Most students don't begin thinking about scholarships until senior year — right when applications, deadlines, and essays pile up. By then, it's often overwhelming.
But here's the secret: the best time to start preparing for scholarships is freshman year of high school.
Not because you'll be applying right away — but because those first few years give you the chance to explore, build experiences, and discover what you truly enjoy.
Why Starting Early Matters
- Freshman Year (9th Grade): Explore
Try different clubs, sports, arts, or volunteering. See what sparks your interest. - Sophomore Year (10th Grade): Focus
Stick with the activities you enjoy most. Take on small responsibilities and build consistency. - Junior Year (11th Grade): Grow
Step into leadership roles. Deepen your involvement. Start looking for scholarships that are open to juniors. - Senior Year (12th Grade): Shine
Take everything you've learned and accomplished, and use it to tell your story in scholarship applications. As you apply, remember to watch out for scholarship scams and always verify legitimacy.
Scholarship committees aren't just looking for grades — they want to see growth, consistency, and impact. Starting early gives you years of experiences to showcase.
The Problem: Forgetting the Details
Fast-forward to senior year. You sit down to write your scholarship essay and realize…
📅 What year did I actually join student government?
🥫 How many hours did I volunteer at the food pantry?
🏆 What awards did I get back in 10th grade?
🔎 Details fade. And those details are exactly what make your application strong.
The Solution: Keep Track As You Go
To make this easy, we created the Scholarship Activity Tracker — a free template you can use throughout high school.
Here's what it includes:
- A section for each year (Freshman → Senior) with prompts to track activities, roles, hours, awards, and reflections.
- A Summary Section to capture your top 5 activities, key achievements, and personal takeaways — a "brag sheet" you can use for scholarship essays and even recommendation letters.
- Reflection questions to help you think about what each experience taught you, so your essays have depth and personal meaning.
Download the Free Tracker
👀 Preview the Scholarship Activity Tracker by ScholarTrail here
👉 Download the Scholarship Activity Tracker here
Start today — whether you're a freshman just beginning high school, or a senior looking to pull your story together. Future-you (and your scholarship applications) will thank you.
Final Thought
Thinking about scholarships early isn't about adding stress. It's about giving yourself the gift of time. By exploring, focusing, growing, and shining across all four years of high school — and tracking your journey along the way — you'll be ready to apply with confidence. When you're ready to start applying, make sure you're using a privacy-first scholarship platform that protects your personal information.
