Many students are anxiously waiting for December 1st. On December 1st, they will find out if they matched with one of their dream colleges.
Questbridge is an Organization that aims at connecting the nation's brightest low-income students with some of the most prestigious, leading institutions in the country. Questbridge organizes a National College Match which "matches" students with colleges. The Match is open to all U.S. Citizens and Residents. Some colleges will also accept students regardless of citizenship as long as they're attending High School in the U.S.
In order to be eligible, students should have mostly A's in challenging courses, be in the top 10-5% of their class, high standardized test scores, and a strong intellectual ability and spark. Finalists usually come from a household earning less that $65,000 annually for a family of four. Extracurricular activities and accomplishments are also taken into consideration.
Students who are offered a Match Scholarship will receive a four-year, full-ride scholarship to the college they match with. The scholarship is worth over $200,000 and covers tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and travel expenses.
To be apply for the National College Match, students must submit the National College Match Application which includes academic and extracurricular information, financial background, and two essays and short answer questions. They must also submit two letters of recommendation, a school report from their counselor, a school profile (optional), their high school transcript, and any standardized test score reports (if taken).
Students are asked to submit their application before the end of September, and in late October, they will be notified if they were selected as a finalist. In order to participate in the National College Match, students must rank up to 12 colleges they're interested in attending. Most of Questbridge's college partners are binding which means that they must attend the highest ranking college in their list which accepts them. For example, if you aren't accepted into the 1st and 2nd colleges you ranked, but are accepted into the 3rd, you must attend that school, even if you are accepted into your 4th, 5th, 6th, etc. rankings.
Students can also choose not to rank colleges. By not ranking them, they can't participate in the National College Match but can apply through the Questbridge Regular Decision. It's non-binding, but also does not guarantee a Match Scholarship.
Senior Kyla Biscocho matched with Amherst College through Questbridge's national college match. She found out about Questbridge during freshman year of high school; a senior at her high school, University Preparatory, matched, so that motivated her to look into the program. Kyla hasn't decided her major but will probably take a STEM path. She chose Amherst because it's a liberal arts college which tend to be smaller and more collaborative. She also likes their open curriculum which gives her the opportunity to explore various subjects and interests. When asked for advice to students applying to Questbridge, she stated the following:
I would say start on essays early since it gets pretty stressful if you put them off to the last minute. It helps to get them done right away and maybe get others to review them. Also, don't feel like the match is your only option, since there are so many other scholarships out there.
Senior Albert Olmos matched with UPenn. He learned about Questbridge in August. He received an email from them with information on the program, and he was hooked. Albert found the ranking system to be fun; he even ranked all twelve colleges. At the top, he ranked three Ivy League schools, and nine private colleges followed. He is planning on majoring in Biology, so Penn's Roy and Diana Vagelos Scholars Program in Molecular Life Sciences stood out to him. He also likes the landscape of the school and its location in Philadelphia. In high school, he was part of St. Mary's Hospital Volunteer Program, president and secretary of Key Club, and vice-president of Girl Up. He advises students who are applying to Questbridge the following:
The main tip I have for future applicants is do not wait until the last minute, try to complete it at the start of September because it is a pretty lengthy application.
Questbridge is extremely competitive, so some students may not Match. If they don't Match, they are welcome to reapply during Questbridge's Regular Decision. They will also know their probability of being accepted into each college they ranked.
Questbridge is a wonderful opportunity for many students. The program has made many student's dreams come true.
For more information on Questbridge visit: https://www.questbridge.org/
*Bryan Y.W. Shin, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons
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