I have been using Cappex, is this the best site? I have also tried Scholarships.com, and Fastweb, but like Cappex tthe best and the others seem to have the same search results. Just want to make sure I’m covering all my bases in my search.
Applyist is another site.
Honestly, just doing the work now and over the summer to come is a great start. Set up a spreadsheet and track what the requirements are, for example date scholarship opens, date applications are due, what the essay (if any) topic and length are, what the URL is. Do the research and focus on only those you are eligible for (i.e. if there is a need component, if you don’t qualify, don’t put it on your spreadsheet, if you have to be a science major and you are majoring in art, skip it).
Spend time between now and the fall writing essays and refining them, based on the topics for the Common Ap, the scholarships you identify etc. Find someone whose writing you admire to read and refine with you.
Reach out at the end of this school year and get letters of recommendation people lined up, then follow up with them in late summer, and again (politely) in early September.
See where you are lacking. Do a lot of scholarships require volunteer / community service work? (Hint: They do) If you don’t have it, start finding or making opportunities to fill in those gaps.
Just knowing that the scholarships open in the FALL puts you at an advantage over others, who foolishly dawdle and then panic right about now when the Financial “Award” letters from colleges come out. By now all of the big dollar scholarships are closed.
Feel free to message me, I enjoy helping go-getters 
Could you give this person advice about cappex, etc?
I found a really good website last week: http://www.careerinfonet.org/scholarshipsearch/ . It’s sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
The two outside scholarships my kid won were from two local web sites that only handled local scholarships, one for our county and one for the closest large city. Both were sort of like a common app with supplements for a hundred or so local scholarships. The pool of applicants for local scholarships is much less than it is for national ones, so they are generally easier to win. The sponsors of those scholarships want them to go to local kids. So check there, and also your GC’s office.
The link @kelsmom posted actually lists quite a few of this type so check there for sure.
I used mostly Cappex and Fastweb. Their calendar functions of upcoming deadlines are particularly helpful. Just go down the list.
Thanks everyone.