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National College
Match
College Prep Scholarship
Student Resource Center
Refer A Student
About Us
“QuestBridge applicants represent a dimension outside the usual applicant pool because they bring different life experiences to the table.”
Jean Jordan
Dean of Admission
Emory University
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The QuestBridge National College Match is designed for high school seniors who have shown outstanding academic ability despite facing economic challenges. QuestBridge does not have fixed criteria for GPA, standardized test scores, or income. When selecting finalists, we try to answer the following questions:
"Does this student have the motivation and ability to thrive at one of our partner colleges?" "What obstacles has this student overcome, socioeconomic and otherwise?"
QuestBridge selects finalists for our partner colleges to review but does not choose College Match scholarship recipients. Partner colleges ultimately make the final selection of scholarship recipients from among the finalists.
The following factors are taken into account when considering an application:
For previous award recipients' statistics, please view the information on
the Awardee Overview page.
QuestBridge seeks students who have demonstrated a level of academic
achievement that meets or exceeds the admissions standards of our partner colleges.
Some of the factors we use to assess academic ability include:
Grade Point Average (GPA): Both unweighted and weighted GPAs are considered. Class rank: Over 75% of finalists are in the top 5% of their class. Rigor of high school curriculum: Finalists typically take the most challenging courses available at their high school. Standardized test scores: Finalists score an average of 1940 on the SAT (or 30 on the ACT). Additionally, many partner colleges require SAT Subject Tests. The above, as well as AP test results, are all considered. Essays: Most finalists' essays show evidence of strong writing ability, as well as intellectual spark, determination, and altruism. Recommendations: The Teacher Recommendations and
Secondary School Report tell us how students interact in the classroom and how they compare to other students in their school.
For previous award recipients' statistics, please see the information on
the Awardee Overview page.
The National College Match is designed for students who come from families experiencing economic challenges.
Some of the factors we use to assess financial need include:
Annual household income: Most National College Match scholarship recipients have come from households earning less than $60,000 annually. If you come from a household earning more than this amount but still feel that you have faced economic hardship, there is room on the application to explain your situation. Additional information about household circumstances such as:
Number of people in the household. The cost of living in your area. Whether your family owns a home and/or any other properties, a business or farm, or other substantial non-cash assets worth more than $10,000. Other financial commitments, such as medical bills or support payments to family members outside the United States.
Please note that finalists will need to submit documentation verifying their financial situation to schools to which they apply. For more information, see the College-Specific Requirements for College Match Finalists.
For previous award recipients' income statistics, please view the information on
the Awardee Overview page.
Parents' level of education:
Many past award recipients have been among the
first generation in their family to attend a four-year college. Extenuating circumstances:
For example, working to help parents pay the bills, time spent
caring for siblings while parents are absent or at work. Other achievements:
Accomplishments and leadership positions in extracurricular and community activities.
To be considered for the National College Match, you need to submit the standardized test scores required by the QuestBridge partner colleges you are interested in attending. For information on the tests each partner college requires, please see our required standardized tests page.
QuestBridge will accept any test scores that you receive prior to the National College Match application deadline of September 30, 2009. If you expect to receive scores after September 30, please list your testing date(s) on the Testing Information page in the application, leaving the score fields blank. If you are selected as a finalist and want to have your new test scores considered for the College Match process by the colleges you have ranked, you should request that the College Board and/or ACT forward your scores to those colleges. Any testing done after October will be considered only in the Regular Decision process.
If the colleges you are interested in require SAT Subject Tests and you have not yet taken them, you are still allowed to rank those colleges and can be selected as a finalist. You should plan to take the necessary tests in October and then submit the scores directly to the colleges for consideration in the College Match process if you are selected as a finalist.
You must graduate from high school during or before the spring/summer of 2010 and plan to enroll as a freshman in college in the fall of 2010. Only U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents are eligible to receive College Match scholarships to partner colleges, with the exception of Pomona, Princeton, and Yale. Students who are not U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents can still use the QuestBridge application, be chosen as QuestBridge finalists, and participate in the Regular Decision process.
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