Whether you are a freshman in high school or closing in on your junior year, scholarship searching should be at the top of your to-do list. Paying for college is expensive and scholarships are a great way to help soften the financial blow for students and parents. Here are a 7 few tips to help you get started: 1. Keep track of your high school activities. Well-rounded students are favored when scholarship boards are sifting through hundreds or thousands of applications. If you aren’t already, get involved! Join clubs in school, volunteer in your community and/or get a part-time job.

The average cost of college is $23,000 per year and rising annually. This is intimidating for both students and parents alike. However, there are tons of scholarships and financial aid tools out there. Just knowing where to go for information is worth reading this article. So, let’s get started. First, you should become familiar with the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Completing this application is essential for high school students who will be applying for scholarships. Many scholarships require the FAFSA application be completed prior to completing their application. Here is a link to the website and online

A resume is essential for college or career bound high school students. Applying for colleges is competitive, as is applying for a job. An easy to read, well-developed resume that sets you apart from others can help put you in a favorable position. So, how do you get started? First, you should make a comprehensive list of your academic achievements and extracurricular activities. Be sure to include all activities, honors, jobs, internships, volunteer hours, and so on. Ask others for input. Teachers, counselors, parents and friends can be helpful in creating your list. Next, you can begin to build your

Writing essays for college or scholarship applications can be intimidating. Just getting started can be a daunting task. Here are easy to follow steps for writing a killer essay: 1. Follow the instructions. This is a very important step. Read and re-read the instructions and make sure you follow them accordingly. 2. Make your essay personal. The reader should feel like they know you. Share your talents, passions and values. Include why you want to go to college and why you should be awarded the scholarship. Share information about why you’re interested in the field and any extracurricular activities, volunteer

Every college application is different, and before you begin your college applications, you need to make sure you understand the ins and outs of applications. Once you understand the basics, you can gather information that will most likely be standard on most applications, to save you time and effort in completing all the materials. Here is list of what you most likely will need:   *Some schools require that this information be filled in on the application, others request a resume that contains this type of information. Save yourself some time and energy by gathering this information before you sit