As a current junior, I'm trying to get organized for the college application process. When is the best time to start applying for scholarships for fall 2025? Are there typical deadlines I should be aware of?
As a general rule, it's never too early to start researching and applying for scholarships. It's a great idea to start your scholarship search in your junior year, or even before, as some scholarships are open to underclassmen as well.
That said, the bulk of scholarships for college typically become available in your senior year of high school. Here's a general timeline to give you an idea:
- Summer before senior year: Use this time to research and start applying for scholarships. Remember, some scholarships have deadlines as early as August or September, so be prepared.
- Senior year, Fall Term: Many major scholarships have deadlines in this time period. For prestigious scholarships like the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation Scholarship, for example, the application typically opens in August and has a late September/early October deadline. If a scholarship requires letters of recommendation, make sure to request them from your teachers, counselors, or other adult mentors well in advance of deadlines.
- Senior year, Winter Term: This is a busy season for scholarships with many deadlines occurring from January to March. So be prepared to send out many of your applications during this period.
- Senior year, Spring Term, and beyond While less common, some scholarships have deadlines as late as April, May, or even over the summer. So, keep an eye out and apply for these later-deadline scholarships.
Remember, for scholarships that are renewable (and not one-time), you may need to reapply or renew your application every year.
A crucial tip: Keep an organized spreadsheet that includes the name of the scholarship, a brief description, the award amount, the deadline, any necessary documents, and the date you applied. This will help you keep track of all the scholarships you apply for and when to expect a response.
Good luck with your scholarship search!
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