals, and degree of commitment to their field, as well as their potential for making a major contribution, will all be taken into account when choosing the prize recipients.
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