What are some scholarships available for high school seniors?

I'm a high school junior and I'm starting to think about scholarships for my senior year. Are there specific scholarships that are popular or recommended for seniors? I want to get a head start on applications.

There are many scholarships available to high school seniors across various domains, from academic to artistic to service-oriented. Here are a few notable ones that you might want to look into:

1. Coca-Cola Scholars Program: This scholarship is based on leadership, service, and academic achievement. Up to 150 winners are selected for a $20,000 reward.

2. Ronald McDonald House Charities Scholarships: RMHC offers four different scholarships to high school seniors who demonstrate academic achievement, leadership, and community involvement.

3. Dell Scholars Program: Sponsored by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, this scholarship awards $20,000, a laptop, and textbook credits to students who demonstrate a desire and ability to overcome barriers and to achieve their goals. This scholarship is usually targeted towards students with demonstrated financial need.

4. Burger King Scholars Program: This program awards scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 to high school seniors based on GPA, work experience, extracurriculars, and community service.

5. Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship: This is a highly competitive scholarship that provides up to $40,000 per year for four years of undergraduate study. It is based on academic ability, financial need, persistence, and leadership.

6. Elks Most Valuable Student Scholarship: The Elks National Foundation provides scholarships ranging from $4,000 to $50,000 to high school seniors who have demonstrated leadership and financial need.

Remember, scholarships are not always about grades. They come in all shapes and sizes, with different focuses. There are scholarships for community service, athletic success, entrepreneurial spirit, essay writing, graphics/art and even fun and quirky ones like the Duck Tape prom dress scholarship.

Start your scholarship search local then go national. Local scholarships tend to have less competition. Check with your guidance office on local scholarships.

Finally, the key to successful scholarship applications is to start early and apply often. Many scholarship applications require essays, recommendations, and other materials, so the earlier you start, the more manageable the process will be. Good luck with your scholarship search!