Hello, I’m a Junior applying to the Calvin Coolidge Scholarship. I wanted to know that even to be a semifinalist, is it necessary to have a 4.0 GPA and perfect SAT score? I know that it’s merit based, but is there a possibility that the Essays are weighted more than the scores? Thank you!
Hey! Fellow applicant here. As far as I know, they review academics first and essays/extracurriculars second. I don’t think that it’d necessarily be impossible, and you should go for it! Best of luck!
Thank you for replying! 
Hey! I also applied to the Calvin Coolidge Scholarship but I felt my second essay was a little lacking.
I felt the second essay was a bit harder to talk about, and I used his value of persistence of character through trials and tribulations.
I wonder when the results come out, the timeline says Spring.
I applied this year as well! Has anyone heard back?
Not yet, hopefully by the end of April? Sooo anxious
Hey all! Just received results today by email. I wasn’t selected (not that I expected to be…it’s so incredibly competitive!). What are all your results and does anyone know who the finalists are?
@aatd2 Thanks for posting an update. Did the email contain any information worthy of passing on to us (e.g., number of applicants, number of finalist, etc).
Anyone else hear anything?
I also got my results by email today! About 3200 applicants this year, it said. :)>-
@potatoepotatoe Thanks! Is congratulations in order?
I just got my email! I wasn’t selected as a finalist, but I was one of the Coolidge Senators, which is the top 2% of applicants. I don’t get any money, but at least I get an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. this summer!
@AegonTargaryen18 Congrats! That’s quite an accomplishment! Hope you enjoy the trip!
@AegonTargaryen18 That’s wonderful news. This can be added to the awards/honors section in the Common App if you have space. Well done! We’ve heard boo on our end. Waiting…waiting…waiting…
@AegonTargaryen18 Congratulations!! Have fun in DC! One of my son’s friends was a senator last year and had a great time. We’re still waiting to hear how my son fared. The stress is real. LOL I wonder if they’re rolling them out by state or some other methodology.
Few question - my kids got selected as a senator (semifinalist) for this award:
a. How big is this achievement?
b. I am curious since college admission is so cut throat - does it improve any chances in college admission for 2019 cycle? Or it is a dime a dozen case – This only benefits finalists who won the $$$$$$ award
@MamaCie Has your son heard from them yet? I still haven’t received an email, and I think it would be reassuring if I’m not the only one! Best of luck to him!
Not yet. He has one friend who was notified 2 days ago he was a semi finalist, but no one else has heard. Honestly, of the kids who applied I would not have placed him in the top. He’s pure STEM, doesn’t have a service focus, no policy or debate. What he does have are fantastic grades and a perfect SAT. He’s a great kid and if this was a STEM scholarship I’d have ranked him first. So, I have no idea what to think. His name is at the beginning of the alphabet. Maybe they’re doing it alphabetically? Best of luck to you too and hopefully you both hear something soon!! May that phone ring! I’d love to know if any finalists have been contacted and how they’re releasing the names. I’d like to know if the email just goes to the applicant or to the parent and counselor too. Is it obvious waiting is a struggle for me? The kid handles it much better. LOL I may not survive this whole college thing.
FYI for everyone waiting… They sent the emails via mail chimp. It was poorly done and I suspect most schools with decent filters blocked them. If you haven’t received an email, try contacting your school’s networking or tech specialists and asking them to locate it for you. Make sure they know it’s sent from mail chimp - not Coolidge. This will likely be faster than dealing with Coolidge. The response I received today was to tell me all emails had been sent and he’d send out new ones sometime next week. He made it abundantly clear he was in no rush and really didn’t care. He also refused to tell me the results. Unimpressed is an understatement.