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If you're looking into scholarship programs to help pay for your college education, the famous Coca-Cola scholarships are a good place to start. Why are they famous? Well, the Coca-Cola foundation offers some of the most generous awards out there to graduating high school seniors. They tend to be very competitive, so if you want a shot at the scholarship, you should learn as much about them as you possibly can.

In this post, I'll talk about some of the logistical concerns you might have about the scholarship— things like deadlines and eligibility requirements. But more importantly, I'll also offer helpful tips and strategies to give your application the boost it needs. Read on to optimize your chances of winning one of these competitive scholarships!

What Is the Coca-Cola Scholarship?

There are a few different types of Coca-Cola scholarships, but the one you'll likely be most interested in is called the Coca-Cola Scholars Scholarship . This scholarship is a merit-based award given to graduating high school seniors who are enrolling in college.

Each year since 1989, 150 high school seniors per year have received $20,000 through this award program. If you've looked into other scholarship programs, you might recognize that the Coca-Cola Scholars award amount is pretty generous. $20,000 can cover a significant portion of your cost of attendance!

As you might expect, the scholarship is pretty competitive: the top five colleges that scholarship recipients attend are Harvard, Stanford, Duke, Yale, and Princeton . Applicants are evaluated on leadership, academics, and service. Many scholarship recipients also demonstrate a passion for social justice.

How Do You Know If You're Eligible?

In order to qualify for the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation Scholarship, you must meet all of the following requirements :

• Be a current high school senior attending school in the US
• Be a US citizen, national, permanent resident, refugee, asylee, Cuban-Haitian entrant, or humanitarian parolee
• Anticipate receiving your high school diploma during the current academic year
• Plan on attending an accredited US post-secondary institution (two- or four-year college)
• Able to show proof of a minimum overall B/3.0 GPA in high school courses
• Cannot be a child/grandchild of any employee, officer, or owner of Coca-Cola bottling companies, the Coca-Cola company, Company divisions or subsidiaries

If you meet all of the above criteria, you're on the right track to submitting a successful Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation Scholarship application.

What Information Do You Need to Apply?

The next step to submitting a successful application would be to gather all necessary materials and information ahead of time. You'll need all of the following to complete an application :

• Your high school transcript and academic record —You'll need this to report courses and grades starting with your freshman year.
• Contact information —You will need to provide the names, emails, and phone numbers of your guidance counselor and principal.
• School activities: student council, class officer, academic/honor societies, school newspaper or literary magazine, school yearbook
• Performing arts: drama, theater, dance
• Speech, debate, or forensics
• Music: band, orchestra, vocal
• Visual arts
• Other: any school-related clubs, organizations, or intramurals
• List of honors and awards —You'll have to list any accolades you've received while participating in any clubs or organizations, and the level of each award (local, state, regional, or national) since your freshman year.
• List of volunteer activities —You'll be asked about all of your unpaid community service activities for each grade in high school. Be prepared to provide the number of hours you spent in each activity in addition to any honors or awards you received for your participation.
• List of paid work experiences —If you have an updated resume, you're already set! Be prepared to provide the number of weeks employed, average number of hours worked per week during the school year, and average number of hours worked during the summer for each job.

Because this isn't a need-based scholarship, y ou won't have to worry about submitting any financial information . You also don't need to worry about reporting any standardized test scores!

How Do You Submit a Coca-Cola Scholarship Application?

You have nothing to lose by submitting an application. Even if you're worried you won't receive an award because the scholarship is so competitive, think about how a few hours of your time could lead to a $20,000 scholarship. It's a no-brainer!

The application window typically opens in early August and closes in late October. This year's application period is from August 1, 2022, to October 31, 2022.

Click through to find the appropriate link to the scholarship here . You can also check out a full sample application before submitting your own app.

You'll have a lot more fun this upcoming Halloween if you submit your application in advance of the deadline.

When Do You Find Out Whether You've Been Selected?

There are several stages to the scholarship recipient selection process. First, about 2,000 semi-finalists will be selected by mid-November. If you make it to this stage, you'll be asked to submit additional scholarship materials by late December. These materials will include essays, a recommendation, and a current high school transcript.

A program committee then reviews semi-finalist applications in January to narrow it down to 250 regional finalists by the end of the month. Regional finalist interviews (over the phone or via Skype) take place in February.

The scholarship winners are finally selected and notified after regional interviews . Scholarship recipients are invited to participate in a Scholars Weekend in Atlanta at the end of March or early April.

How Can You Use the Scholarship Funds?

If you win a Coca-Cola Scholars Scholarship, you can use it for any school-related expenses, including tuition, on-campus housing, books, fees, or even a computer .

The scholarship is pretty flexible. You have between four and 10 years to use the full award amount and can choose to defer the award anytime within that 10-year time frame (like if you want to take a gap year or study abroad).

Strategies: How to Increase Your Chances of Winning a Coca-Cola Scholars Scholarship

According to the Coca-Cola Scholars program , scholarship recipients are strong leaders who are committed to "making a significant impact on their schools and communities."

The most successful applications will embody the values that the Coca-Cola Scholars program prioritizes: leadership, service, and community commitment. Ultimately, scholarship awards are investments not only in a particular student but also in that student's community.

Scholarships will have the greatest impact when they're awarded to students who are invested in "paying it forward," or giving back to others . Corporate scholarships assume that the most successful students and professionals will demonstrate very strong leadership skills and academic potential.

The following strategies will help you highlight the qualities that make you most attractive to the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.

If You're a Younger High School Student ...

Demonstrate academic excellence.

You probably noticed earlier in this post that Coca-Cola scholarship winners tend to be going to some pretty great schools. Corporate scholarship programs like this one want to invest in students who show the most promise and potential.

One way you can demonstrate your own potential is to earn exceptional grades — this will obviously serve you well when it comes to applying to colleges and other scholarship programs.

In addition, take AP or advanced classes if they're offered . You'll be a more impressive applicant if your academic record shows a more rigorous course load. Unfortunately, the more challenging the courses, the more difficulty you may have in school. While this is okay (your grades don't have to be perfect!), make sure to seek out extra help in weaker subject areas . Meet with your teachers or tutors to stay on top of your game.

