I’m a first-semester junior in high school. Is it to early for me to begin applying for college scholarships? I haven’t taken the ACT yet; this isn’t a lack of ability, I’ve just been putting it off. I feel like I could score in the 30’s if I took it now. Should I wait until I have an ACT score to start applying?
It depends on the scholarship and what the requirements are. There used to be a scholarship that was just for high school juniors (I think it was Nordstrom) and if applicants needed an ACT, it would have been in the requirements. Check the requirements of any scholarship (Nordstrom doesn’t exist anymore). We had some local ones that all high schoolers could try (essays or art competitions), but of course they often went to seniors who had more experience, more honors, more polished applications.
You can explore external scholarships that are open to juniors, but I also recommend that you start researching what schools give merit scholarships. Often the amount of institutional financial aid will far exceed any private scholarships that are available to you!