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. These will all be helpful when preparing for scholarships (and life).

2. Develop a master essay for ease of applying for several scholarships. Check out How to Write a Killer College Application and/or Scholarship Essay.

3. Proofread and have others proof your essay and application.

4. Check with your parents’ employers. Often times, employers offer scholarships for children of their employees.

5. Utilize free scholarship search sites. Fastweb and Unigo are a couple of good ones.

6. Check with your high school counselor for ideas on scholarships that would be a good fit for you.

7. Don’t miss the deadline! Be sure you are aware of due dates for applications. This is crucial. You don’t want to waste your time applying if you have already missed the cut off.

In addition to following these tips, check out these are helpful articles on scholarship searching:

Where to Find College Scholarships

10 Tips for Finding College Scholarships

12 Tips on Winning Scholarships