Develop Leadership Skills

Leadership roles will help you stand out, in a good way.

As with academic performance, leadership skills development indicates that you're likely to be successful as a student and as a professional. If you actively seek out leadership roles, this will demonstrate to the Coca-Cola Scholarship Program that you're proactive and take initiative.

Commit to clubs, groups, or activities early on that align well with your interests and passions . It's generally better to be heavily invested in a few activities. If you make too many commitments, the caliber of your participation (and the opportunities for future leadership roles) will suffer. Focus on quality over quantity .

Here's an example of what I mean: as a kid, I attended one particular camp every summer. It was something I really enjoyed, and it was great to go back year after year. When I aged out of the camp, I was given the opportunity to participate in the program as a camp counselor— I got to continue doing something I loved because I had shown that I was committed to it long-term, and I was "promoted" to a new and exciting leadership position . I likely wouldn't have gotten the position of camp counselor so easily if I hadn't already spent years at the camp.

You can also demonstrate leadership and initiative in more creative ways. For example:

• Spend more time in your community service activities than is required of you. The scholarship evaluators will know if you need to volunteer a minimum number of hours to graduate, and they won't be impressed if you barely meet that minimum. Going above and beyond any required minimums demonstrates true initiative and a strong commitment to your community (qualities that will make you really stand out as an applicant).
• Actively seek out awards and honors, especially for your community service activities. You'll have to provide a list of accolades and honors for your scholarship application—if you're already dedicated to service, it's worth your time to seek out opportunities for acknowledgment. Check with your school guidance counselor or do a Google search for awards in your area.

If You're Ready to Apply for the Coca-Cola Scholars Scholarship ...

Keep coca-cola scholars values in mind as you fill out your application.

Remember that successful applicants are students who not only excel academically but are also involved in their school communities. Through participation in classes and extracurriculars, scholarship winners show that they are passionate and service-oriented .

Embrace the Lack of First-Round Essays

Unlike many scholarship applications, the Coca Cola Scholars application doesn’t require any essays in the first-round of the application process. Any application for which you don't have to write an essay must be an easy application, right? In reality, the Coca-Cola Scholarship application is trickier than most because it doesn't give you a chance to explain either your academic performance or your participation in extracurriculars.

Essentially, you can't talk about your passions, well-roundedness, intelligence, or commitment to service to make yourself stand out from the thousands of other first-round applicants. The only thing you can do is show—through your grades and your participation in various activities— how you embody the qualities that the Coca-Cola Scholarship values in its award recipients .

You'll notice on the sample application that questions about leadership roles come before any questions about your grades; clearly, they're a very important part of the application. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do to talk up your community commitments or leadership experiences if you don't have a well-developed resume; the application is pretty cut and dry.

Of course, if you make it to the second round of the application process, you’ll get to explain why you’re a great fit for a Coca Cola scholarship in some required essays. To stand out in the essay-free first round, though, make sure that your resume is comprehensive. Make a list of every single activity, event, club, and organization you've ever been a part of and consider whether you could count it as some sort of leadership or community service experience.

Scour your brain—don't leave anything out! Remember that camp I was discussing earlier? I didn't think to consider it as volunteer work or community service—I had done it for years and considered it a privilege to work as a counselor. Luckily, someone less naive than me hinted that I should include it on my resume under "Volunteer Experience."

Submit a Polished Finished Product

Have someone you trust—a teacher or guidance counselor, for example—look over your application before you submit it to make sure it's as polished as possible. Your reader might have suggestions on additional things you should include (or leave out).

What's Next?

On a mission to find other opportunities scholarship funding? You're in the right place! Check out our strategy guides to getting the Tylenol , Gates Millennium , Walmart, and McDonald's scholarships.

There are tons of scholarships out there! If you need help looking for more, take a look at our expert guide to finding scholarships for college. 

Want to improve your application strength for this scholarship and for college? You can raise your GPA , take a rigorous course load , and improve your SAT/ACT score .

Francesca graduated magna cum laude from Harvard and scored in the 99th percentile on the SATs. She's worked with many students on SAT prep and college counseling, and loves helping students capitalize on their strengths.

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Coca-Cola Scholarship: How To Apply and What You Need to Know

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The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation is a subsidiary of the famous Coca-Cola Company. Its focus is, in its own words, “bring[ing] better to the world through investment in exceptional high school students who are dedicated to leadership, service, and action that positively affects others”. Through its scholarship programs and Leadership Summits, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has helped high school seniors achieve their academic and intellectual potential for over 25 years.

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation supports more than 1,400 college students each year through its 3 nationally recognized programs. One of these programs is the Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship. 150 high school seniors are selected each year to receive this $20,000 scholarship.

Unfortunately, the application period for 2019 high school graduates has closed, but it’s not too late for those graduating in 2020 or later. Read on to learn what you need to know to have a fighting chance of becoming a Coca-Cola Scholar, with all the perks and privileges that come with it.

Eligibility Requirements

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation very clearly outlines what types of students are eligible for the Coca-Cola Scholarship, and they will ask you to show proof that you meet all of their eligibility requirements when you fill out the application.

In order to qualify for the Coca-Cola Scholarship, you must be a graduating high school senior in good standing. You must also be a US citizen, US National, US Permanent Resident, Refugee, Asylee, Cuban-Haitian Entrant, or Humanitarian Parolee. You must also be planning to pursue a degree at a postsecondary institution within a year of completing your graduation. You must also have earned a minimum 3.0 weighted GPA at your high school.

You are not eligible for the Coca-Cola Scholarship if you are child or grandchild of any Coca-Cola employee, an international student, a high school graduate, or a temporary resident of the United States.

What is the Application Process Like/What Info Do I Need?

In order to apply for the Coca-Cola Scholarship, you will need to submit a Google Form application via their online portal. However, if you want to see a sample application, you can view it here.

There are no essays, transcripts, or other supplementary documents needed to apply for this scholarship. However, we recommend securing a copy of your transcript before filling out this application in order to ensure that you are providing the most accurate and up-to-date information about yourself.

