Doodle for Google
Offered by Google · Free to apply
Google's yearly art contest asks K-12 students to rework the company logo around one announced theme, submitting a single piece of art plus a short written statement that judges also score. The national winner receives a $55,000 college scholarship and a $50,000 technology package for their school, and five national finalists each receive $5,000. A parent or guardian must consent for a minor to enter and to collect a prize, one doodle per student counts, and past national winners cannot enter again. The recent cycle opened October 15 and closed December 17 at 8 p.m. PT; Google confirms the theme and the exact window each fall. Finalists hear by the end of May, public voting helps choose among them, and the winner is named in early summer.
How hard is the Doodle for Google to win?
A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first.
- Estimated odds
- roughly 1 in 2,000 applicants
- Modelled applicant field
- ~60,000 students
- Awards each cycle
- 5
- Payoff per hour of work
- $5 / hr
What drives the odds here
Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.
- More rivalsOpen nationwide, so the field is large
- More rivalsA large award draws far more applicants
How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.
Who can apply for the Doodle for Google?
These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.
- Open to high school freshmen, high school sophomores, high school juniors, and high school seniors
- Open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents (green card)
- Parental or guardian consent is required to enter; minors need written consent to receive prizes
- Immediate family and household members of Google employees are not eligible
- Previous national winners may not enter again
- A short artist statement must accompany the doodle and is part of the judging
- Also open to K-8 students; the grade gates only capture the high school bands
- Must be enrolled in a US-based school, homeschool, or a school in Puerto Rico, US territories, or freely associated states
- Limit one doodle per student; additional entries are disqualified
What the application takes
No essay, recommendation letters, or transcript are required. This is one of the lighter applications in the directory.
Deadline and application cycle
The current deadline is December 17, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. PT. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around December 17 each year. Applications open October 15.
- National finalists notified, public voting opens
- By late May 2026
- Submissions open
- October 15, 2026
- Entries due
- December 17, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. PT
- National winner announced
- June 2027
Does your student actually qualify?
See if your student qualifies in 30 seconds. Solyo checks 20+ criteria against their real profile: GPA, state, grade level, intended major, and more, across every award in this directory at once.
Common questions about the Doodle for Google
How much is the Doodle for Google worth?
The Doodle for Google awards $55,000 national winner; $5,000 for national finalists. 5 awards are made each cycle.
When is the Doodle for Google deadline?
The current deadline is December 17, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. PT. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around December 17 each year. Applications open October 15.
When do Doodle for Google applications open?
Applications open October 15, and close December 17, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. PT.
Who is eligible for the Doodle for Google?
Key requirements: Open to high school freshmen, high school sophomores, high school juniors, and high school seniors; Open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents (green card).
Does the Doodle for Google require an essay?
No essay is required. The application is light on requirements. Expect to spend about 3 hours on it.
How hard is it to win the Doodle for Google?
Solyo estimates the odds at roughly 1 in 2,000 applicants, against a modelled field of ~60,000 students. At 3 hrs of work, that is about $5 of expected value per hour. This is an estimate from award structure, not a published acceptance rate.
Is the Doodle for Google free to apply?
Yes. The Doodle for Google is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.
More merit-based scholarships
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Lists this award appears on
Award details are curated by Solyo and verified against the official scholarship page. Deadlines and requirements can change between cycles, so always confirm on the provider's site before applying.