What is QuestBridge, and Who is Eligible?
Many opportunities exist for students to earn non-traditional college financial aid, and QuestBridge is one of them. With roots extending back to 1987, QuestBridge connects America’s brightest students from low-income families with the leading institutions of higher education. QuestBridge’s National College Match Program offers selected students a full ride to the college they match with. This means that all expenses are covered, from tuition to housing to transportation. To learn more about the program and whether you might qualify, read on! QuestBridge’s National College Match is a college scholarship application process that helps outstanding low-income high school seniors gain admission and full four-year scholarships to the nation’s most selective colleges. QuestBridge partners up with 40 prestigious colleges and universities in the U.S. to offer the National College Match scholarship. The scholarship covers the full cost of attendance for each college—including tuition, room and board, travel expenses, and books and supplies—with no parental contribution, and no student loans. Note, however, that the scholarship may entail student contribution in the form of work study or student savings. Amherst College Bowdoin College Brown University California Institute of Technology Carleton College Claremont McKenna College Colby College Colorado College Columbia University Dartmouth College Davidson College Duke University Emory University Grinnell College Hamilton College Haverford College Macalester College Massachusetts Institute of Technology Northwestern University Oberlin College Pomona College Princeton University Rice University Scripps College Stanford University Swarthmore College Tufts University University of Chicago University of Notre Dame University of Pennsylvania University of Southern California University of Virginia Vanderbilt University Vassar College Washington and Lee University Washington University in St. Louis Wellesley College Wesleyan University Williams College Yale University QuestBridge National College Match is open to high school seniors. That means that to apply to QuestBridge in the fall of 2019, you must graduate high school before the summer of 2020, and plan to enroll as a first-year in college in the fall of 2020. Applicants must be either a U.S. citizen or permanent resident or a high school student, regardless of citizenship, attending high school in the U.S. For students who fall into the latter category, it’s important to note that not all college partners will consider non-U.S. citizens or students who aren’t permanent residents. A high level of academic achievement is also a determination of eligibility for QuestBridge. In general, successful applicants have academic profiles that meet or exceed the admission standards of the partner colleges. Past finalists have obtained: Although these are not strict parameters, and each applicant will be considered in its own context, these numbers should give you a good idea of what QuestBridge is looking for in a student. QuestBridge finalists generally come from households earning less than $65,000 a year for a family of four. This includes all sources of family income, including rental income, retirement distributions, and child support. You can learn more about financial eligibility for QuestBridge here. All in all, QuestBridge is looking for students who have overcome socioeconomic obstacles to achieve academic and personal excellence. Interested and eligible rising seniors should begin gathering materials to apply to QuestBridge National College Match the summer before their senior year. This includes: At the end of September, applicants submit their applications. In October, applicants will rank up to 12 college partners for consideration. Later in October, applicants will be notified whether they have been selected to be finalists. Finalists will proceed to submit additional materials for the specific colleges they have ranked. In December, those who have matched with a college can relax in knowing that they have a full four-year scholarship to their college! Applicants who were not selected in October to be finalists, as well as applicants who did not match with a college can apply again and to additional schools as part of QuestBridge Regular Decision without any application fees. If you’re confused, take a look at QuestBridge’s flowchart of the application process. If you’re not sure whether QuestBridge National College Match is for you, we’ve compiled this table to hopefully help you with you decision. In short, while there may be some limits to the program, QuestBridge provides invaluable support to low-income students applying to college. For many students, it makes college a financial possibility. To see where you stand, you can read last year’s finalist stats. Want access to expert college guidance — for free? When you create your free CollegeVine account, you will find out your real admissions chances, build a best-fit school list, learn how to improve your profile, and get your questions answered by experts and peers—all for free. Sign up for your CollegeVine account today to get a boost on your college journey.What is the QuestBridge National College Match?
How does QuestBridge Work?
Which Schools are Part of the National College Match?
Who Is Eligible for QuestBridge?
Academic Achievement
Financial Need
How Do I Apply for QuestBridge?
What are the Pros and Cons of Applying for QuestBridge?
Pros
Cons
Full scholarship if matched to a college
Limited list of match schools
Receive National College Match decisions in early December
Inability to apply early to other schools before Dec. 3 when participating in National College Match (non-finalists are exempt from this rule)
No application fees
National College Match is binding (except MIT, Princeton, Stanford, Yale
Application guidance
Access to network of QuestBridge Scholars
Two opportunities for admission