In addition, here are some other things you will need to gather before you start filling out this application:

• The High School Code for your school from CollegeBoard
• Your parents approximate combined income before taxes last year (optional)
• Information about all of your school-sponsored extracurriculars (e.g. how long you were in each club, what your official leadership titles were, how long you’ve been in these roles, etc)
• Information on any and all awards and honors you have received throughout your time in high school
• Information on any community service hours you have completed throughout high school
• The number of AP, IB, and Honors classes offered at your school
• Your grades throughout high school
• Your current class rank and class size
• Information on any and all work experiences you’ve had in high school (what was the job, how many hours did you work per week, etc)

Important Deadlines To Know

Every academic year, the application for the Coca-Colar scholarship opens in August and is due on October 31st. You may apply during the fall of your senior year.

When you’re figuring out when to start this application, you should keep in mind that it may take a few weeks to secure important documents like your official transcript and your parents’ tax information. Thus, it’s best to start sooner rather than later. You don’t want to be caught in a pinch at the last minute!

For More Information

Want to learn more about scholarships you could earn in high school? Check out these previous blog posts:

How Your SAT Scores Can Help You Earn Scholarships

15 College Scholarship Resources For High School Students

10 Weird College Scholarships You Should Consider

What You Need To Know For a Successful Scholarship Season

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How to Win the Coca-Cola Scholarship

What is the coca-cola scholarship.

The Coca-Cola scholarship is a $20,000 scholarship awarded to 150 exceptional high school seniors that provides them with a unique and exclusive alumni network. It is one of the more prestigious scholarships for high school students and has a rigorous admission process. In their own words, the scholarship is for students “who demonstrate academic achievement and leadership.” The top five colleges Coke scholars attend are Harvard, Stanford, Duke, Yale, and Princeton.

In 2023 the Coca-Cola scholarship had around 91,000 applicants. Each year, the applicants are whittled down to 2,000 semifinalists. After a secondary application process, these semifinalists are reduced even further to 250 regional finalists. Finally, after an interview process, 150 Coke scholars are chosen in March. To get an idea of just how competitive the scholarship is, in the 2023 cycle, less than 1/6 of 1% of applicants were chosen. As a 2020 Coke Scholar, I can offer some tips on how to maximize your chances of winning this prestigious, but competitive award.

Eligibility requirements:

• Be a current high school senior attending school in the US
• Be a US citizen, national, or permanent resident
• Anticipate receiving your high school diploma
• Plan on attending an accredited US post-secondary institution (two- or four-year college)
• Cannot be a child/grandchild of any employee, officer, or owner of Coca-Cola bottling companies, the Coca-Cola company, Company divisions, or subsidiaries

Fill out your application as thoroughly as you can

For the scholarship application, you have the opportunity to provide the scholarship committee with a list of clubs and organizations you are involved in, a list of honors and awards you have received, a list of volunteer activities, and a list of paid work experiences/internships. The application allows an ample amount of activities to be listed for each section (around 10 or 11), so you should try to include every activity you have participated in or award you have received, no matter how small.

Make sure to list your most meaningful and important activities/awards first for each section to ensure that your application readers understand which activities you prioritize the most. For example, if you have been the captain of the tennis team for four years and dedicated many hours to the sport, you should definitely list tennis as one of the first activities on your list.

Emphasize activities where you have demonstrated initiative and leadership

One of the most important qualities the Coca-Cola scholarship committee values is leadership. Successful applicants for the scholarship should be able to demonstrate initiative and leadership through their activities, honors, community service, and work experience. The activities you include on your application should illustrate your interests and ability to be a leader. For example, if you only participated at your local soup kitchen because you just wanted to fulfill the community service requirements, this would not be an activity you want to include.

On the other hand, if you established a fundraiser or volunteer group at your school that provides food and necessary supplies to needy and homeless people in your community, you should definitely include this activity. The difference between these two examples illustrates what characteristics the Coca-Cola scholarship committee values the most. The former example portrays a desire to help others in one’s community, while the latter example shows someone who is passionate about community service and creates a system that can help others in their community with greater impact.

For semifinalists: highlight your most meaningful interests and personal characteristics

Were you selected as a Coca-Cola semifinalist? First of all, congrats! Second, if you are selected as a semifinalist, you will be required to provide additional details about your leadership, service, involvement, and work including statements of impact, essays, and an online submission of one reference from someone who can best assess your character and your impact on your community.

The second part of the application process is designed to get to know you better, rather than simply looking at a list of activities or awards. As a result, your statements of impact for your activities should highlight your most substantive experiences. Your essays should emphasize your greatest interests and personal characteristics. In fact, one of the essay prompts even asks you what activity you would participate in if you could only participate in one activity. You want to use your essays to speak about experiences in your life that have shaped your interests and personal goals. Unique and honest personal essays will help distinguish you from other candidates.

Additionally, make sure that you request a recommendation from someone who can attest to your personal qualities and dedication to your community, not just your work ethic or academic abilities. For example, my recommender was my guidance counselor because she could provide a more holistic overview of myself as well as provide details of my extracurricular activities, personal traits, and academic abilities.

For regional finalists: practice, practice, practice!

Were you selected as a Coca-Cola regional finalist? Congratulations! You have demonstrated yourself to be an exceptional candidate among a large pool of applicants.  If you are selected as a regional finalist, you will be subjected to a short 20-minute interview with three or four people. Some interviewers will be Coke scholar alumni and some may be employees of the Coca-Cola Scholarship Foundation.

You will have the opportunity to have the interview in-person or online. If you need to have an online interview, know that this will not affect your application! (I had an online interview, and my application was successful). During the interview, keep in mind that you may not have the opportunity to ask questions as they will probably cut you off at the 20-minute mark.

To prepare for the interview, make sure to review your application and familiarize yourself with your essay answers and lists of activities and awards. Also, it is very important that you practice answering sample interview questions with family or friends in order to feel more comfortable during the real interview.

This interview will not be like a normal college alumni interview, as all of your interviewers will have read your application thoroughly and will ask pointed questions about specific parts of your application. Therefore, practicing will make you more prepared to answer questions and will allow you to feel more relaxed. Finally, remember that the application process, especially the interview, can be subjective and unpredictable, so you should pat yourself on the back for making it this far. Good luck!

