When do you not find out until freshmen year?

[ryanleh]

Hi, I'm a highschool junior and am in the process of looking at scholarships, schools, etc.. A few of my top schools are private that would be too expensive to attend without the SMART scholarship. I didn't see this as a problem because I assumed you found out whether you received the reward the spring before you accepted. But after doing more research it appears that one doesn't find out until the spring of their freshmen year?

[Guest]

That is partially correct. Though you do find out if you received the SMART scholarship the spring after your applied for it, you actually cannot apply for it until you are enrolled in college. Thus, the earliest you can apply is the fall of your freshman year, meaning that the earliest you can receive it is the spring of your freshman year.

See https://smart.asee.org/about/eligibility for more information on the eligibility criteria for applying.

[ryanleh]

Thank you for the response. Kind of sad to hear honestly :/ even if I get into these schools I dont think I'll be able to attend... too much of a risk. I wish you could apply senior year.

[Cost-effective]

The best thing you could do then is, if you don't get some stellar scholarships from the colleges going in as a freshman, just go to a community college and then apply to this scholarship and the schools you want. If you get it you're golden and if you don't then it should be no big deal. You don't need ivy league to be successful. I graduated valedictorian of my high school and went cheap for college. I applied to this scholarship on somewhat of a whim because free college and assured post graduation job is fantastic. I then got accepted to the school I wanted and I got this scholarship and I get to live/work in the Boston area. Super cool but seriously don't go in some crazy debt because you want to tell people you went to Harvard for undergrad. If you don't have the money to burn then don't burn it.