Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship

Website: http://www.act.org/goldwater/

Campus deadline: November 1, 2007
Foundation deadline: January 31, 2008

**Candidates must be nominated by UW–Madison and may not apply directly. Students interested in applying should contact the Undergraduate Academic Awards Office for more information about the application process. Contact person: Julie Stubbs, 265-2428, awards@provost.wisc.edu

Purpose: Established by congress in 1986 to honor the career of Senator Barry Goldwater, these scholarships encourage promising students who plan research careers in the engineering, mathematics or natural science fields.

Award: These scholarships are worth up to $7,500 per year for college expenses. Junior level recipients may receive a maximum of two years of support. Senior level recipients will receive a maximum of one year of support. Up to 300 scholarships are awarded annually.

Eligibility
Apply as a sophomore or junior who:

  • Is matriculated and pursuing a bachelor’s degree during the academic year of application.
  • Expects to be enrolled as a full-time junior or senior at the UW-Madison during the following academic year (when the scholarship takes effect).
  • Shows outstanding potential for, and plans to pursue, a career in mathematics, natural sciences or engineering research. MD alone does not qualify, but MD/PhD does.
  • Has an outstanding scholastic record in high school and college (average scholar GPA >3.75)
  • Is a United States citizen, national, or resident alien intending to obtain citizenship.
  • Research activities not required, but highly desirable.

Selection Criteria

  • Academic achievement (grades, level of courses, awards, scholarships)
  • Progress toward research goals (research activities, career goals, course work)
  • Research essay (technical content, bibliography, organization/grammar)
  • Letters of recommendation (commitment to research, intellectual curiosity, potential for research contributions)
  • Equal weight is given to the four evaluation criteria.

Application Process: By the campus deadline applicants must submit a completed application which includes short essays, a research essay, college and high school transcripts and three letters of reference (please see application checklist). In November, the UW–Madison committee reviews applications and endorses up to four candidates. Candidates nominated by the university will have the opportunity to revise their applications based on feedback from the committee. The Foundation deadline is late January/early February. In March the Goldwater Scholars and alternates are selected by the Board; in April nominees are notified of their final status in the competition.

Submit applications to: Goldwater Selection Committee, c/o Undergraduate Academic Awards Office, 271 Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706.

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