This informational essay was written by Rohan Krishnan, Yale University Class of ‘24. If you want to get help writing your application essays from Rohan or other CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions advisors, click here.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, coca-cola scholarship application insights.

Hello friends! I'm considering applying for the Coca-Cola Scholarship and was wondering if anyone could shed some light on the application process. What does the application look like and what kind of questions should I expect? Thank you!

Hi there! Applying for the Coca-Cola Scholarship is a great idea as it's a prestigious scholarship that can significantly help with funding your education. I can definitely share some insights into the application process.

The Coca-Cola Scholarship application is typically divided into several sections. Here's a brief overview of what to expect:

1. Personal Information : Basic information about you, such as your name, address, contact details, and education background.

2. Academic Information : You'll need to provide details about your current high school, GPA, class rank, and any standardized test scores (like SAT or ACT) if you have them.

3. Extracurricular Involvement : This part asks about your involvement in various activities like sports, clubs, community service, and work experience. You’ll want to emphasize your leadership roles and any notable achievements.

4. Short Essay Questions : The application will usually have a few short essay questions that aim to learn more about your goals, personal values, and what drives you. The prompts vary from year to year, but typically focus on topics like your commitment to community service, experiences overcoming challenges or obstacles, and examples of how you’ve demonstrated leadership.

5. Recommendation : You may be required to submit recommendation letters from teachers, counselors, or other individuals who can attest to your character and accomplishments.

6. Honors and Awards : Here, you'll list any awards, recognitions, or honors you've received that showcase your academic or extracurricular achievements.

It's important to keep in mind that the Coca-Cola Scholarship is highly competitive, so you'll want to spend time crafting thoughtful, well-written responses to the essay questions and try to highlight what sets you apart from other applicants. Make sure you showcase your leadership skills, dedication to community service, and any unique achievements.

Best of luck with your application!

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What is the Coca‑Cola Scholars Program?

The Coca‑Cola Scholars program is an achievement-based scholarship for graduating high school seniors which recognizes students for their ability to lead and serve, as well as for their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities. The Coca‑Cola Scholars Foundation exists to bring better to the world through investment in exceptional high school students who are dedicated to leadership, service, and action that positively affects others.

Coca‑Cola Scholars can be found in every corner of the globe, in education and business, nonprofits and the arts, building better machines, creating cures, leading revolutions, dreaming new futures and researching the past in ways that change our tomorrows.

More than 6,150 Coca‑Cola graduating high school seniors have received more than $69 million in scholarships from the Coca‑Cola Scholars Program.

Each year, the Coca‑Cola Scholars Foundation sends 150 bright, young innovators, leaders and game-changers into their lives beyond high school with a head-start toward achieving their goals.

More information

For more information about the Coca‑Cola Scholars Foundation, including information about scholarship applications, please visit https://www.coca-colascholarsfoundation.org/ .

The Admissions Strategist

Coca-cola scholarship: how to win it.

When it comes to college scholarships , the Coca-Cola Scholarship is one of the most generous. Recipients win $20,000 toward their college education! Not surprisingly, this also makes the Coca-Coca Scholarship one of the most competitive scholarship programs out there.

In this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the Coca-Cola Scholarship, plus tips to increase your chances of winning one for yourself.

Click above to watch a video on Coca Cola Scholarship.

About the Coca-Cola Scholarship

The Coca-Cola Scholars Program scholarship is a merit-based scholarship for graduating high school seniors. It is one of three scholarships funded by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, which was launched in 1986 to celebrate Coca-Cola’s centennial. Each year, 150 students are selected to receive the $20,000 scholarship.

According to the program’s website , winners are recognized for “their capacity to lead and serve.” Winners are also committed to “making a significant impact” in their communities and schools. In total, 6,300 Coca-Cola Scholars have won more than $72 million to support their educations.

Am I Qualified for the Coca-Cola Scholarship?

To qualify for the Coca-Cola Scholarship, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Be a current high school senior (or home-schooled student) attending school in the United States
• Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, U.S. permanent resident, refugee, asylee, Cuban-Haitian entrant, or humanitarian parolee
• Plan to pursue a college degree at an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution (most two or four-year colleges in the United States)
• Have a minimum 3.0 unweighted GPA

In addition, you may not be:

• The child or grandchild of a current Coca-Cola employee or a former employee receiving retirement benefits
• An international student
• A high school graduate
• A temporary resident of the U.S.

If you fit these requirements, you’re eligible to submit an application for consideration.

How Do I Submit a Coca-Coca Scholarship?

Typically, the Coca-Cola Scholarship application window opens at the beginning of August and closes at the end of October. During the application window, you must submit a complete application through the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation application portal. Applications are not accepted via mail, fax, or email.

The good news is that the Coca-Cola Scholarship does not require an essay or other supplementary materials. However, the application does ask for a lot of information. And you must be sure to fill it out completely—otherwise, you won’t be considered for the scholarship.

Around mid-November, 2,000 applicants are selected as semifinalists. Semifinalists are typically asked to submit additional materials for consideration. A committee reviews the applications and selects 250 regional finalists by the end of January.

In February, regional finalists are interviewed via phone or Skype. After interviews, the 150 scholarship winners are finally selected and announced.

Get personalized advice!

What do i need to submit for a coca-cola scholarship.

Here’s the information you’ll be asked to provide on the Coca-Cola Scholarship application:

• Contact Information – Including the names, phone numbers, and emails of your school principal and guidance counselor.
• Academic Record/Transcript- You won’t send your transcript in with the application, but you’ll need it so you can self-report your classes and grades beginning from freshman year. You also need to know your class size, class rank, and the number of AP/IB classes offered at your school.
• Clubs and Organizations- The application asks you to list both school and non-school related activities you’ve taken part in since freshman year. You also need to mention any leadership roles you held in these activities. Specifically, the activities mentioned on the application include student council, class officer, academic/honor societies, school newspaper or literary magazine, school yearbook, drama, theater, dance, speech, debate, forensics, band, orchestra, vocal, visual arts, athletics, and any other school-related clubs, organizations, or intramurals.
• Honors and Awards- List awards and accolades you’ve received since freshman year, including whether these awards were local, regional, state, or national.
• Volunteer Activities- List unpaid community service activities since freshman year. You’ll need to include the number of hours you participated in each activity, plus any awards or honors you received through volunteering.
• Work Experience- If you have paid work experience, you’ll include information about how long you were employed and how many hours you worked weekly in your application.

