November and December deadlines worth knowing

November brings the Elks National Foundation Most Valuable Student competition, one of the largest independently funded scholarship programs in the country, along with the Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship for high-achieving students with financial need.

December adds a cluster of corporate awards — Comcast Leaders and Achievers, the Burger King McLamore Foundation scholarships, and Foot Locker's scholar athlete program among them.

Several of these require nominations or recommendations from a school official, which means the real deadline for you is earlier than the posted one.