The Coca-Cola scholarship offers 150 outstanding high school seniors a $20,000 stipend as well as access to an exclusive alumni network. It has a strict admissions process and is one of the more prominent scholarships available to high school students. The prize is for students “who demonstrate academic accomplishment and leadership,” in their own words. Harvard, Stanford, Duke, Yale, and Princeton are the top five universities for Coke scholars.
The Coca-Cola Company and Coca-Cola bottlers collaborated to create the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation in 1986 to commemorate Coca-100th Cola’s anniversary. Due to its dedication to education, the Foundation is able to provide nearly 1,400 college students with $3.4 million in annual scholarships through two well-known initiatives on behalf of the Coca-Cola
The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation’s aim is to assist exceptional individuals’ thirst for knowledge and their ambition to make a positive difference in the world by offering scholarship programs and opportunities for lifelong development.
Level/Field of Study
This scholarship is for high school students vying for their first degree in college. There are no restrictions as to the course of study. As far as you meet the requirements, you can always apply for the scholarship.
Host Nationality
The Coca-Cola Scholarship Program is proudly hosted by the Coca-Cola Company in the United States of America.
Eligibility for the Coca-Cola Scholarship
Applicants must be
- Be a current high school senior in the United States.
- You must be a citizen, national, or permanent resident of the United States.
- Expect to receive your high school graduation soon.
- Plan on attending a US post-secondary institution that is accredited (two- or four-year college)
- Cannot be the child or grandchild of a Coca-Cola bottling firm, the Coca-Cola company, or any of its divisions or subsidiaries.
- A minimum overall B/3.0 GPA in high school coursework
Applicants shouldn’t be
- Children or grandchildren of current Coca-Cola bottling company employees, officers, or owners, The Coca-Cola Company, Company divisions, or subsidiaries.
- Former employees’ children or grandchildren who are currently receiving retirement benefits from Coca-Cola bottling firms, The Coca-Cola Company, Company divisions, or subsidiaries.
- Students from other countries (with the exception of students at DoD schools)
- Graduates of high school
- Temporary occupants
Deadline for the Coca-Cola Scholarship
The deadline for the scholarship is 31st October 2024. Ensure you do not miss out on this year’s opening
Scholarship Award
All 150 beneficiaries of the Coca-Cola
Selection Process
Usually, there are 90,000 candidates for the Coca-Cola scholarship, and only 2,000 are chosen as semifinalists. These semifinalists are further condensed to 250 regional finalists after a supplementary application procedure. Finally, 150 Coke scholars are selected in March following an interview process.
Tips to win the Coca-Cola Scholarship
Here I will share with you how to increase your chances of receiving this coveted but difficult prize.
1. Complete the application as accurately as possible
You have the option to give the scholarship committee a list of the clubs and organizations you belong to, a list of honours and awards you have received, a list of your volunteer activities, and a list of any paid work experiences or internships you have had when submitting your scholarship application. You should attempt to include every activity you have taken part in and every award you have gotten, regardless of how minor. The application permits an ample amount of activities to be recorded for each section (about 10 or 11), so strive to do so.
To make sure that readers of your application understand which activities you prioritize the most, be sure to mention your most significant and important activities/awards first for each section. For instance, if you spent countless hours practising tennis and were the captain of the team for four years, tennis should unquestionably be one of your top choices.
2. Highlight the undertakings in which you showed creativity and leadership
The Coca-Cola scholarship selection committee places high importance on leadership. Your activities, accolades, community service, and employment history of successful scholarship candidates should show initiative and leadership. The extracurricular activities you list on your application should demonstrate your leadership skills and areas of interest. This would not be an activity you would want to list, for instance, if you merely attended your neighbourhood soup kitchen to satisfy the community service requirements.
On the contrary, if your school has a volunteer organization or fundraiser that distributes food and other necessities to the hungry and homeless in your neighbourhood, you should surely include this activity. The distinction between these two instances demonstrates which qualities the Coca-Cola scholarship selection committee considers the most. In contrast to the latter example, the former illustrates someone who is passionate about community service and develops a system that may aid others in their community with more impact.
3. Highlight your most important interests and personal qualities
Did Coca-Cola choose you as a semifinalist? First off, congratulations! Second, if you are chosen as a semifinalist, you will be required to submit additional information about your leadership, service, involvement, and work. This information may include impact statements, essays, and an online reference form from a person who is best able to judge your character and your impact on your community.
Instead of just looking at a list of accomplishments or accolades, the second stage of the application process aims to get to know you better. As a result, you should emphasize your most significant experiences in your assertions of impact on your efforts. Your writings should highlight your own qualities and areas of greatest interest. In fact, one of the essay questions specifically asks what activity, if any, you would choose to engage in. In your essays, you should discuss life events that have influenced your interests and aspirations. Writing authentic and original personal essays will help you stand out from the competition.
Additionally, make sure the person writing the recommendation can testify to more than just your work ethic or academic prowess—they should be able to speak to your character and commitment to your community.
4. For Finalists: Prepare
Did Coca-Cola choose you as a regional finalist? Congratulations! Among the many candidates, you have proven that you are a standout candidate. A quick 20-minute interview with three or four persons will be required of you if you are chosen as a regional finalist. Interviewers may include current or former Coke Scholars as well as staff members of the Coca-Cola Scholarship Foundation.
You will have the choice of an in-person or online interview. If you must participate in an online interview, be aware that it will not have an impact on your application. (I had an online interview and was accepted for the position.) Be aware that you might not get the chance to ask questions during the interview because they will likely interrupt you at the 20-minute mark.
Review your application, become acquainted with your essay responses, and familiarize yourself with your lists of accomplishments and honours as you get ready for the interview. Furthermore, it’s crucial that you practice responding to mock interview questions with family or friends in order to feel more at ease during the actual interview.
All of your interviewers will have carefully studied your application and will ask precise questions about particular sections of it, so this interview will not be like a typical college alumni interview. As a result, practice will help you feel more at ease and be more prepared to respond to questions. Finally, be proud of yourself for getting this far because the application process, particularly the interview, can be subjective and unpredictable.
How to Apply for the Coca-Cola Scholarship
Start your Coca-Cola Scholarship application by clicking on the button below.