As mentioned previously, the application does not require an essay or supplementary materials, such as letters of recommendation. It also doesn’t ask for your standardized test scores or any financial information (because it is not a need-based scholarship). However, as you can see, the application requires some pretty in-depth information about your high school career.

It’s easier to fill out the application if you gather materials ahead of time, like your transcript, information on extracurricular activities and volunteer work, a list of your honors and awards, etc. You should also ask your guidance counselor for data like your class size/rank and the number of AP/IB classes at your school if you’re not sure.

Tips for Winning a Coca-Cola Scholarship

With $20,000 on the line, it makes sense that the Coca-Cola Scholarship is highly competitive and prestigious. In fact, the top five colleges attended by Coca-Cola Scholarship recipients are Harvard, Stanford, Duke, Yale, and Princeton. Many winners are entrepreneurs, inventors, founders of nonprofit organizations, and leaders of impactful research. You can read bios of the most recent Coca-Cola Scholars here .

But that doesn’t mean you should feel intimidated or rule yourself out. It takes only a few hours to complete the application, and it could lead to $20,000 toward your education. You never know what might happen, especially if you’re strategic and thorough in filling out your application.

The following tips will help you put your best foot forward and maximize your chances of winning a Coca-Cola Scholarship. The first few tips apply to younger high school students who have time remaining to build their resumes. At the end, we have some tips for seniors who are ready to apply now, including how to present yourself in the best possible light.

YOUNGER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Demonstrate academic achievement.

For just about any merit-based scholarship, academic achievement is key. In particular, corporate scholarships like Coca-Cola’s program want to invest in students who have clearly demonstrated their potential for success.

Take the most challenging classes available at your school, and get the highest grades possible. Aim for a stellar GPA and a seat near the top of your graduating class. If you find yourself struggling, be proactive. Ask for help from a teacher, peer, or professional tutor. Invest time in taking notes, reviewing those notes, and studying regularly (not just cramming). Complete your class assignments and homework on time, and be receptive to feedback from your teachers.

Excelling academically is challenging and time-consuming . It’s not always fun. But when you think about opportunities like the Coca-Cola Scholarship, you realize all the hard work is a worthwhile investment in yourself and your future.

Get Involved

When you’re first starting high school, it might seem scary to throw yourself into new activities and organizations. But it’s important to get involved from the beginning. Look into the clubs and extracurricular activities available at your school, and make a list of the ones that sound interesting to you.

Talk to other students or attend a few introductory meetings, then narrow your list down to 3-4 activities that line up with your passions and interests. It’s best to stick with your favorite activities throughout high school, growing within the organization and ideally taking on a leadership role. Plus, you’ll show commitment and passion, which appeals to scholarship committees and admissions officers alike.

Most Coca-Cola Scholarship recipients are presidents of clubs, captains of sports teams, and/or leaders in student government. If you want to establish yourself as a motivated and passionate leader, it helps to get involved early on, building trust and connections throughout your school.

Serve Your School and Community

Another common trait in most Coca-Cola Scholarship recipients is impactful service. Many are also involved in social justice initiatives within their schools and communities, like advocating against human trafficking, working with underrepresented youth, bridging the gender gap in STEM, or raising awareness about teen mental health.

You can start by volunteering in your school and community, including with the organizations and clubs you’re involved in. Ideally, you’ll find a cause you’re passionate about or a need you’d love to help meet. Whether it’s teaching senior citizens about computers, providing free tutoring to underprivileged students, or giving presentations about climate change, it’s especially impressive (and personally fulfilling) if you can start a project, event, or even a nonprofit organization of your own.

Think about the needs of students at your school or people in your community that aren’t being met. What can you do to help? Again, reading through bios of the latest Coca-Cola Scholarship recipients can give you a wealth of inspiration and ideas. But you’re at your best when you’re following your heart and pursuing your passions, so find something that’s meaningful to you.

Show Leadership

We mentioned leadership already, but it’s important to remember that leadership comes in many forms. It might mean being a club president or a sports team captain, or it could mean making your own invention, business, community program, or school fundraiser. You can also lead by training people at a job, welcoming new students to your school, or organizing events.

The idea of leadership isn’t comfortable for everyone, so find a way to lead that works for you. If you want to stand out and compete for major scholarships like this one, it’s important to get some sort of leadership experience on your resume.

Earn Accolades and Awards

If you do everything mentioned above, you’re almost guaranteed to win some awards and accolades for your efforts. Still, you should always be on the lookout for opportunities. And some honors require you to submit yourself for consideration, so don’t assume you’ll just automatically be recognized and rewarded.

Often, teachers or counselors will share award opportunities. If you hear something that’s a good fit for you, always take the time to apply. If you’re into research, submit your work for publication. Or make sure you put together a solid entry for your school’s Science Fair, which could get you all the way to the state competition. Enter essay contests if writing is your thing, or find talent shows where your musical abilities will shine. Whatever you’re good at, aim for recognition that you can include on your resume.

SENIORS READY TO APPLY FOR THE COCA-COLA SCHOLARSHIP

Keep program values in mind.

Reading through the information for younger high school students above should give you some idea of the values and qualities most important to the Coca-Cola Scholarship committee. Successful applicants shine academically, show leadership, and make a real impact on their schools and communities. They are service-oriented, motivated, and passionate.

As you fill out the scholarship application, keep these values in mind. These are the areas you really want to highlight and bring to the forefront. Think about how your extracurricular experience, awards and honors, and volunteer work can help you demonstrate these values to the people reviewing your application. If you aren’t sure, ask family members, friends, and teachers who know you well for input.

Be Thorough

Make sure to closely read through every part of the application. Enter your information thoroughly and correctly. If you miss any part of the application, you won’t be considered for the scholarship.

