QuestBridge National College Match - Quest for Excellence

The information on this page concerns the fall 2009 National College Match application cycle. Information for the 2010 National College Match will be posted in August. In the interim, please feel free to review this page for general background, as the outlines of the program will remain broadly consistent.

QuestBridge is pleased to offer nine Quest for Excellence Awards that will complement the 2009 National College Match program. These additional awards are designed to enhance educational and career exploration for outstanding low-income high school seniors with a range of backgrounds and interests.

Columbia University, New York, NY
College visits can help you decide between the various colleges you may be considering.

Each awardee will receive:

a new laptop computer.
an all-expense-paid visit to a QuestBridge partner college. Awardees will have the opportunity to spend several days exploring a campus, talking with students and professors, and observing classes in order to get a feel for the college’s atmosphere.

Most of the awards also include career mentoring opportunities from successful individuals and organizations to provide a unique perspective on professional life.

Please see below for more details about each of the nine Quest for Excellence Awards:

The Quest for Excellence Kauffman Fellows Program Award is granted to an entrepreneurial student who wants to develop leadership skills and learn how to start a business. The award includes a laptop computer, an all-expense-paid visit to a QuestBridge partner college, and career mentoring from a leading entrepreneur and a venture capitalist. The Kauffman Fellows Program is an educational institution dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship throughout society. For more information, please visit www.kauffmanfellows.org.

The Quest for Excellence McKinsey Award is granted to a student who wants to learn how companies operate at senior levels and who prefers a creative approach to problem-solving in the business world. The award includes a laptop computer, an all-expense-paid visit to a QuestBridge partner college, and career mentoring from a consultant at McKinsey & Company, a premier global management consulting firm with 94 locations in 52 countries. To learn more about McKinsey & Company, please visit www.mckinsey.com.

The Quest for Excellence Wall Street Journal Award is granted to a student who demonstrates strong writing skills and a desire to pursue a career in journalism. The award includes a laptop computer, an all-expense-paid visit to a QuestBridge partner college, career mentoring from Wall Street Journal reporters, and an all-expense-paid visit to meet with an editor at the Wall Street Journal’s offices in New York City. An international daily newspaper that specializes in business and financial issues, the Wall Street Journal has received 33 Pulitzer Prizes. Please visit www.wsj.com to learn more.

The Quest for Excellence First Generation Award is granted to a student whose perseverance and dedication to academic excellence will enable him or her to be among the first generation in his or her family to attend a four-year college. The award includes a laptop computer and an all-expense-paid visit to a QuestBridge partner college.

The Quest for Excellence Law Award is granted to a student who shows a strong commitment to social activism and an interest in the legal profession. The award includes a laptop computer, an all-expense-paid visit to a QuestBridge partner college, career mentoring from a Stanford University Law School professor, and a copy of Black’s Law Dictionary, the most widely-used law dictionary in the United States.

The Quest for Excellence Native American Award is granted to a Native American student who aspires to preserve or enhance the traditions of his or her heritage. The award includes a laptop computer and an all-expense-paid visit to a QuestBridge partner college.

The Quest for Excellence Pre-Med Award is granted to a student who intends to follow a pre-med course of study in college. The award includes a laptop computer, an all-expense-paid visit to a QuestBridge partner college, and career mentoring (including the opportunity to observe the workings of an emergency room) from emergency room physician and QuestBridge co-founder Michael McCullough. The awardee will also receive the book Getting into Residency: A Guide for Medical Students.

The Quest for Excellence Rural Award is granted to a student from a rural area in the United States who demonstrates a desire for opportunities that may have been limited or inaccessible in a rural environment. The award includes a laptop computer and an all-expense-paid visit to a QuestBridge partner college.

The Quest for Excellence Technology Entrepreneurship award is granted to a student who wants to learn about the workings of internet companies and intends to pursue an education in a technology-related field. The award includes a laptop computer, an all-expense-paid visit to a QuestBridge partner college, and an invitation to meet Yahoo!'s former Chief Product Officer, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Tim Brady.

To be considered for the Quest for Excellence Awards, applicants must:

complete and submit the QuestBridge National College Match application by September 30, 2009.

complete and submit a supplemental application section available on the 'My Locker' page and due on October 12. Applicants may apply for one or more awards by checking the appropriate box(es) on the application form and responding, in 500 words or less, to the related essay question(s).

Although applicants to the Quest for Excellence Awards are required to complete and submit the National College Match application, they are not required to participate in either the QuestBridge College Match process or the QuestBridge Regular Decision process.

Selection is based on QuestBridge’s standard Selection Criteria, as well as on the characteristics mentioned in the award descriptions above.

The Quest for Excellence Award recipients will be announced in January 2010.