How Early Should You Apply to Get Scholarships for College?

Getting ready to attend college is an exciting time, but it’s also incredibly stressful. Not only do students have to worry about getting into their top choice colleges, but there’s the impossible question of how to pay for four years of higher education. Getting answers is easier when you work with a college consulting service. One of the most common questions we get at Educational Attainment Services is how to get college scholarships.

Don’t wait to start thinking about how to pay for college.

The ultimate takeaway from how early to apply for college scholarships is that it’s never too soon to start. In fact, many scholarships have deadlines a full year before first-year college students’ fall semester. The summer between your junior and senior year is the ideal time to start looking for college scholarship opportunities and developing an application strategy.

But even before the junior year, students should start thinking about the kinds of scholarships they’ll want to pursue during their upperclassman years. It’s never too early to start thinking about extra-curricular activities, grades, and community involvement as components of your application strategy.

Identifying a student’s areas of strength early in their high school journey can make the scholarship application process less stressful and more streamlined.

What kind of scholarships are available?

It’s a common misconception the only way to get scholarships is with athleticism and a high GPA. However, there is funding available for students who excel in many areas–including academics and sports–as well as community involvement, the arts, or club participation.

Separate from merit scholarships are those given based upon need, which may depend on your household income. Some colleges offer financial assistance to any student who meets specific requirements, impacting where students decide to apply.

The third kind of scholarship is based on where parents work, nationality or cultural background, or other aspects of a student’s identity. There are many different kinds of scholarships. The best way to identify which ones you qualify for and have the best chance of receiving is to start the application process early.

How do you apply for scholarships for college?

Some colleges automatically consider any prospective student for scholarships when reviewing their application. But because there are many different resources for finding money for college, it can feel overwhelming to both find and apply for money for college. Every award has unique requirements and its own online application to fill out that usually asks for personal information and essay or short answer questions.

When you work with a college consultant like Educational Attainment Services, you get expert guidance in navigating the scholarship application process. A higher education expert can narrow down the most worthwhile opportunities and help you hone your essay question answers.

Our additional college entrance services

We provide a suite of consulting services backed by decades of experience in college admissions. Whatever you and your family’s specific concerns facing getting into and paying for college, we have private and group advising to provide insight and illuminate the process and strategies for success.

EAS also conducts seminars at schools, organizations, and conferences. We can customize our services to provide insight and expertise to groups from five to 25 people. Reach out to our team to schedule college admissions advising and seminars.

Education Attainment Services works with students bound for higher education to help them to get scholarships for college.

We are a college consulting service that provides ethically priced services to help families from all backgrounds achieve their college dreams. We help students apply for college, get into their top choices, and get through higher education without going broke. Our consultants bring decades of experience from both sides of the admission process, providing invaluable insight to clients from the perspective of admissions counselors. Instead of facing college applications on your own, get expert guidance to navigate applications, interviews, and the essay.

Maximize your potential and the funding you get by working with Education Attainment Services to get scholarships for college.