Barry Goldwater Scholarship

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About

Established by Congress in 1986, the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program is designed to attract outstanding students into careers in mathematics, the natural sciences, and engineering. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit to students who are sophomores or juniors during the current academic year and who have excellent academic records and demonstrated interest in and potential for careers in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering.

Eligibility

To be considered for nomination, a student must:

• Be a full-time matriculated sophomore or junior pursuing a degree at an accredited institution of higher education and intend to pursue research careers in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering.
• Have a college grade-point average of at least "B" (or the equivalent) and be in the upper fourth of his or her class.
• Be a United States citizen, a permanent resident, or, in the case of students nominated from American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands, a United States national. Nominations from permanent residents must include a letter of the nominated student's intent to obtain U.S. citizenship and a photocopy of the Permanent Resident Card (also known as the Alien Registration Card or Green Card).

Qualifications

• Preferred are students who have already been engaged in research or have some ideas about specific problems or areas they would like to investigate via research.
• The Foundation Board of Trustees will consider the nominee's field of study and career objectives and the extent to which that individual has the commitment and potential to make a significant contribution to his or her field.
• Nominees must include in their nomination materials a statement of interest in a career in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering, detailing how their academic program and their overall educational plans will prepare them for their chosen career goal.
• It is expected that students selected as scholars will pursue advanced degrees.

Application Process and Deadlines 

Create an account and submit the Interest Form

• To begin the application process, create an account in the Goldwater application portal (Scholarship America) and submit the Interest Form. On the nomination page, scroll down to Point 3 and submit the Interest Form.
• Submitting the Interest Form allows CWRU to review your eligibility and, if approved, provide you with access to the complete application. You will receive a notification from the system once your Interest Form has been reviewed and approved.
• The interest form must be submitted by Friday, October 23, 2026.
  • After this deadline, you will no longer be able to start an application.

Complete the Goldwater application

• Following approval of your online Interest Form, you must log into your account and complete all sections of your profile/application. You may save your information in the portal and return to edit it at any time until the deadline.
• The full application must be completed by Friday, October 30, 2026.
  • After this deadline, you will no longer be able to edit your application.

Complete the Goldwater Supplemental Application

• Following approval of your online Interest Form, candidates will also receive a Goldwater Supplemental Application via email from CWRU's Campus Representative.
• The completed Supplemental Application must be submitted to scholarshipsandfellowships@case.edu by Friday, October 30, 2026.
  • If this does not occur, applicants are no longer considered eligible for campus endorsement.

Request recommendation letters

• Connect with your references in advance of completing the application and share the information provided for Letter Writers.
  • There are strict guidelines provided by the Goldwater Foundation regarding the structure and content of these letters.
• After you add a recommender's name and contact information in the application portal, the letter writer will receive an email from the portal with instructions and a link to log in and submit.
  • Letter writers are required to answer a few questions as wellas upload a PDF version of their recommendation letter through the portal by Friday, October 30, 2026.

Campus Selection Committee: application review, interview and notification

• All complete and eligible applications will be reviewed by the Campus Selection Committee. Applications/Applicants determined to be most competitive will be invited to participate in an interview with the Campus Selection Committee in November. Notification to the students selected for campus endorsement to represent CWRU at the national-level competition will be notified by Friday, December 4, 2026.

Finalize and submit the national application

If you are endorsed by CWRU, you will work with your Campus Representative to strengthen your application based on feedback from the Campus Selection Committee and submit your final application through the Goldwater portal by Friday, January 22, 2027.

The Campus Representative will review your final submission, process the CWRU endorsement, and approve the final submission prior to the national deadline: Friday, January, 29, 2027 by 5 PM ET.

Past Winners

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