Scholarships for sophomores and freshmen
March 21, 2023 · 2 min read
Most awards target seniors, but underclassmen have more options than they think.
It's true that the majority of scholarship money targets high school seniors. It's not true that there's nothing available before then, and starting early has a compounding benefit.
Competitions are the main category open to underclassmen: art and writing contests, science fairs, speech and essay competitions, and video challenges. Scholastic Art & Writing, the VFW's Voice of Democracy, and the Regeneron science competitions all accept students well before senior year.
Beyond the money, entering these early builds the exact portfolio — projects, awards, a track record — that senior-year applications ask you to describe.
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