Similarly, make sure you list everything that could help make your application look good. If it happened during high school and shows your academic ability, leadership skills, dedication to the community, or overall motivation and potential, then you don’t want to leave it out. Now is not the time to be humble!

Edit Carefully

Any application you submit should be error-free, especially for an extremely competitive scholarship like this one. Review your application very carefully before submitting. If you aren’t sure about your spelling or comma placement, do some online research to double-check your work.

Sometimes, it’s helpful to save the application for a day or two after you complete it. Then, look at it with a fresh pair of eyes before submitting. You might catch something you missed the first time around. Another tip is to read your application backwards. It sounds strange, but it gives you a new perspective that can help you spot errors.

Ask for a Second Opinion

It’s also helpful to ask for a second opinion from a teacher or trusted adult. Ask another person (or 2-3 other people) to review your application for grammar and clarity. You can also ask for input on the information you’ve included and if there’s anything you’ve left out.

Of course, it’s your application at the end of the day, so don’t make changes you aren’t comfortable with. A second opinion is just that—an opinion.

Submit On Time!

Finally, make sure to submit your application on time. If you miss the deadline, you miss the opportunity. It’s best to submit early, so you don’t feel too much pressure and have plenty of time to review and edit as needed.

So, mark the Coca-Cola Scholarship deadline in your calendar as soon as the scholarship window opens. Give yourself plenty of time to gather materials, write the application, edit it, and ask for at least one other person to review it too.

Final Thoughts: How to Win a Coca-Cola Scholarship

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The 36th Annual Coca-Cola Scholars Banquet

Honoring the 2024 Coca-Cola Scholars

Georgia International Convention Center Thursday, April 25, 2024 Reception 6pm Dinner 7pm

WELCOME & PRESENTATION OF THE 2024 COCA-COLA SCHOLARS

John Murphy, President & CFO

The coca-cola company.

PERFORMANCE

Coca-Cola Scholar Orchestra

CONGRATULATORY REMARKS

Jane Hale Hopkins, President

Coca-cola scholars foundation.

COCA-COLA CONNECTION

Kirk Tyler, CCSF Board Chair

Chairman, atlantic coca-cola bottling company, madi pfaff edgar, 2013 scholar.

INTRODUCTION OF HONORED GUEST

Lisa Chang, CCSF Board Member

Evp and global chief people officer, the coca‑cola company.

HONORED GUEST

Carla Harris

Senior Client Advisor, Morgan Stanley

RECOGNITIONS & CLOSING

T. Martin Williams, CCSF Board Vice Chair

Svp & chief financial officer, corinth coca-cola bottling works, honored guest.

CARLA HARRIS

CARLA HARRIS is a Vice Chairman, Managing Director, and Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley. She is responsible for increasing client connectivity and penetration to enhance revenue generation across the firm. She formerly headed the Emerging Manager Platform, the equity capital markets effort for the consumer and retail industries, and was responsible for Equity Private Placements. In her 30 year career, Ms. Harris has had extensive industry experiences in the technology, media, retail, telecommunications, transportation, industrial, and healthcare sectors. In August 2013, Carla Harris was appointed by President Barack Obama to chair the National Women’s Business Council.

For more than a decade, Ms. Harris was a senior member of the equity syndicate desk and executed such transactions as initial public offerings for UPS, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Ariba, Redback, the General Motors sub-IPO of Delphi Automotive, and the $3.2 Billion common stock transaction for Immunex Corporation, one of the largest biotechnology common stock transactions in U.S. history.

Ms. Harris was named to Fortune Magazine’s list of “The 50 Most Powerful Black Executives in Corporate America”, Fortune’s Most Influential List, U.S. Bankers Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Finance (2009, 2010, 2011), Black Enterprise’s Top 75 Most Powerful Women in Business (2017), and “Top 75 African Americans on Wall Street”, and to Essence Magazine’s list of “The 50 Women Who are Shaping the World”, Ebony’s list of the Power 100 and “15 Corporate Women at the Top”, and was named “Woman of the Year 2004” by the Harvard Black Men’s Forum and in 2011 by the Yale Black Men’s Forum.

Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Carla received an MBA, Second Year Honors, from Harvard Business School and an AB in economics from Harvard University, Magna Cum Laude. Carla has also received Honorary Doctorates of Laws, Humanities, and Business from Marymount Manhattan College, Bloomfield College, Jacksonville University, Simmons College, the College of New Rochelle, St. Thomas Aquinas College, and Fisk University, Wake Forest University and Felician University respectively. Carla Harris is actively involved in her community and heartily believes that “we are blessed so that we can be a blessing to someone else.”

She is the past Chair of the Board of the Morgan Stanley Foundation and of The Executive Leadership Council, and sits on the boards of Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO), A Better Chance, Inc, and St. Vincent’s Hospitals, and is an active member of the St. Charles Gospelites of the St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and the Mark Howell Singers. She is a member of the board of overseers of Harvard University and of the board of directors of the Walmart Corporation.

Ms. Harris was co-chair of the National Social Action Commission of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. She has been named to the New Jersey Hall of Fame (2015) and has received the Bert King Award from the Harvard Business School African American Alumni Association, the 2005 Women’s Professional Achievement Award from Harvard University, the Pierre Toussaint Medallion from the Office of Black Ministry of the Archdiocese of New York, the Women of Power Award given by the National Urban League, the Women of Influence Award from The Links, Incorporated, and many other awards.

In her other life, Carla is a singer who has sold out concerts at the Apollo Theatre and released her third gospel CD “Unceasing Praise” (2011). Her second CD, a gospel album titled, “Joy Is Waiting”, was featured on BET Nightly News, while her first CD entitled, “Carla’s First Christmas”, was a bestseller on Amazon.com in New York and in record stores and was featured on the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather in his “American Dream” segment. She has performed 5 sold out concerts at Carnegie Hall. Carla is also the author of the books Strategize to Win (2014) and Expect to Win (2009) (Hudson Press).

