When do students apply for scholarships and colleges?

[EllenFrasier]

My son is in 11th grade. I told him to ask his guidance counselor about any scholarships he might apply for and she told him that only seniors can apply for scholarships. I could have sworn that when my daughter was a Jr. in high school that she applied for scholarships. We even went and visited a college that was out of state. Have things changed that much in 5 years?

 

[Hannathy]

My DD is a senior and she is just now applying for scholarships. A sprinkling had dates at the end of 2009 but most are Feb-June. FAFSA and CSS had to be in Early Feb for FA.

Applications for college started in Sept with most of the Ivy"s having a Jan 1. Deadline and a few later in Jan. like the 15th. A few State schools were a bit later. Some schools are just now letting kids know no matter when they applied and some started late in the Fall.

Most people do do their college visits in their Junior year or summer between Jr and Sr. year.

 

[emma'smom]

Just want to add that November 15th and December 1st are BIG cut-off days for Early Decision applications and often have specific scholarship opportunities linked to those dates as well.

My friend is a college counselor and always comments on how frustrating she finds students who drag their feet and miss the December 1st deadlines (and the scholarship opportunities that went with that date) when she knows they have a good chance of getting them and could really use them.

 

[Sadie22]

If a student waits until they are in their senior year to think about applying for some scholarship programs it may be too late by then. There is the PSAT still in 10th grade as far as I know, then the ACT and SAT tests in 11th grade and 12th grade which are required for many applications. The FAFSA federal financial aid application needs to be completed in February or March of the senior year to qualify for federal and state aid and is also used by some private colleges for their financial aid programs, both need-based and other types of financial aid. The deadline for completing and submitting this application may vary by school. In other words, some schools have earlier deadlines than the federal deadline. Some scholarships require essays. Others are based on grades, activities, and possibly the standardized test scores. By the summer between junior and senior year the student should have visited colleges and know where he or she wants to apply, know the deadlines and start applying. Properly completing applications is time consuming and not something to do in a hurry while also carrying a full courseload of AP courses and working on an Eagle Scout project, etc. Do not wait until just before a deadline. Some colleges have rolling admissions and late applicants are out of luck. If there is an early deadline and a later deadline, make the earlier deadline by as wide a margin as possible.


My children are grown and it's been a while since we've needed this, but Internet searches will yield many sources of scholarships through corporations and organizations. Your local library may have books on the financial aid process. If the school or a local community college has a college financial fair, be sure to go with your child.

My husband's corporation had a program and I'm fairly certain the application was submitted junior year although updated transcripts needed to be sent senior year and every year that renewal of the scholarship was desired. School guidance counselors cannot possibly maintain files on everything that is out there.

Some schools give a set amount off to members of the National Honor Society, to Eagle Scouts, and so on, so it "pays" to check out a variety of schools and get as much information as you can.

 

[Eeyore's Wife]

Students can take the PSAT as Juniors, and should, since that exam is what qualifies students for the National Merit Scholarships. This program offers some AMAZING scholarships. Our oldest is using one of these now to completely pay for school. No cost for tuition, books, fees, computer, room or board. FREE.

While students may take the PSAT while a Sophomore, they are more likely to get top scores as a Junior with an additional year of school under their belts.

APPLY EARLY. There are so many programs that offer great scholarships for students who apply early admission. So, throw your hat in the ring and GET IT DONE.

Many schools have rolling admission. In other words once the admission process is underway they start filling spots. So, even if you apply before the "cut off" date if you don't apply early there are not as many slots available. Apply as SOON as possible.

Most schools will want some stock essays. Get online and read college apps. During the summer before Senior year write 3-5 killer essays that can be easily adapted for most college apps. It is worth it to hire a college English major to proof/critique the papers.

Get recommendations in order. I was a high school teacher and I would often have students ask for recommendations a few days before they had to be completed. I had limited time and could only complete a few of them for the last minute students.

I happily wrote much longer and detailed recommendations over the summer when I had much more time. Encourage your Junior student to ask their best Science, Math, English, and Social Studies teachers for recommendations which can be finished over Summer.

Do not sign up for the SAT or ACT just once. Most kids see scores improve with familiarity with the exam and its process. So, sign up for it a couple times. Most kids see marked improvment because they are at ease in later tests.

Visit as many colleges as you can and try to let your child visit classes in their fields of interest. All the numbers and facts in the world cannot replace the "feel" of a place.

Finally, cast a wide net. There are many opportunities for small scholarships which often get overlooked because students or parents think, "how can $500 help me pay for $40,000 worth of school?" Yet, these small scholarships can add up to a lot or can be used for the gap between a school's scholarship and the total cost of the program.

 

[dizluvah]

I graduated from high school back in 1990 so surely things are different now...I didn't begin applying to schools before my senior year but you can certainly visit campuses as a junior, etc to help narrow down your child's choice of schools.

I just wanted to add civic groups like Rotary club, Elks club often have scholarships and they usually are mentioned in local newspaper under the announcements section - I believe those would normally be for high school seniors as well.

 

[kristinw3girls]

My 10th grader just got a small one this week. Many are open to all high school students. Read the fine print and the requirements!

 

[crisi]

Kohl's had a scholarship nomination up that you could apply for if you were in elementary school.

 

[ceecee]

Our school has kids taking the ACT in 7th and 8th grade! My DD's friend got a $1000 in 9th grade and is eligible for another 1000 each year til graduation. Seems overwhelming to me that we need to start planning for college in 8th grade!!!

 

[EllenFrasier]

Wow, I guess we better get moving then. I remember when my dd was in high school we got a book out of the library that had a ton of scholarships that people could apply for. Now if I could only remember the name of the book!

 

[blana]

Don't know what state you're in, but in NC, we have the CFNC.org website that has a listing of quite a few scholarship opportunities. There may be somethign similar where you are. And, CFNC may have some of the info you need even if you're not in NC.

 

[deerhart]

application deadlines depend on the scholarship. Some will require applicants to apply much earlier then their senior year.

I know the one I got through my dad's work I had to have the application in by June 30th after my junior year and update it with my college information when I had it

 

[pmgreene]

Check out collegeconfidential.com for some great college and scholarship advice and insight.

You can take the PSAT for practice as a sophomore but it only "counts" when you take it junior year.