The Questbridge program is a national nonprofit organization geared toward providing financial services for high-achieving, low-income students across the country. The organization has 50 college partners in prestigious liberal arts and research universities. Questbridge pursues the guidance of brilliant, young high school students into and throughout college to increase the outlook of students with such backgrounds at selective schools.
According to Questbridge, “We envision a world where America’s leadership encompasses thoughtful decision-makers drawn from every economic segment of society.”
In 1994, Michael Mccullough and Ana Rowena Mallari co-founded the program, which is now based out of Palo Alto, California.
During a high school student’s junior year, they can strive for acceptance as a Questbridge College Prep Scholar. In order to do so, students must complete an application based on household financial status and their high school career. If a student is accepted, they will receive a multitude of college preparation materials giving them insight into what will be expected of them during college admissions in the following year. Furthermore, if the student opts to apply, they will also be eligible for the National Conference of College Admission, multiple scholarships, and a summer program at a top university.
Moving into senior year, students can enter the National College Match, the Questbridge college admissions program that provides full, four-year scholarships to finalists who match with a top school. Interested individuals must complete a Questbridge application, which will be reviewed and submitted to colleges ranked by the specific student upon acceptance as a program finalist. These students are also required to fill out any relevant supplemental materials required by each school applied to. The top-most school on the student’s ranked list that accepts them will guarantee early admission alongside the Questbridge scholarship. However, if a student does not match, they retain the option to apply to Questbridge’s regular decision and receive generous financial aid if accepted.
The application for the National College Match opens in late summer and is due September 26. The events of the program proceed as follows:
October 12- Rank forms must be completed.
October 18- Finalists are notified of their acceptance results.
November 1- Match requirements must be submitted.
December 1- Finalists who ranked colleges and matched are notified.
December 10- Regular decision form is due for interested students who did not match.
Any interested students can check out the Questbridge general website for further information.
