When should I start looking for freshman scholarships?

As a high school junior preparing for college, I'm eager to learn about freshman scholarships and when to start applying. Are there specific deadlines I need to keep in mind, or is it generally better to apply as early as possible? Also, how do these scholarships differ from those offered to upperclassmen? Any advice on where to begin my search would be great!

Navigating the scholarship landscape can be daunting, but your proactive approach bodes well for your success! Most scholarship applications open up about a year in advance, so junior year is a perfect time to start looking.

When it comes to deadlines, keep an eye out – they can range from the fall of your senior year to well into spring, depending on the scholarship. It's best to apply as early as possible, especially for those scholarships that operate on a rolling basis, as they award funds until depleted.

Freshman scholarships often target high school students transitioning to college. As such, they might look at your high school GPA, SAT/ACT scores, and extracurricular involvement. Scholarships for upperclassmen typically might consider your college GPA, major, and college-specific activities.

Start by exploring local opportunities—organizations in your community or your parents' workplaces might offer scholarships. Also, you can begin with CollegeVine, which has a great tool for finding and calculating the chances of winning scholarships. Additionally, consider free, trusted scholarship search sites, such as Fastweb or the U.S. Department of Labor's scholarship search engine.

Lastly, when you're developing your college list, remember to inspect each school's scholarship opportunities for incoming freshmen. Good luck with your scholarship search! It might seem a lot right now but keeping organized and starting early will yield the best results.