Goldwater Scholarship

Applicants first submit their materials to a campus committee for review in early January (2021). Cornell may nominate four students, plus one transfer student, to the national competition. The campus committee and the Fellowship Coordinator offer the five nominees advice on how to improve their materials for final submission. Nominees submit the final version of their applications in late January.Selection decisions (both on-campus and at the national level) are based on these criteria:

• Academic record: A high GPA (above 3.85), evidence of “intellectual intensity” as shown by early participation in graduate courses, and research outside the classroom make a strong record. Presentations on campus or at conferences indicate the potential to make a contribution to the 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 faculty members or research supervisors who can discuss your potential for a career in math/science/engineering. A letter from an employer who has supervised your research is welcome. At least one letter must be from faculty in your field of study. NOTE: Letters of Recommendation should be no more than two pages, have one-inch margins on all sides, be single spaced, use 12 point font and be printed on letterhead.

Students’ applications must be processed and endorsed through the CCS fellowships office to be eligible for the competition at the regional and/or national level. Endorsement decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

The Foundation’s application materials will be available online by September 2023.

The Fellowship Coordinator will forward your application materials to the Cornell Endorsement Committee. Make sure that you read the fine print on the application forms and that you have filled in all the blanks as you would for the final submission. All materials must arrive to 103 Barnes Hall by 4:30 pm by deadline.

• Nominee Application (available online Goldwater Foundation).
• Nominee Essay (separate from the application; send as a PDF doc).
  • Research essays should be single spaced and use 12 point Arial font. Margins should be 1 inch on all sides. Page length, including bibliographic information and references, must not exceed 3 pages. The essay must include your name and the name of your academic institution in the header at the top of each page. The Research Essay may be formatted in either one or two columns on a page. As appropriate, utilize graphs, tables, and figures in the essay to explain or clarify results. Figure and caption options may use 10 point Arial font.  Do not staple the pages.
• College transcript(s) from each institution attended.
• Three Letters of Recommendation
  • Students list three recommenders and their email address in their application. The letters should be from faculty who know you well, both academically and personally. Two of the three evaluations must be from the faculty members who can discuss your potential for a career in math/science/engineering. If you have done research, one of your letters must be from the individual who supervised your work. Recommenders are asked to evaluate your initiative, maturity, and potential for a career in math, science, or engineering. NOTE: Letters of Recommendation should be no more than two pages, have one-inch margins on all sides, be single spaced, use 12 point font and be printed on letterhead.

Endorsement

Up to five applicants (if one endorsed applicant is a transfer student), may be endorsed by the campus committee. The campus committee may offer nominees advice on how to improve their materials for final submission. Nominees must submit the final version of their materials for approval to the Fellowships Coordinator by January 2024, before submitting the application electronically.

• Nominee Application
• Essay
• College Transcript(s) from each institution attended
• Three Letters of Recommendation