The Goldwater Scholarship is a highly prestigious national award that recognizes the nation’s top undergraduates in science, math, and engineering fields. Goldwater Scholars receive funding for their final year or two of undergraduate study, and are well-positioned for graduate school applications and awards.

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Who should apply?

The Goldwater Scholarship was created to encourage outstanding students to pursue research careers and foster excellence in STEM fields. The Goldwater program is looking for students with the talent, passion, and preparation to become leading researchers in STEM fields.

To be eligible, you must:

• be a US citizen or permanent resident
• be enrolled full-time in an eligible STEM field or major
• have minimum 3.0 GPA
• have between 1-2 academic years of full-time undergraduate study remaining*
• be nominated by your home institution (details below)

Goldwater Scholars typically have:

• GPA above 3.7
• Strong research experience
• A record of publishing and/or presenting their research at conferences
• Plans to pursue advanced degrees, usually the PhD**
• Vision and commitment to pursuing research career in your field

*Transfer students are especially encouraged to apply.
**Note that students who plan to study medicine are eligible for a Goldwater Scholarship only if they plan a research career rather than a career as a practicing physician.

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How to Apply

To apply for the Goldwater Scholarship, you must be nominated by Drexel University. We hold an open campus competition for nomination beginning in October.

Step 1: Get Ready

Students interested in applying for the Goldwater Scholarship are encouraged to do the following well in advance of the campus nomination deadline:

• Attend an information session and/or review the information on our Fellowships Resource Site to learn more about the Goldwater Scholarship.
• Complete a Student Profile: Students must complete a Student Profile and Pre-Application on the Goldwater website in order to gain access to the application portal. We recommend completing this step soon after application opens on the first Tuesday of September so you have ample time to prepare your campus application. 

Step 2: Apply for Nomination

You MUST submit a campus application to be considered for university nomination. Complete Step 1 and submit a Goldwater Profile and Pre-App to receive an application. The pre-app is NOT the application for nomination; you must submit a draft of the actual application. Please note that we will not give draft feedback before selecting nominees.

View more information on what you will need to submit for the Nomination Application and confirm this year's campus deadline on our Fellowships Resource Site.

Required Internal Application Deadline: Mid-October
Confirm this year's campus deadline on the Fellowships Resource Site. Drexel's Goldwater Nominating Committee, composed of STEM faculty and Undergraduate Research and Enrichment Programs representatives, will review applications and select up to four nominees.

Goldwater Nominees will be announced shortly thereafter and provided with feedback for revising the application materials. Sample application materials are available on our Fellowships Resource Site.

Step 3: Nominee Application Review

Campus review deadline (for nominees): Early January
Nominated students will submit a full application, including letters of recommendation by this date. Nominees will meet with the nominating committee in early January to discuss their applications and receive feedback.

Step 4. National Application Deadline

Goldwater's national deadline is the last Friday in January. At this time, applicants must submit final versions of all application materials through the Goldwater application portal. UREP will add your Drexel transcript, recommendation letters, and nomination statement before submitting your application to the national competition.

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More Information

More information about the Goldwater Scholarship, including application tips and samples, is available on the Drexel Fellowships Resource Site.

For official information on the Barry Goldwater Scholarship (which supersedes any information provided here), visit the Goldwater Scholarship website.

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Related Awards:

NOAA Hollings Scholarship; DoD SMART

Last updated: September 2024