If you’re a high school sophomore, you may already be thinking about college. While there are many scholarships available for high school seniors and college undergraduates, it’s possible to start thinking about scholarships while still in high school.
There are many scholarships available for high school sophomores. Scholarships are a great way to get free money, which can be used to pay for college or even help with living expenses. Here’s what you need to know about scholarships:
Colleges and other organizations award scholarships.
Many scholarship opportunities require a GPA of 3.0 or higher, but there are exceptions (like essay contests).
Some scholarships do not require SAT scores; others do. If you have poor test scores, don’t worry! You may still be able to qualify for some scholarships even if your scores aren’t as high as they could be.
1) The Breakthrough Junior Challenge | Scholarships for sophomores in high school
The Breakthrough Junior Challenge is a science competition for high school sophomores. Students in the United States and Canada can enter the contest by submitting an essay on their favorite topic in biology, chemistry, physics, or mathematics.
Students in grades 10-12 are eligible to participate in this competition if they have not reached their 19th birthday at the time of submission. There are no restrictions on citizenship or residency.
2) The Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program
| Scholarships for sophomores in high school
The Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program is a $2,500 scholarship awarded to high school sophomores with a GPA of 3.0 and above who have demonstrated community service by raising money for a charity or volunteering their time at an organization. The application period for the Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program began on March 1, 2019, and will end on May 31, 2019.
To apply for this scholarship:
Complete all sections of the online application form
Submit two letters of recommendation from teachers or mentors (not family members) who can attest to your academic achievement, financial need, and leadership activities
Upload three recent photos that illustrate your personality
3) World world changer scholarship | Scholarships for sophomores in high school
If you’re a high school sophomore, the World World Changer Scholarship is for you. This $10,000 scholarship is open to students in the United States who are enrolled full-time as sophomores at an accredited public or private college or university.
Since it’s specifically designed for high school sophomores, we’ll assume that if you’re reading this article, it’s because you’re one of them.
The scholarship itself is administered by The Learning Seed Foundation (LSF), an organization dedicated to helping children achieve their dreams and become successful adults by providing grants and scholarships to help them attend college.
The scholarship application requires students to submit an essay between 500 and 1000 words on how they plan on changing their world through science and technology.
Applicants must also provide transcripts from any schools they’ve attended previously, along with two letters of reference from teachers/advisors who can speak about their academic ability outside of test scores (two letters can come from different teachers).
You must be 16 years old or older when submitting your application by April 15th – but don’t get too excited just yet. This means that if your birthday falls after March 14th but before March 15th, don’t worry about missing out; just make sure that whoever fills out your documents has valid information regarding all aspects required by LSF (namely, date of birth).
4) The Fountainhead Essay Contest | Scholarships for sophomores in high school
The Fountainhead Essay Contest is an excellent opportunity for high school students to learn the importance of writing well. It’s important that you understand the value of this contest and the many benefits it can have for your future.
Writing well is an essential skill for success in life, whether you are a student or not. You will use it on numerous occasions throughout all stages of your professional and personal life as well as in everyday situations such as emails, texts, letters, and more.
Good written communication skills can be very beneficial in any field of work, but they are especially critical if you want to become successful in business leadership positions (e.g., CEO). If someone cannot read what you write, there’s little chance they will take anything else seriously about your message or ideas.
The Fountainhead Essay Contest teaches young people how important it is to think before they write so that others will want to read what they have written.
5) The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Program | Scholarships for sophomores in high school
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Program is a $10,000 award for high school sophomores involved in their communities.
To be considered for this award, you must submit an essay describing how you have been active in your community and what impact you think that has had on the people around you.
The deadline for submission of applications is May 1st.
6) The Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholarship Competition | Scholarships for sophomores in high school
The Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholarship Competition is a program that offers scholarships to high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a strong interest in science. Students can apply for this scholarship from September 15th until December 1st.
To be eligible for this scholarship competition, you must:
Be currently enrolled as a sophomore, junior or senior in an accredited US high school;
Have completed at least one year of high school biology (or equivalent) before January 1st of the academic year when you apply;
Have not yet graduated from high school by July 31st of the academic year when you use;
Not have already received any bachelor’s degree before July 31st of the academic year when you use;
It is possible to start thinking about scholarships in high school
There are a few reasons why it’s important to start thinking about scholarships in your sophomore year.
First, suppose you are planning on attending a four-year university and will be entering as an undergraduate junior. In that case, there is no need to wait until senior year for scholarship applications and essays.
Second, applying for scholarships as soon as possible gives you more time to work on the essay portion of the application process.
Third, even if you don’t win any scholarships at this point in your life, applying for them will help build up your college resume and get you used to writing about yourself—a skill that comes in handy when applying for internships later on down the road.
Here’s a list of more scholarships for high school sophomores:
High School Sophomore (H.S. Class of 2025) Scholarships