National and Global Scholarships Advising

FAQ

• How are students chosen? Are grades or other criteria more important?

The Goldwater Foundation looks for: 1. A strong commitment to a research career in STEM, 2. An effective display of intellectual intensity in STEM, and 3. A potential for a significant future contribution to research in their chosen field.

While grades are considered, the most important selection criteria is your demonstrated potential as a future STEM researcher. 

• What is meant by institutional nomination and endorsement and how do you receive one?

For this scholarship, you will first submit your application internally to OSU through the National and Global Scholarships Advising office. Then, our office will coordinate a faculty committee who will read all OSU applications and select up to four (or five if one is a transfer student) to endorse. These candidates will then continue to compete on the national level. 

• To be eligible for the scholarship, is it required to participate in undergraduate research or just have plans for future collegiate and career research?

While it is not strictly required to have undergraduate research experience, competitive applicants are able to demonstrate their commitment to research and promise as future researchers through strong previous research experiences. Additionally, there are 3 letters of recommendation required for the Goldwater Scholarship that must be able to speak to your promise as a researcher. If you do not have any previous undergraduate research experience, it will be difficult to find three recommendation writers who can produce strong letters of recommendation.