Most scholarship applications are due in Grade 12, but the marks, activities and references they ask about are mostly set by the end of Grade 11. This is what counts a year out, and what does not.
Grade 11 marks are worth money
The Alexander Rutherford Scholarship pays $500 for a Grade 11 five-course average of 75 to 79.9%, and $800 for 80% or higher. Reach the average and it pays. Grade 11 marks also drive early admission and entrance scholarship offers, which are calculated before your Grade 12 finals exist.
Pick one thing and go deep
Applications reward sustained involvement, not variety. Two years of the same volunteer role, with growing responsibility, beats eight one-off activities. Grade 11 is the last year you can start something and still call it "sustained" by application season. It does not need to be impressive.
Bank your reference relationships
The teachers who write your reference letters in Grade 12 are the ones who know you from Grade 11. Participate in the classes of teachers you might ask, and stay in touch with coaches and supervisors. When the time comes, our reference letter guide covers the ask itself.
Build the list before you need it
Fifteen minutes this year.
- Run Build my combo to see what you already qualify for. Some awards accept Grade 11 applicants outright. The Horatio Alger Canadian Scholarships are only open to Grade 11s, the University of Lethbridge Grade 11 Merit Award pays on a 75% average, and South Country Co-op takes applicants as early as Grade 10.
- Save the Grade 12 awards you like and turn on deadline reminders.
- Note which big awards need things you can still build, such as a portfolio, hours or a specific course. The ATCO Indigenous Education High School Merit Award and the Red Deer Polytechnic entrance scholarship both reward averages you are setting right now.
Start one essay in June
After finals, while the year is fresh, write one draft answering "tell us about a challenge you faced" using something true from this year. In the fall, that draft becomes every application's starting point, so in October you are editing instead of starting.
What not to do
Do not join five clubs in September of Grade 12 to fill a form. Do not pay for scholarship search services, because every award worth having is findable free. And do not write off scholarships because your average is not in the 90s. Many local awards weigh involvement and need as well as marks, and local awards are open to far fewer students.