Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship

Campus Deadline: November 18, 2009

Terms
The Goldwater Scholarship was established to foster and encourage excellence in science and mathematics in the U.S. Awards are made annually, each scholarship providing a maximum of $7,500 per year for tuition, fees, books, and room and board. Sophomore applicants are eligible for two years of support; junior applicants are eligible for one year of support. Two hundred and seventy-eight scholarships were awarded for 2009-2010. 

Eligibility
Current sophomores and juniors who are U.S. citizens or resident aliens with stated intent to obtain U.S. citizenship. Students' ultimate educational goal should be the Ph.D.; the competition is not appropriate for students intending to go to medical school or to stop their education at the master's level. 

Selection
Applicants first submit their materials to a campus committee for review. Cornell chooses four students as nominees to the national Goldwater Scholarship competition. The campus committee offers the four nominees advice (through the Fellowship Coordinator) on how to improve their materials for final submission. Nominees submit the final version of their applications by late January.

Selection decisions (both on-campus and at the national level) are based on the following criteria:

• Academic record: A GPA above 3.85 and evidence of "intellectual intensity" as shown by early participation in graduate courses and accomplishments outside the classroom make a strong record. Selection committees also look for the potential to make significant future contributions in your chosen field.
• Commitment to a career in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering: Internships, research, and related employment strengthen a student's application. Students should also have shown involvement in math/science/engineering student or professional organizations.
• Three letters of recommendation: Evaluations must be from two faculty members who can discuss your potential for a career in math/science/engineering. At least one of these must be in your field of study. The third letter should be from a faculty member who can attest to your potential. If you have done research, one of your letters must be from the individual who supervised your work.
  
  

Contact
Beth Fiori, Fellowships Coordinator
103 Barnes Hall
btf1@cornell.edu