The 2021 Coolidge Scholarship application is now live. Don't miss this opportunity for interested juniors.
The Coolidge Scholarship is a full-ride, four-year, merit scholarship that may be used by recipients for undergraduate study at any accredited college or university in the United States. Any high school junior who plans to enroll in college in the fall of 2022 and is an American citizen or legal permanent resident is eligible to apply (current high school seniors are not eligible to apply).
Coolidge Scholars are selected based primarily on academic excellence. Secondary criteria include: an interest in public policy, an appreciation for the values President Coolidge championed, as well as humility and service. Today’s competitive academic culture regrettably sometimes drives students to hype their accomplishments and pursue ambitious efforts merely to attain credentials. The Coolidge Scholarship pushes back on this trend. Successful candidates are indeed accomplished, but exhibit humility with respect to their achievements and pursue things of genuine interest to them regardless of the perceived prestige associated with the activity. A complete description of the scholarship’s criteria is available here.
The competition for the Coolidge Scholarship is indeed significant -- but even students who do not win have reported to us they are glad they went through the application process because it helps prepare them for college applications later on. Furthermore, the Coolidge Foundation invites 100 of the top applicants to participate in its Coolidge Senators Program, which includes an all-expenses-paid Summit Weekend in Washington, D.C and a one-time $1,000 scholarship. Applicants who make it to the finalist level, but do not ultimately win the full scholarship, also receive a modest one-time finalist scholarship.
Alert: the application requires that applicants read President Coolidge’s Autobiography and complete a few other reading assignments. While the book is not overly long, we encourage applicants to begin the application early so that they have plenty of time. Candidates who begin the application at the last minute are unlikely to be successful. The submission deadline is 5:00 PM EST, Wednesday, January 20, 2021.
The scholarship application, along with additional information, can be accessed on our scholarship site: www.coolidgescholars.org. Please note If you have any questions regarding the scholarship, the Coolidge Scholars Program can be reached by email at coolidgescholars@coolidgefoundation.org or by phone at (202) 827-4291.
*original post 11-20-2020
