Horatio Alger Scholarship for Juniors

The Horatio Alger Association awards scholarships to high school juniors who have faced and overcome great obstacles in their lives. Applicants are reviewed for critical financial need and perseverance in overcoming adversity. Students who are involved in extracurricular and community service activities are welcome to apply.

Apply Here!

Davidson Scholarship

The Davidson Fellows Scholarship recognizes students 18 and under, who have completed a significant piece of work in the STEM field, literature, music, philosophy, or the "outside the box" category. More details explaining the "outside the box" category can be found on the foundation website. Submitted work is reviewed at, or close to, the college graduate level, with a depth of knowledge in their particular area of study.

The 2024 application is now open, with a deadline of February 14, 2024.

Win up to $50,000!!

Apply Here!

Coolidge Full Ride Scholarship

 

The 2023-24 Coolidge Scholarship application is now live.

A quick refresher: the Coolidge Scholarship is a full-ride, four-year, merit scholarship that recipients may use for undergraduate study at any accredited college or university in the United States. Any high school junior who plans to enroll in college in the fall of 2025 and is an American citizen or legal permanent resident is eligible to apply (current high school seniors are not eligible to apply). Winners may use the scholarship to pursue any academic major.

Academic excellence is the primary criterion considered by the Coolidge Scholarship. Secondary criteria include an interest in public policy and an appreciation of the values President Coolidge championed. Successful candidates will also demonstrate humility and have a record of genuine service to their communities. A complete description of the scholarship’s criteria is available here.

The competition for the Coolidge Scholarship is significant -- only a few new Coolidge Scholarships are awarded each year from a pool of candidates that spans the entire country. Even so, students have reported to us in past years they were glad to have applied even if they didn’t win because the experience helped prepare them for college applications later on. Furthermore, the Coolidge Foundation invites one hundred of the top Coolidge Scholarship applicants to participate in the Coolidge Senators Program, which includes an all-expenses-paid summit gathering and a $1,000 scholarship. Scholarship applicants are automatically considered for the Senators Program.

Please know that the application requires that candidates read President Coolidge’s Autobiography and a few other reading assignments, and then write three essays. We therefore encourage students to begin the application early. Candidates who begin the application at the last minute are unlikely to be successful. The submission deadline is 5:00 PM Pacific time, Thursday, January 18, 2024.

We hope you will share this opportunity with outstanding high school juniors at your school. The scholarship application, along with additional information, can be accessed on our scholarship site: www.coolidgescholars.org. Questions? We can be reached by email at coolidgescholars@coolidgefoundation.org or by phone at (202) 827-4291.

With kind regards,

Matt Denhart, Coolidge Foundation President

Rob Hammer, Coolidge Scholarship Director

December Break Checklist for Seniors (Advice from a College Counseling Expert)

 by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

Dear Seniors:

I hope you have a wonderful vacation, since you’ve been working hard, not only at school, but on your plans for life after high school.

As you get ready for break, here are a few gentle reminders:

1. Finishing college applications 

Some of you are planning on using part of break to complete your college applications. That makes all kinds of sense for some of you, but it’s also important to use break for a break, especially since this may be the last December many of you will be home with your families for such a long period of time.

If you think you can produce your best work, complete your college applications before break. If you need time over the vacation to work on them, think about limiting your application time to an hour a day. You really deserve a breather.

2. Financial aid forms 

It’s pretty likely the FAFSA form—the big financial aid form for college and many technical programs—won’t be available until December 31. If that’s the case, do yourself a favor, and don’t look at it until school is back in session. There are no deadlines over break for completing financial aid forms, so you won’t be missing out on any cash for college. In addition, I’ll be around after break to work with you and your parents to complete this form, which is much easier than you think.

College can be expensive, but if you or your parents look at the form over break and need help completing it, frustration will only get in the way of getting the money you deserve. This can wait until school reopens.

3. Touch Base With Your College Friends 

Many of you are looking forward to catching up with your friends who will be home from college. They’ll probably have a few things to say about what college is really like—and that can be a huge help as you make your future plans.

Since some of these friends are older, you may be catching up with them at events where beer and other adult drinks will be available. Let me just say you want to be careful here. Everyone has a camera on their phone, and one picture of you doing something questionable can easily hit social media—and who knows where it will go from there.

Colleges and employers don’t typically monitor social media accounts of applicants, but some students have lost scholarships, admission offers, and more because of what’s on their social media. This is on top of the dangers you risk if you drink and drive or get arrested for underage drinking. It’s great to hang with your friends. In doing so, don’t hang your well-being, and your future plans, out to dry.

4. Be careful 

Even though you won’t be drinking, adults will be, and they may not always use good judgement. The percentage of drunk drivers goes way up as the night gets longer, and the number of drunk drivers is likely to increase where people have been drinking. These are good reasons to be home on the early side, and to use roads that keep you away from restaurants and bars. Suffice it say, getting in a car with a drunk driver is just a bad idea. Call Uber, or your parents. It may be embarrassing, but at least you’ll be around to be embarrassed.

Enjoy your well-deserved break and be ready to start again in January. This is it!!!