Are you interested in applying for the Coca-Cola Scholarship but unsure how to start? How competitive is the Coca-Cola Scholarship? What are the requirements? This guide will help you find the answers to all your questions and concerns.
Through its philanthropic arm, the Coca-Cola Company aims to give back and make a difference in the communities where it operates as a business. They achieve this by offering various college scholarships annually to those pursuing a higher education.
If you wish to apply for one of their scholarships, this article will help guide you through the process. We’ll cover what to include in your application, how to make it look good, and help you determine whether you meet the requirements.
The scholarships offered by the Coca-Cola Scholars Program are awarded to high school seniors based on their achievements. Therefore, awardees are recognized for their leadership capabilities and commitment to and impact on their schools and communities.
Through three nationally recognized programs, the Foundation has provided more than 1,400 students with scholarships valued at $3.55 million a year. Though it might sound like an unconventional scholarship, it's a significant investment in the potential of these outstanding students and their ability to make a difference in the world.
The Foundation also supports a number of two-year colleges through the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team Program, which is administered via Phi Theta Kappa.
The Program awards 200 stipends (up to $237,500) annually across four tiers of recipients in varying amounts:
Though Coca Cola doesn’t offer full-ride scholarships, their programs are dedicated to recognizing and rewarding high school seniors for their outstanding achievements, leadership skills, and positive impact on their schools and communities.
The scholarship offered by Coca-Cola is quite competitive because it's nationally recognized. They only give the $20,000 scholarship to 150 students out of thousands of applicants each year.
This means that only about 1% of applicants are selected by the Foundation. But don't be discouraged; your chances are just as good as any other student applying. To improve your odds, focus on making your application impressive and stand out to catch the Foundation's attention.
The Coca-Cola Foundation is very meticulous when picking its recipients. To give yourself the best chance to win the Coca-Cola Scholarship, follow their application steps closely and try to make yours stand out from the rest. Before we discuss what you need to do to complete an application for the Coca-Cola Scholarship, let’s take a look at the eligibility requirements.
Let's get started by laying out the important dates and deadlines for the 2024 Coke Scholars application process.
To be considered eligible as an applicant, you must be:
You do not qualify for the scholarship if you:
Once you have confirmed that you are eligible, you can start your application.
The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation will require you to create an account on their website. From there, you will be expected to answer a short quiz to ensure you are indeed eligible for the scholarships and determine precisely what types of scholarships suit you best.
If the quiz permits you to continue, you can then move on to the next steps.
In the application, you will be asked to provide a list of any:
You can submit up to 10 or 11 activities for each of these sections, so you are welcome to be as thorough as you want. No matter how small the activity, it does not hurt to add it. Help the scholarship committee determine what is most significant to you by prioritizing your activities and achievements.
For example, suppose you are particularly proud of your experience as the Vice President of your school's book club and have been responsible for significant duties (like organizing school trips, hiring a guest speaker, or hosting a fundraiser). In that case, this experience should appear at the top of the list.
Coca-Cola Scholars are recognized for their exceptional leadership skills; it is one of the most valuable traits regarded by the committee. To be a successful applicant, you must exemplify your leadership abilities through any activities, honors, community service, or work experience during high school education.
Be selective about the activities that you highlight in your application. Volunteering at your local animal shelter just to fulfill required community service hours, for instance, would not be ideal. However, it would be beneficial to mention if you did so because you care about animals and are thinking about pursuing a career advocating for animal rights.
Suppose you set up a fundraiser or a volunteer group with charitable missions, like establishing a food donation program or supplying necessities for the homeless. Then there are also impressive things that you can list in your application. These examples illustrate a host of positive characteristics.
The animal shelter example shows your desire to help those who do not have a voice in your community, while the fundraiser example displays your passion for serving those in need and creating systems to have a long-lasting impact.
Suppose you make it to the semifinals, good job! However, you are not out of the woods yet. As a semifinalist, you must provide additional details about your community involvement, community service, and leadership capabilities.
This section will require you to write an essay, compose statements of impact, and include a reference letter from someone who can best attest to your personality and the impact you have had on your community.
This part of the application aims to gain a deeper understanding of who you are. Your impact statements should therefore highlight your experiences. The scholarship has an essay prompt that asks you what activity you would choose to invest time in and why.
Use these writing prompts as opportunities to speak boldly and freely about your life experiences that have molded you as a person, alongside shaping your interests and goals, personal or academic. Having a unique and honest personal essay will help distinguish you from other applicants.
You should also ensure that you request a recommendation from someone who can vouch for your talents and dedication, not just work ethic or academic skills. A good example would be your guidance counselor; they can usually paint a virtuous picture of you by discussing your community involvement, extracurricular activities, and personal traits.
