High School Seniors: Coca Cola College Scholarships

I've heard that Coca Cola offers scholarships for high school seniors planning to attend college. Can anyone share how to apply and what they’re looking for in applicants? What's the application process like?

Absolutely! The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation offers two types of scholarships: the Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship and the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team Program. Since you mentioned you're a high school senior, you'll likely be interested in the Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship, which is available for graduating high school seniors.

First, regarding the application process: To apply for this scholarship, you'll need to create an account on their website and complete an online application, which is typically open from August to October every year. It's a good idea to prepare in advance because the application includes a lot of detail about your high school experience, including your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, community service, and leadership roles.

As for what they’re looking for in applicants: Coca-Cola is primarily interested in well-rounded, service-minded, and motivated high school seniors. This scholarship is extremely competitive, with only 150 scholarships available annually for more than 100,000 applicants.

An important factor is academic achievement. You must be a graduating high school senior at the time of your application and have a minimum 3.0 unweighted GPA. Coca-Cola also places a high value on service and leadership experiences. The foundation looks for students who have had a significant positive effect on their communities and who have demonstrated leadership skills in school and community activities.

In terms of the selection process: Once all applications have been received, regional selection committees review the applications in November and December and then the top candidates are chosen as Semi-finalists who then go on to the next round of application which involves essays, recommendations, and transcripts. After another review, about 250 applicants are selected as Regional Finalists and interviewed online or by phone. Of these, 150 are finally selected as Coca-Cola Scholars.

The scholarship amount for the Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship is $20,000, and it's a one-time award, meaning it doesn't need to be renewed annually. It's a high-competition scholarship, so make sure you present your best self in your application!

I hope this information is helpful and I wish you the best of luck as you apply!