Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program
The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program
Congratulations to this year's Goldwater Scholars! You may read more about the four 2026 Caltech Goldwater Scholars here
Established by Congress in 1986, the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program operates an educational scholarship program designed to provide opportunities for outstanding U.S. students with excellent academic records and demonstrated interest in, and potential for, careers in mathematics, the natural sciences, and engineering.
The scholarship award covers eligible expenses up to a maximum of $7,500 per year. Juniors may be eligible for a maximum of one year of support. Sophomores may be eligible for a maximum of up to two years of support.
Please visit https://goldwater.scholarsapply.org/ or details and application information.
Please follow the Caltech deadlines listed below.
To be eligible for nomination for a Goldwater Scholarship, a student must:
2. Intend to pursue a research career in a natural science, mathematics or engineering;*
3. Have a college grade point average of at least a 3.00 on a 4.00 scale **;
4. Be a U.S. citizen or national from the 50 States, District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, and any other territory or possession of the United States; or a permanent resident. A permanent resident must submit a photocopy of their Permanent Resident Card, also known as a Green Card.
*The natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics fields and sub-fields used by the Goldwater Foundation to determine eligibility are those used by the National Science Foundation for its Graduate Research Fellowship Program. These include: Chemistry, Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering, Engineering, Geosciences, Life Sciences, Materials Research, Mathematical Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, and Psychology.
While research in medicine is not supported by the National Science Foundation, students interested in pursuing careers in medicine or veterinary medicine are eligible for a Goldwater Scholarship IF RESEARCH IS A CENTRAL PART OF THE STUDENT'S CAREER GOALS.
**In recent Goldwater competitions, GPAs ranged from 3.3 to 4.95 on a 4.0 scale.
Please note: While those with a 3.0 GPA are eligible, nominees selected typically have a 3.5 or higher GPA at Caltech .
Caltech Nomination Process
The Goldwater application process has changed this year; please pay special attention to the details below and keep this in mind if you are speaking with past scholars who will have had a different application experience.
If you are interested and eligible:
Please complete the Student Student Interest Form by November 2, 2026. Our office will be in touch only if there are questions or we need additional information. We will approve interest forms on a rolling basis, and no later than November 4.
Once your interest form is approved, please continue with the full application.
Complete but DO NOT submit the full application, including faculty recommendations* (from faculty to [email protected]) by 5:00PM on December 4, 2026. Note: It is very important that you do NOT submit the application online; instead, by the December 4 deadline, you need to complete all parts of the application, download a pdf of your application, and send it to [email protected] for review. ONLY if your application is selected as one of our Caltech nominees, will you submit the online application. IF YOU SUBMIT BY MISTAKE, WE CANNOT UNDO THIS ACTION; YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE ANY FURTHER EDITS. If you need help downloading a pdf of your application, please reach out to [email protected].
*The application requires three faculty recommendations. Please reach out ASAP and ask recommenders to email a letter to [email protected] by 5:00PM on December 4, 2026. You will also need to request the letters directly from your faculty via the application portal; faculty will need to submit the letter electronically through the portal AND email a copy to the deans' office for review. We will review these letters for the selection process. Letter writing tips for letter writers from the foundation may be found here: https://goldwaterscholarship.gov/letter-writers/overview/
If you would like to discuss who your three letter writers should be, please contact Dean Weyman early in the process, so that you have plenty of time to request letters.
The deans will use the materials received by the deadline to select four nominees. The four nominees will be notified in late-December. The selected nominee applications may be revised and updated prior to final submission to the foundation in January. Only after all revisions are complete, will our four nominees submit their full applications.
Information about the additional steps are listed here: https://goldwaterscholarship.gov/students/nomination/
The characteristics the Foundation seeks in a Goldwater Scholar include:
- strong commitment to a research career in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering,
- effective display of intellectual intensity in the sciences, mathematics and engineering, and
- potential for a significant future contribution to research in his/her chosen field.
https://goldwaterscholarship.gov/review-process/
Kristin Weyman is the Campus Representative for Caltech. Please email [email protected] if you have questions regarding the application and nomination process.
You can read about past winners from Caltech here:
https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/four-caltech-undergraduates-named-goldwater-scholars-in-2026
Virtual Open Houses - Fall 2026
The Barry Goldwater Scholarship Foundation will host the following two (2) student open houses via Zoom this year:
- Goldwater Scholar Community Session (GSC is the Goldwater Scholars' Alumni Association): Current members of the GSC will host two student sessions on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at 12:00PM and 4:00PM (PT). These sessions will give prospective applicants an opportunity to learn more about the Goldwater experience from current Scholars and to sign up for the Goldwater Scholar Community's Ambassadors Program.
- Student Q&A session with Reviewers: A second student-focused Open House will be held on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at 1:00PM (PT). This session will give students an opportunity to meet with Goldwater reviewers and ask questions about the application and review process. Students will benefit most if they have already begun working on their Goldwater applications and come prepared with specific questions about how to strengthen their responses.
Student Zoom Meeting Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89020790642?pwd=lLoqamaywr2srq3NTLEpUhoyZzc20q.1