Aiden Ackerman

Shobhit Agarwal

Nikita Agrawal

Anaum Allimulla

Aditi Avinash

Arjun Bangalore

Pranav Bellannagari

Isaac Bernstein

Alfia Bilal

Pradyumn Bonu

Diya Brijesh

Georgia Bukata

Alekhya Buragadda

Noah Canada

Esther Chan

Athena Chen

George Cheng

Rhea Choudhary

Zachary Clifton

Sonya Colattur

James Couch

Connor Cowan

Tinarie Dacres

David Daniel

Ashley Ding

Elizabeth Djajalie

Bahar Djour

Lahari Donepudi

Andrew Dong

Anika Dugal

Clark Easley

Adan Eftekhari

Abigail Egbujor

Rithvik Gabri

Yasmeen Galal

Anya Gruener

Aditya Gupta

Chase Hartman

Ava Havidic

Jyel Hollingsworth

Cameron Hong

Abdimalik Hussein

Fatima Iqbal

Dabeluchi Isiofia

Lakshya Jain

Yoonseo Jung

Palash Kapoor

Sanjana Kavula

Zeyneb Kaya

Isheta Kulshreshtha

Yusef Lateef

Do Hyeong Lee

Daisy Lehman

Mark Leschinsky

Diego Lopez-Rodarte

Rayna Malhotra

Eshaan Mani

Joshua Martoma

Daniel Mathew

Aanand Mehta

Arnab Misra

Manraj Mondair

Iveena Mukherjee

Katherine Murphy

Gabriella Nakai

Aditya Nandyal

Monica Nitu

Olaoluwa Oguneye

Diya Oommen

Emily Parker

Naisha Patel

Javier Junior Patricio Santo

Sruti Peddi

Taylor Petrofski

Emily Pickering

Sofía Polar

Alanna Polyak

Clelia Poujade

Bannon Price

Emily Price

Laura Pulido

Navin Ramesh

Rohan Ramprasad

Suraj Reddy

Avery Redlich

Abigail Rosas

Brendan Salisbury

Melody Sapione

Nathan Saud

Elyssa Schatz

Christopher Schwarting

Dhruti Shah

Baala Shakya

Saachi Sharma

Richelle Shi

Gerkariah Shine

Richa Shukla

Ali Siddiqui

Rahul Solleti

Aakash Suresh

Aswin Surya

Courtney Sweet

Paisley Tabor

Devan Tatlow

Anona Thomas

Edward Thomas

Kyle Tianshi

Sohum Trivedi

Anjali Veerareddy

Reesa Venterea

Danielle Wang

Rebecca Wang

Mollie Kate Webb

Sophia Weber

Benjamin Who

Angelina Xu

Angela Yang

Lesley Yupa

Featured Coca-Cola Scholar Alumni

Madi (Pfaff) Edgar is a proud 2013 Coca-Cola Scholar, during which her love for learning and giving back to the community has been cultivated by those who inspired and mentored her.

She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with degrees in Computer Science and Mathematical Decision Sciences. Madi is passionate about developing both people and software, having served for 6 years as a pastor for a local church in Philadelphia with her husband, and developing Legesher , an open source software that allows individuals to code in their native language.

These days she devotes much of her energy to parenting two sweet children, Forbearance and Zeal, while also working in AI/ML at Nike.

It is her greatest hope to play a part in changing the way the world creates, innovates, and collaborates with technology and one another.

David E. Groom has been a part of the development and production teams for over $10 billion of award winning and cutting edge entertainment around the world. He helped build and run one of the industry’s leading international stereoscopic/3D studios for visual effects and feature films.

David has created, produced, and directed entertainment that has entertained hundreds of millions of people. His talents and experience have been sought out and featured by some of the world’s greatest companies and industry leaders; such as: The Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios, Fortune 500 Companies, television networks and film studios and an international museum.

Groom is the Founder, CEO and Creative Director of Run, Jump, Fly…, Inc., a creative services enterprise that unites the talents of award winning creative and production teams responsible for some of the world’s most memorable entertainment. David oversees the creative development and production for feature films, television, commercials, music videos, live shows and events. He and his team at Run, Jump, Fly… excel in experiential storytelling by focusing on the message and crafting custom narratives that connect to audiences at personal and memorable levels.

David is also the founder of Your Wise Monkeys, Inc., a new tech platform that utilizes artificial intelligence for contextual voice and transcribed language translation in nearly 100 languages, for both recorded and live content. Your Wise Monkeys was created so non-profit and charitable organizations can share their stories and content around the world at reasonable costs; in addition to providing services at an enterprise level for corporations all the way down to individual user applications.

Challenging traditional ways of creative thinking and leadership, David guides his clients and productions to higher levels of connectedness, communication, creative processing, effective leadership and success. Having spent decades creating award winning entertainment and leading companies to top positions within their industries, David uses his expertise in talent assessment, talent management and leadership to provide creative coaching and strategic leadership training as catalysts for organizational, cultural and industry specific growth and innovation.

A storyteller at heart, producing relevant and inspiring entertainment is a welcome challenge and objective for David as he continually creates and seeks out new stories and projects that he can bring to life and give a voice.

Annika Huprikar is a senior in the Harvard/Berklee College of Music dual degree program, where she is pursuing a B.A. in Computer Science from Harvard and an M.M. in Film Scoring from Berklee. She is a classically-trained pianist, composer, and chamber musician, and has performed solo works in venues such as Carnegie Hall and concertos with symphony orchestras in the Chicagoland area.

Outside of her intensive Berklee scoring coursework, she has been working on her own concert and film music portfolios through creative endeavors such as film scoring competitions and student film projects. Lately, she has been working with Racket Club, a music-to-picture company in NYC, as a freelance assistant composer for indie film scenes and commercials.

Annika is co-president of the newly-rekindled Harvard Composers Association (HCA), which provides undergraduate composers with the exciting opportunity to write original music and get these works recorded by professional musicians.

Christian Amonson is a recording engineer and producer specializing in acoustic music. Projects include John Williams and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Midori and the Kansas City Symphony, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields at Abbey Road Studios in London and NPR’s JazzSet at the Kennedy Center, as well as groups like the LA Master Chorale, LA Opera, Pacific Chorale, Baltimore Symphony, Virginia Symphony, the Washington Bach Consort, Choral Arts Society of Washington and others. Amonson volunteers as the mastering engineer for And We Were Heard, an initiative focused on sharing works of underrepresented composers.