You should be proud of yourself for making it this far. In the final pool of applicants, you will face the last obstacle in the application process; you will have a short interview (~20 minutes) with three or four people, either Coca-Cola scholar alumni or Coca-Cola Scholarship Foundation employees. These can be held in person or online.
The interview will be an opportunity for you to review your application and familiarize yourself with your essays and achievements, whether academic or volunteer. It would be best to practice answering interview questions with a friend, or family member or even attend interview workshops to feel more prepared for the actual interview.
The interview is very time-sensitive, so you may not have time to ask them any questions, as they cut off right at the 20-minute mark. It works like a regular college alumni interview; the interviewers have viewed your application and will ask questions directly referencing specific parts of it.
By practicing, answering the questions will be no trouble at all. The interview will be subjective and sometimes unpredictable. So, be sure to review all your information thoroughly and space it out; that way, you do not feel overwhelmed and blank out on a question.
The 2024 Coca-Cola Scholars are an impressive group! These high school seniors from various parts of the country have excelled in academics, leadership, and community service, earning their spots in the Coca-Cola Scholars Program.
It's worth noting that it doesn't matter which state they're from; their achievements speak volumes. To be eligible for this scholarship, they typically needed to be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, high school seniors graduating in the same year they applied, and planning to attend a U.S. post-secondary institution.
The scholarship is quite competitive, with only a select few chosen from a large pool of applicants. So, becoming a Coca-Cola Scholar is a significant achievement that comes with substantial financial support for their college education.
These scholars represent a diverse range of schools, from public and private to magnet and charter schools. It's a testament to the Foundation's commitment to recognizing excellence in students from different educational backgrounds.
Overall the 2024 Coca-Cola Scholars are a remarkable group, and the Foundation is investing in their potential as future leaders in the United States.
Let's introduce you to the cream of the crop for 2024 – the Top 10 scholars who've truly excelled in their academic journey.
In addition to the 2024 Scholars, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation recognized the 2024 Coca-Cola Scholar Semifinalists. This group consisted of 1,557 outstanding students, and they were selected from a pool of over 91,000 applicants from all over the country. These students made it to the Semifinalist stage because of their impressive academic achievements, leadership skills, and dedicated community service.
At that time, these Semifinalists were in the process of submitting their applications for review by our Program Reading Committee. Out of this group, 250 would advance as Regional Finalists, with 150 eventually becoming Coca-Cola Scholars and receiving a generous $20,000 college scholarship.
The Coca-Cola Scholars Program, a collaboration between Coca-Cola bottlers across the nation and The Coca-Cola Company, stands as the largest corporate-sponsored, achievement-based scholarship program in the United States. With the addition of the 35th class, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has proudly provided over $81 million in scholarships to more than 6,750 Coke Scholars nationwide since 1986.
Beyond the financial support for their college education, those who became Coca-Cola Scholars joined a vibrant alumni community that has been a powerful force for positive change worldwide.
Through networking, collaborations, and lasting friendships, this community strives to make a more significant impact together. Recent initiatives include "The SIP" (The Coke Scholars Ignite Podcast) and a coaching program that pairs experienced alumni with first-year Scholars to guide them through their college transitions.
Have some more questions about the Coca-Cola scholarship? Here are some general questions with answers that will give more insight into the matter.
The Coca-Cola scholarship is open to U.S. citizens and international students residing in the U.S. only. However, international students living outside of the U.S. can also be granted scholarships, fellowships, and grants outside the country where their institution is located.
Each year, the Coca-Cola Scholars Program selects 150 students as National Scholars, who receive $20,000 tuition. Another 200 students will be awarded $1,000 each through the Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise scholarship.
For students graduating high school during the 2024-2025 academic year, applications opened August 1st and the submission deadline is September 30. Stay tuned for next year’s deadlines.
There are two ways you can access the application link; either through the application portal or by clicking the 'apply' button at the menu on top of the FAQ page.
Talk about your most impressive achievements in school, volunteering, paid work, and extracurricular activities. Successful applicants embody values such as leadership, service, and community involvement, traits that the Coke Scholars program prioritizes.
No. All applications must be submitted online through the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation application portal. They do not accept applications via email, fax, or mail. They also do not accept additional and supplemental information for your application, including but not limited to transcripts, essays, and letters of recommendation.
Only students who are eligible for Federal Financial Aid can apply for the Coca-Cola scholarship.
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation's mission is to provide financial aid to students who wish to have lifelong enrichment opportunities in their thirst for knowledge and dedication to change the world.
While it is a highly competitive scholarship, with the proper knowledge and credentials, you can present yourself positively and have a good chance of winning it. Good luck!
