Scholarship Timeline

The following timeline is for high school seniors. For more on activities you should complete to increase your scholarship chances beginning in 7th grade on through to your 1st year of college, refer to Chapter 27 in Winning Scholarships for College. You should also review The Scholarship Monthly Planner for more help staying on top of deadlines and activities important to your scholarship success.

Although the following timeline is geared towards high school seniors, early fall is important for anyone starting their scholarship journey. This includes nontraditional students, current college students, and graduate students. Everyone should be ready to meet deadlines starting in September of each year. Ideally you should begin preparing in the summer before you are ready to begin or continue your studies. If you need money to start, NOT to continue, you should start your search for funding in the fall of the year before you plan to begin. For example, if you are planning to begin studying in the fall of 2013, you should begin your search for college funding in the fall of 2012.

SPECIAL NOTE: All chapter references in the timeline refer to the 3rd edition of Winning Scholarships for College unless otherwise noted.

SEPTEMBER (for High School Seniors)

• Go to the library and conduct research. Gather scholarship organization addresses. (Chapter 2 – "Research: Discovering Hidden Treasures")
• Search the Internet and the World Wide Web for scholarships. (Chapter 3 – "The Internet Scholarship Search")
• Write two inquiry letters. Prepare one for colleges/universities. Prepare one for other organizations such as companies, associations, sororities, fraternities, etc. (Chapter 2 – "Research: Discovering Hidden Treasures"). Click here for a sample letter to use with other organizations.
• Send letters.
• Call or write local organizations. (Chapter 4 - "Finding Scholarships in Your Backyard")
• Register for the SAT and the ACT. Go to the Taking Tests section of The College ToolBox. (Chapter 8 – "Taking Tests").
• If you haven’t been active in extracurricular and community service activities, start now. Continue the activities throughout your senior year. For more information on scholarships you can win based on community service or on how your service can help you win general scholarships, review Chapter 14 - "Scholarships and Awards for Volunteer Service and Work" in Winning Scholarships for College.
• Arrange meetings with your counselor or career center director. Try to have at least two meetings in early fall of your senior year (Chapter 7 – "Getting the Most from Your Counselor").
  • You should ask for or discuss the following in your first meeting.
    • A list of local organizations that offer scholarships or awards to students in the community.
    • A schedule of local college fairs or visiting student or college representatives.
    • AP Exams. Also, discuss these with the teachers of your advanced placement courses.
• Before the second meeting, you’ll need to complete your October activities (see list below) so you’ll have the information needed for this meeting. During the second meeting, discuss or ask for the following:
  • Examine your activities résumé. Make sure it’s thorough and well presented.
  • Give your counselor a list of the scholarships for which you’re planning to apply, their deadlines, whether you need a recommendation or a transcript sent for them, your résumé, and any other additional items you are planning to include with your applications.
  • If you have written essays for questions on scholarship applications you already have, review them with your counselor and your English teacher to see how well they think you have answered the questions and shown your qualities.
• In ongoing visits to your counselor or career center director’s office, ask about him or her about recommendations, mid-year reports, and transcripts they’ve sent or are sending for you. Chapter 7 of Winning Scholarships for College includes questions you should ask your counselor/career center director beginning in your freshman year of high school as well as additional meeting suggestions for your senior year in the Counselor Visitation Timetable.

OCTOBER (for High School Seniors)

• Continue researching scholarship programs. Put plenty of effort into your scholarship search during the fall of your senior year. Remember! Most scholarship deadlines, particularly those for large amounts have early deadlines.
• Organize all replies to your letters and the results from your Internet Search. Include scholarship and college applications. Create reference files and folders. (Chapter 6 - "Getting Organized")
• Prepare résumé. (Chapter 9 - "Grades Don’t Mean Everything – Standing Out in a Crowd")
• Prepare two basic essays describing yourself and your future career goals. (Chapter 11 – "Writing Perfect Essays").
• Make a recommendations chart of teachers, advisors, and employers. (Chapter 13 - "The Art of Getting Good Recommendations & Requesting Nominations")
• Start applying to scholarship programs with early deadlines. Be careful about early decision applications to colleges and universities. The commitment many require if you are accepted could limit your flexibility to choose a college/university that may be offering more financial aid.

NOVEMBER (for High School Seniors)

• Continue researching and applying for scholarships. Visit colleges and college fairs. Go to the Finding a College section of this site.

DECEMBER (for High School Seniors)

• Continue researching and applying for scholarships.
• Start working on the (FAFSA). Visit the Other Resources section of The College ToolBox for information on the FAFSA. Do not submit it yet. You need your W2’s. Curious about your aid eligibility now. Use the FAFSA forecaster. Go to www. fafsa.ed.gov for more information.

JANUARY (for High School Seniors)

• Continue researching and applying for scholarships.
• As soon as W2’s are received, adjust any information needed. Then complete and submit the FAFSA. For certain colleges and universities, you may also need to complete the CSS-Financial Aid PROFILE.

FEBRUARY (for High School Seniors)

• Continue researching and applying for scholarships.

MARCH (for High School Seniors)

• If you’ve received financial aid award letters from colleges and universities you are most interested in attending and the package they are offering is not enough to meet your needs, make an appointment to discuss your situation with their financial aid offices. They may be willing to adjust your financial aid package based on new information from you such as a higher offer from another institution or extenuating circumstances in your family (Chapter 5 – "Help with College Expenses from the Government.")
• Continue researching and applying for scholarships.

APRIL (for High School Seniors)

• Continue researching and applying for scholarships, particularly local scholarships. May 1 is usually the scholarship deadline date for many colleges and universities. You should start determining the colleges and university financial aid packages you will accept. (Chapter 23 - "Making Choices – You’ve Been Awarded …Now What Do You Do?")

MAY (for High School Seniors)

• If you didn’t get enough free college financial aid to cover your costs for four years initially, begin the research process for students already in college so you’ ll be prepared for the scholarship process in your college freshman year. (Chapter 18 - "I’m Already In College: Are There Scholarships for Me?")

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