From 2014-2019, Amonson served with The President’s Own United States Marine Band in Washington, D.C., producing albums, concert recordings, videos and live sound reinforcement. He participated in the 2017 Presidential Inauguration, PBS’s Emmy-winning “All-Star Band” and various events at the White House. During the COVID-19 global pandemic, he founded VirtualChoir.net and led a team of 55 singers, composers, conductors, instrumentalists and administrators in the creation of over 1,700 virtual performances for ensembles around the world.

His teachings and recordings are unified in the seeing sound approach, which emphasizes the purpose of our ears: to tell us where things are. Amonson has presented clinics for groups like the National Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera, masterclasses for universities around the country and presentations on the fundamentals of orchestral recording for the League of American Orchestras. He trains and mentors engineers through his production company, Arts Laureate, and in 2022, he began teaching Mixing for Screen Composers in the USC Thornton Screen Scoring program.

Amonson won his first recording contract as an engineer at age 20, selected after the Virginia Chorale auditioned the most experienced classical engineers in the mid-Atlantic region. He received his first major label credit at 21 for Bruce Hornsby’s album Elevate. Before founding Arts Laureate, he proofed and catalogued 10,000 albums for the Classical Music Library Online, Jazz Music Library Online and World Music Library Online.

Kynnedy Simone Smith is a scholar, STEMinist, violinist, and philanthropist. She’s a junior at Columbia University, double majoring in computer science and cognitive science. A 2x published researcher and future Ph.D. candidate, she specializes her work in AI and human-computer interaction. She’s working to become a trailblazer in the field of socially aligned artificial intelligence and is excited to pursue her dreams at Microsoft Research this summer.

Outside of her interests in research, Kynnedy has been playing the violin for over 12 years. She has performed on national and international stages and was a member of the inaugural class of the Kaboom Collective where she was lead violinist on a jazz album and Nintendo videogame soundtrack. She is now a member of the Columbia University Orchestra in collaboration with Julliard.

You can learn more about Kynnedy’s leadership journey in three books: Unbossed: How Black Girls Are Leading the Way, Black Girls Unbossed: Young World-Changers Leading the Way, and Unstoppable100: Women and Girls Shaping Our World.

Danny Hong is currently serving as the Head Middle School/Assistant High School Band Director at Elida Local School District.

Graduating summa cum laude from Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in music education, Hong was involved in multiple ensembles such as the OSU Wind Symphony, Symphony Orchestra, Symphonic Band, and various clarinet ensembles. During his time at OSU, Hong served as the secretary for the collegiate chapter of NAfME and woodwind clinician for multiple high schools.

Hong is the recipient of the OSU Chapman Music Scholarship, David & Michele Meeker Scholarship, and Kaufman Scholarship. Hong has also performed internationally during the 2023 International Music Mastercourses held in Cividale del Friuli, Italy.

Aside from music education, Mr. Hong also coaches the Elida High School eSports team.

Seth Shelden (oboe, saxophone, flute, trumpet), 1994 Coke Scholar, is a lawyer and law professor who works for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) , winners of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize, as General Counsel and United Nations Liaison.

Seth also works in the arts, and, with his father, started an instrument manufacturing company, Diplomatte Music .

Some of Seth’s extensive performance credits incorporate his instruments, such as reviving Harpo in the first-ever revival of the Marx Brothers’ first Broadway show, I’ll Say She Is .

Henry Wu is a junior at Harvard College and a 2020 Coca-Cola Scholar originally from Vermont.

As a classically trained pianist and cellist, Henry soloed with the Vermont Philharmonic and Vermont Youth Orchestra and performed as a member of the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra.

Recently, Henry has branched into musical theater, serving as the music director and conductor for student productions of Jekyll & Hyde and Spring Awakening. He was also the music director and composer of Atalanta, an original student musical that was performed at Harvard and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

At Harvard, Henry studies statistics and sociology and hopes to pursue a career in the quantitative social sciences.

Nathan is a 2016 Coca-Cola Scholar from Wellesley, MA. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied Economics and English.

Nathan currently works in corporate strategy for Snappy, a gift-giving startup.

Based in New York City, he enjoys playing cello, running, and skiing in his free time!

Kylie Kalinowski is a 2018 Coca Cola Scholar with a passion for music, business, and technology.

She received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from the Louisiana Tech University College of Business in 2022 and has performed as a Violist in numerous orchestras since 2011.

Kylie is currently a Software QA Engineer for Swisslog Logistics Automation Inc. and a member of the Orchard Lake Philharmonic in her home state of Michigan.

Jason Shanker is a 1991 Coca-Cola Scholar and a voiceover artist whose speaking engagements have brought him to clients in 30 countries on five continents. He enjoys lending his voice to the things he's passionate about -- from documentaries and audiobooks to events such as tonight's 2024 Coca-Cola Scholars Banquet.

2024 Sponsors

Thank you to our Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze sponsors for their vital support, which allows us to connect and re-connect hundreds of Scholars from across the nation every year, strengthening our network, and creating collaborations that benefit the entire world.

Presenting Sponsors

Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Archer Daniels Midland

Ball Corporation

C.H. Robinson

Citrofrut SA de CV

Flik Hospitality Group

Ingredion Incorporated

Peace River Citrus Products

Tampa Juice Service & TicoFrut

WPP 2005 Limited

Silver Sponsors

Acosta Group

A jinomoto Health & Nutrition North America Alpek Polyester USA, LLC Ardagh Metal Packaging Bain & Company

Closure Systems International

McKinsey & Company Terrell Leadership Group Sanmina Corporation

Bronze Sponsors

Amcor Crowley Logistics, Inc.

Doehler North America Fracht FWO Inc.

HealthTech Bioactives (HTBA)

The Northern Trust Company OIPS

Principal Financial Group

Stevens Transport Tribe Express, Inc.

Uber Freight

Contributors

Crown Cork & Seal DSV Air & Sea H.R. Ewell, Inc. Nolan Transportation Group

Ongweoweh Corporation

SIG Staples Promotional Products Tri-Arrows Aluminum

Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.