The Coolidge Scholarship is a very big award, and one of the few scholarships for which students apply in the junior year (rather than senior year). The 2020 Coolidge Scholarship application is now live.
As a quick refresher, 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 on enrolling in college in the fall of 2021 and is an American citizen or legal permanent resident is eligible to apply (unfortunately 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 and understanding of the values President Coolidge championed, as well as humility and service.
The competition for the Coolidge Scholarship is indeed significant -- but even students who do not win have reported they are glad they went through the application process because it helps prepare them for college applications later on. Furthermore, the Coolidge Foundation invites the top 100 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, receive a one- time finalist scholarship of $5,000. The scholarship application, along with additional information, can be accessed on www.coolidgescholars.org. Please note the deadline is 5:00 PM EST, Thursday, January 16, 2020.
