The Coolidge Scholarship application includes three essays. Essays two and three both have required readings which can be found below.

Please note: while the below readings are required, you are certainly permitted to reference other sources when preparing your essays — a good place to start is our About Coolidge page and the Coolidge Virtual Library.

Essay 1

Prompt: You have learned and achieved much up to this point in your life. What are the next intellectual frontiers you hope to explore in college and how do you envision you might use the knowledge you gain? 

Note: for this essay we are not simply asking what you hope to major in during college and what job you want as a career. Instead, please write about the ideas that interest you most, what you still have to learn about them, and what you envision you might do with the knowledge you gain in college. Please limit your essay to 400 words.

Essay 2

Prompt: In the decades during which Coolidge made his career, from 1895 onward, states and the federal government not only expanded existing government offices but also created new departments and new authorities. With a few exceptions, the rise of new bureaucracy at all levels troubled Calvin Coolidge. Pick one reason Coolidge came to dislike bureaucracy, and describe how he sought to combat bureaucracy, whether as an elected leader in Massachusetts or later, in Washington, D.C. Please limit your response to 400 words. Important note: although you personally may not agree with Coolidge, for this essay try to get inside Coolidge’s head and explain his thinking and actions.

Required Readings

  • One of the required readings for Essays 2 and 3 is the Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge. The Coolidge Foundation recently published a new edition of the Autobiography, which includes a new introduction and additional supplemental material. The paperback version of Foundation’s edition was previously available purchase but has since sold out, however, an e-reader version of the new edition is available for purchase from Amazon, here. Older editions of the Autobiography are also acceptable for you to read, and can be found at most libraries. A free version of an older edition of Coolidge’s Autobiography can also be accessed here from Archive.org. (Note: Archive.org is a third-party site and is in no way affiliated with the Coolidge Scholars Program or the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation.)

Essay 3

Prompt: In 1926, President Coolidge received an unusual gift, twin lion cubs. He named the first cub “Budget Bureau,” symbolizing his commitment to cutting the federal budget. Today, the budget of the U.S. federal government is in deficit, and has been for many years. Research President Coolidge’s views and policies related to the budget. Then, research the budget of the federal government in the modern era. Finally, in an essay of 600 words or fewer, explain how you think Coolidge would address the budget deficit were he president today. Note: although personally you may not agree with Coolidge, try to get inside his head and explain how you think Coolidge would address the federal deficit.

Required Readings

  • One of the required readings for Essays 2 and 3 is the Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge. The Coolidge Foundation recently published a new edition of the Autobiography, which includes a new introduction and additional supplemental material. The paperback version of Foundation’s edition was previously available purchase but has since sold out, however, an e-reader version of the new edition is available for purchase from Amazon, here. Older editions of the Autobiography are also acceptable for you to read, and can be found at most libraries. A free version of an older edition of Coolidge’s Autobiography can also be accessed here from Archive.org. (Note: Archive.org is a third-party site and is in no way affiliated with the Coolidge Scholars Program or the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation.)

To aid in your research of the modern federal budget, please visit the link below for a budget breakdown for the year 2019. (Note: we have linked to the 2019 federal budget to give you an idea of the typical budget breakdown prior to pandemic-related spending. You can certainly still write about pandemic-related spending in your essay if you wish.)