If it's already the middle of your senior year, you've probably missed some opportunities to apply for scholarships with October, November and December deadlines. But don't give up yet; there are plenty of scholarships with January, February and March deadlines.

The key to playing catch-up is to start working now, today. Find scholar­ ships where the deadline hasn't passed. Get applications from the sponsors' websites. Talk to your school counselor immediately. The longer you wait, the less likely you are to win any awards.

The good news: Since you're already far into the college application process, you're now a pro at describing yourself to admission committees and scholar­ ship review boards. You also have personal essays, academic writing samples and teacher recommendations ready to go.