How can I find STEM scholarships for college as a high school senior?

I'm currently a high school junior really interested in pursuing a STEM major in college. I've heard there are a lot of scholarships available specifically for students in STEM fields, but I'm not sure where to start looking or how to apply. Does anyone have advice on where I could find STEM scholarships? Any tips on what I should focus on now to improve my chances of getting one? Thanks!

Absolutely, there are many scholarships available specifically for students interested in STEM fields! Here are a few tips to get started:

Firstly, I’d advise looking at general scholarship databases and search engines like CollegeBoard's Scholarship Search or Appily that can help you localize scholarships in your specific areas of interest. Both of these resources allow you to filter by interest areas so you could search for scholarships related to STEM fields.

Keep in mind that some STEM scholarships might be tied to specific colleges or universities, so you should also look at the scholarship opportunities on the websites of the schools you’re planning on applying to.

Another great place to look is professional and industry organizations related to your specific STEM interest. For instance, organizations like the National Society of Professional Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers, and the National Society of Black Engineers all offer scholarships for students pursuing degrees in the field.

Additionally, some companies or foundations like Google, Siemens, and Regeneron sponsor high-school-level STEM competitions where the prizes often include scholarships.

Now, in terms of increasing your chances of winning a scholarship, I would recommend that you focus on a few things:

1. Excel Academically: As you would expect, many scholarships consider academic performance, so maintaining high grades within your STEM classes will be beneficial. Plus, preparing well for standardized testing (if required) can also help.

2. STEM Extracurriculars: Participate in STEM-related clubs or research projects in your school or community. The more involved you are in practicing and applying your STEM skills outside the classroom, the better.

3. Spike: As you likely know, colleges prefer students with a specialized passion or "spike." Building a spike around your STEM interest might involve participating in relevant research, writing a research paper on a topic within that STEM field, competing in STEM competitions, or innovating something new in that field.

4. Impact & Leadership: Showing leadership and making an impact within your chosen STEM area will make you stand out in scholarship applications. This could be anything from leading a STEM club in your school to starting a coding class for underprivileged kids in your area.

Lastly, start applying as early as possible, and apply to as many scholarships as you think you would qualify for. There might be many people applying for the same scholarship, so it’s all about playing the odds. Good luck with everything!