Barry Goldwater Scholarship

To be considered for nomination as a Goldwater Scholar, a student must:

• Be a United States citizen, a permanent resident, or, in the case of nominees from American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a United States national;
• Be a full-time, matriculated sophomore or junior pursuing a degree at an accredited institution of higher education at the time of application;*
• Have a college grade-point average of at least a “B” (or the equivalent) and be in the upper fourth of their class; and
• Intend to pursue a research career in the natural sciences, mathematics, or engineering.

All applicants must adhere to URAF’s Principles and Policies for Applicants, including its academic and disciplinary good-standing requirements.

Scholarships of up to $7,500 a year are provided to help cover costs associated with tuition, mandatory fees, books, room and board. A sophomore who receives a Goldwater Scholarship will receive up to $7,500 in each of their junior and senior years. A junior who receives a Goldwater Scholarship will receive up to $7,500 in their senior year.

Harvard Nomination

The Harvard nomination committee considers:

• Academic excellence;
• Contributions applicants have made to their fields thus far;
• Involvement in research and other activities that prepare applicants for careers in their chosen fields; and
• Applicants’ promise and potential to make an impact in their fields and future careers.

Goldwater Foundation Selection

In awarding scholarships, the Foundation’s Board of Trustees considers each nominee’s promise and potential to advance knowledge in their chosen field. Applicants are evaluated on their academic achievements and demonstrated commitment to a research career in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering.

Important elements of the nominee’s application include:

• Academic record;
• Research experience and research essay;
• Career goals and professional aspirations;
• Social and/or economic circumstances that have influenced the applicant’s education;
• Activities and accomplishments;
• Recognition and awards;
• Leadership; and
• Recommendations.

Serious candidates for this nomination round will have thoroughly read the application instructions.

Students should connect with their research mentors and House Fellowship Tutors as they draft their materials for nomination.

Two Application Portals

The nomination process asks that applicants work with two portals:

1. The official Goldwater Scholarship portal; and
2. The Harvard University Funding Portal.

Step 1: Submit the Goldwater Pre-Application

To start the application process, applicants must submit a pre-application form through the Goldwater Scholarship national site.

The pre-application is reviewed by the Campus Representative. Once approved, the applicant will have access to the full Goldwater Scholarship application. It takes three to five business days for pre-applications to be approved.

The scholarship portal for applications will open on the first Tuesday in September. Do not submit a pre-application before that time.

A completed Goldwater Scholarship application is required for the nomination round.

Step 2: Prepare the Goldwater Application Materials

Applicants must:

• Complete the full, multipart application using the Goldwater Scholarship portal;
• Prepare a research essay according to the scholarship’s formatting instructions; and
• Save both materials as PDF files.

It is expected that all applicants prepare their materials according to the specific formatting instructions of the Goldwater Scholarship.

Any materials that do not follow the Scholarship’s formatting instructions will not be considered for the nomination process.

Step 3: Submit the Materials to Harvard

The PDF files must be uploaded to the opportunity “Goldwater Scholarship for STEM Excellence” in the Harvard University Funding Portal.

Only the materials submitted to the Harvard University Funding Portal will be reviewed for the nomination round. Further explanation can be found in the instructions.

Harvard Nomination Review

Upon application submission, complete applications are reviewed by a selection committee comprising academics across the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics.

Applicants will be notified of their application status—whether or not they have been nominated—in the second week of December.

National Application

Nominees will then have one month to make any final revisions to their national applications.

All applications for the national round will be submitted by the last Friday in January at 5:00 p.m. CT.