The Quest for Excellence Awards are designed for high school juniors and seniors who have shown outstanding academic ability despite facing economic challenges. 

Students interested in applying for Quest for Excellence Awards must be high school juniors applying to the College Prep Scholarship or seniors applying to the National College Match.

When selecting Quest for Excellence award recipients, we use the same criteria that we use for the National College Match and College Prep Scholarship programs. We try to answer the following questions:

• "Does this student have the motivation and academic ability to thrive at one of our partner colleges?"
• "Has this student overcome socio-economic obstacles to achieve academic excellence?”

For details on our selection criteria for the College Prep Scholarship, click here.

For details on our selection criteria for the National College Match, click here.

Additional criteria for Quest for Excellence Awards:

Specialized award focus: All Quest for Excellence Awards have a specific focus (e.g., professional interest, geographic location, etc.). Award recipients will be students who demonstrate how they embody the focus of the award.

Essays: Most Quest for Excellence Awards require a short essay. Our selection committee will look for clear thinking and solid writing as well as the ability to answer the essay prompt in a coherent and compelling way.