How to Apply to the Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway

Listen to any successful person, whether it’s an entrepreneur or an athlete, and they’re sure to attribute talent, hard work, determination, and a little bit of luck to their good fortune. In many ways, winning the Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway mirrors that path, as recipients need to craft a stand-out short essay, record an attention-grabbing video, and finally win a competition involving throwing footballs into a giant Dr. Pepper Can during halftime at one of five conference championship football games.

What Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway Winners Receive

Not ready to start working on your spiral in the backyard yet? You might be after you see the prizes! Twenty applicants (four for each event) are chosen to receive a trip for two to one of five conference championship football games—the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC—where they will participate in a “Grand Prize Game” at halftime for a chance to win an impressive award:

• Five $100,000 grand prizes are awarded to be paid toward a student’s tuition
• Five $20,000 runner-up prizes are awarded to be paid toward a student’s tuition
• Ten $2,500 consolation prizes are awarded to be paid toward a student’s tuition

Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway Applicant Requirements

In order to participate, applicants must be a legal U.S. resident between ages 18 and 24 and cannot be an active, or prior, NCAA collegiate athlete in any sport at any division—nor can they have played semi-professional or professional football at any time. Additionally, employees of the Promotion Party and members of their immediate family are disqualified from competing. Likewise, owners, operators, and employees responsible for purchasing and promotion decisions at retailers of sponsor products are not able to compete in the Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway.  

Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway Application Requirements

Step 1: The first step toward winning a Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway award is to create a profile at drpeppertuition.com. In their profile, applicants will be asked to briefly describe a goal they’re dedicated to achieving in 50 characters or less. Applicants are then asked to elaborate on their goal—and how they plan to achieve it—in 350 characters.

Step 2: In order to advance to the next round of the Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway, applicants need to solicit their friends and family to vote for their answer of how they will achieve their goal. In order to move on to the next phase of the competition, applicants need 50 votes. It’s worth noting that up until the time when an applicant receives 50 votes, their answer is allowed to be modified or changed.

Step 3: After receiving 50 votes, applicants are invited to upload a 60-second video (in English and of publishable quality) explaining why they deserve to be in the Dr. Pepper Tuition Contest, how winning will impact their lives, and sharing their academic and professional goals. Including a Dr. Pepper product in the video is suggested, but not mandatory.

Step 4: If an applicant is chosen, they receive an expenses-paid trip to one of five college football championship games where they will compete against three other selectees in a competition to throw as many footballs as possible (out of 30) into a giant Dr. Pepper can in 30 seconds. A preliminary competition is held the day before the game to narrow the field to two competitors; those two competitors will vie for a $100,000 scholarship the next day during halftime at the conference championship football game.

Tips for Winning Awards Like the Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway

Know the Dates: Know the relevant deadlines and work to meet them in advance. In the case of the Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway, know when your application must be submitted, how long you have to collect 50 votes, and when your video is due.

Follow Directions: Contests like the Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway have numerous rules that applicants must follow, such as character counts, what is deemed appropriate video content (which includes items like wearing logoed clothing without a company’s permission), and types of formats accepted for video files. Read carefully, pay attention to detail, and don’t let a silly mistake cost you a chance to win $100,000.

Write a Strong Statement: Applicants should have a firm vision of what they want to convey to the selection committee. Whether its 50 characters, 350 characters, or a one-minute video, the window to impress judges is small—meaning applicants need to be clear, concise, and to the point.

Customize Your Content: Research the giveaway and its past winners to get a feel for the types of answers and videos that have won in the past and use them to shape your submission. The Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway has a webpage devoted to past winners along with their answer to what goal they are determined to achieve and their video submission. Pay attention for subtle hints in the giveaway (or scholarship) rules as well. For example, although the inclusion of Dr. Pepper in the video is only recommended, we wouldn’t dream of submitting a video without it.

Ask for Help: There is no need to go it alone—take advantage of your network of teachers, advisors, parents, and friends to create the best submission possible. Whether it’s working with your English teacher to hone a winning message, working with your film-school-bound friend to create a captivating and high-quality video, or simply mobilizing your network to vote for your submission, leverage your support system and peers to optimize your odds of winning.  

As for throwing a football into a can…we have advice for that, too! Take your time, don’t rush, and forget throwing a traditional spiral; instead, opt for a two-hand chest pass. For more insight into winning the passing competition, check out this article by Yahoo Sports and this one from ESPN.

Curious about your chances of acceptance to your dream school? Our free chancing engine takes into account your GPA, test scores, extracurriculars, and other data to predict your odds of acceptance at over 500 colleges across the U.S. We’ll also let you know how you stack up against other applicants and how you can improve your profile. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to get started!