Mission

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship is a distinguished undergraduate scholarship that provides up to $7,500 per year for rising college juniors and seniors in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering who are interested in pursuing careers in research. This highly prestigious and competitive award is granted to up to 300 students nationwide. VMI must nominate the applicants and may only support a limited number of applications each year. Students are required to fill out a pre-application so the Institute can identify and work with them through the application process.

Deadlines

• National Deadline: last Friday in January, 5PM CT
• VMI Deadline for Review: Nominees should have all materials in the system by at least 2 weeks prior to the deadline to allow for internal review and so VMI can complete its part of the process. Interested candidates / applicants should notify Col. Feinauer by Nov .15. This will allow for internal selection if more than the allowed number of VMI nominees are interested in applying.

Minimum Qualifications

• U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident
• Sophomore or junior (1-2 years of study remaining after applying)
• 3.0 GPA or higher
• Intend to pursue a research career in the natural sciences, engineering, or mathematics

Top Attributes of Successful Candidates

• Research must be a central part of the student’s career goals and this must be evident from the research essay and the support letters
• Student should have prior experience engaging in research and should have worked closely with a research mentor through VMI or through a research-focused internship
• Have a GPA >3.5 (In recent years, a GPA of 3.3 was the lowest of any awardee)
• Meticulous attention to detail (there are restrictive formatting requirements, page limits, and 25+ pages of helpful directions regarding the application)

Application Materials

• Online Questionnaire
• Completed application
• 3-page research essay
• Three letters of recommendation from research mentors, faculty members, or course instructors
• Transcripts
• Permanent resident card and letter of intent to become a citizen, if applicable

VMI Contact: Col. David Feinauer, feinauerdm@vmi.edu
More Information: Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education