September: the month three major scholarships close

If you only track one month of scholarship deadlines, track September. The Coca-Cola Scholars Program, QuestBridge's National College Match, and the Gates Scholarship all close in it.

All three are substantial — Coca-Cola awards $20,000, QuestBridge can cover full cost of attendance at partner colleges, and Gates is a full last-dollar award for Pell-eligible students.

All three also require essays and recommendations, which means starting in September is starting too late. Anyone reading this in September should be checking dates today rather than planning.