45 College Prep Scholars will be paired with either a member of QuestBridge’s staff or a current Quest Scholar college student who will provide personalized college admissions counseling via telephone and e-mail. QuestBridge college admissions counseling offers low-income students the type of professional advisory services that many affluent students already have. Private college admissions counselors charge as much as $200 per hour for comparable services!

QuestBridge’s counseling helps students demystify the application and financial aid processes. Our counselors offer guidance based on our organization’s 18 years of working with high-achieving low-income students and reading thousands of college applications each year. We have a strong understanding of both the perspective of college admissions officers evaluating applicants and low-income students finding their way through the complex process. We will help students highlight their academic achievements in their college applications and present their socio-economic status in the best possible light (even turning it to their advantage). Counseling may include any or all of the following:

• Guidance in how to select the right colleges to apply to
• Suggestions on which standardized tests to take
• Advice on completing every part of the admissions application, including how to identify and highlight unique strengths and abilities, how to approach short answers and essays, and how to balance the different elements to create a strong overall application
• Review of application essays to offer insights and suggestions for improvement
• Answers to general financial aid questions
• Information on college life