Are you suppose to actually apply for scholarships?

I’m confused, do you have to submit another application to get scholarships? I keep on hearing people say they applied for scholarships. I thought once you submit your application, the office of admissions will give you a scholarship along with the admission decisions. I didn’t know you can apply for more scholarships? Is it too late because I am a senior and I applied to most of my colleges in January. I can’t really find any info on this on the college’s website.

Depends on the scholarships. For many school-associated scholarships, your admission application also applies for scholarships. But there may be some school-associated scholarships that require their own additional applications as well. Outside scholarships obviously require their own applications.

Some scholarships have a first come first served component, so early application can be advantageous. For some others, only those who apply to the school before an earlier scholarship deadline than the usual application deadline are considered.

Some schools have additional scholarships, usually ‘named’ scholarships that are ultra competitive, that can require an application. If you don’t find anything on your college website, then chances are they don’t have these types of scholarships. But, you are correct, at this point I believe most of the deadlines are past.

I hope you have affordable choices?

Depends on the school. Many you don’t have to do anything extra, and some you do have to complete supplemental applications. Some schools offer smaller departmental scholarships that often require a separate application. This information is available on the school’s websites.

Then there are outside scholarships, national, regional. local that almost always requires some type of application and essays, sometimes extensive.

It depends on the college. Some do not require additional application like Purdue or UMich, while others would have separated application like UWisc. In either case, there are always additional scholarships one may apply. However, it is likely too late for any of them if you are senior already. In addition, some schools that automatically consider merit scholarships require early application with deadline around November.

@billcsho
I got accepted to Purdue and I didn’t get any scholarships? Is it because I applied late? I applied in January.

@EYeager There are many reason not to receive any scholarships as most students don’t anyway, however, Purdue does require application by EA deadline to be automatically considered for merit scholarships.

You need to read the website of each school. it will state if a separate application is required and what the deadlines are.

I guess I won’t be going to Purdue then. Can I still be considered for merit scholarships for my sophomore years and on? Or do they only give merit scholarships for first-time freshmen?

The answer is the same as your first question: it depends on the school.

For the majority of schools the large merit scholarships are only available to incoming freshmen. Continuing scholarships are generally much smaller.

Do not expect to get any merit for sophomore year on. Certainly do not choose to attend an expensive school hoping for merit in later years.

Schools give merit to incoming frosh. After that, depts award a FEW SMALL scholarships (and often for one year only) to a couple top students. To give you an example, my older son was the top math student at his university. For being the top math student, he got a ONE TIME, $800 award. So, it essentially paid for books for one year.

What are your parents saying about how much they’ll pay for school? What are your stats and major? there are a few schools that will still award good sized merit for late applicants.

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I was going to apply to IU but they don’t accept the common app so I was kind of lazy. There is still time to apply, so should I apply? I pretty sure I will get in since I got into Purdue.


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Did you apply to IU?

Here’s a little advice… Learn from your Purdue mistake and don’t be lazy. Make the effort to find out, EARLY ON, what future deadlines are for various things. You don’t want to be one of those people in life who are always “a day late and a dollar short.”

@mom2collegekids

Yeah I was accepted to IU. I want to major in Japanese.

The best merit scholarships are offered to freshmen. Those for sophomore and up are usually departmental scholarship that are specific to major. So it is not only vary from school to school, but even within the same school.