The 2023 College Prep Scholars Program application is now closed. Applicants will find out in late April if they were selected as College Prep Scholars.
We are looking for high school juniors who have shown outstanding academic ability despite financial challenges. We take a holistic approach to reviewing applications, and we do not have absolute criteria or cut-offs for GPA, standardized test scores, income, or other factors.
Be sure to review carefully:
Eligibility | Academic Achievement | Financial Qualifications | Personal Circumstances | FAQs
Any high school junior, regardless of citizenship, currently attending high school in the U.S. is eligible to apply to the College Prep Scholars Program. Additionally, U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents living abroad are eligible. International students living outside the U.S. are not eligible.
Applicants must be high school juniors who are planning to apply to college during the fall of their senior year.
We seek students who have demonstrated high academic achievement. The following is based on profiles of past College Prep Scholars, and are not strict cut-offs:
Academic Criteria | |
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Grades and rigor of high school curriculum |
Primarily A's in the most challenging courses available (usually including Honors, AP, and/or IB level courses). |
Class rank |
Top 5-10% of graduating class. |
Standardized test scores (if taken) |
75% of last year's College Prep Scholars scored above 1260 on the SAT or 26 on the ACT (if reported). We also recommend submitting any PreACT, PSAT, or AP Exam scores, if available. Please note: Test scores are not required to apply. All applications are reviewed holistically, so students who have not taken standardized tests can still be selected as College Prep Scholars. |
Additional criteria |
Evidence of strong writing ability, intellectual spark, and determination. |
College Prep Scholars typically come from households earning less than $65,000 annually for a typical household of four and have minimal assets. This is not a strict cut-off and we encourage students who feel they have faced significant financial hardship to review these financial criteria carefully to see if they may qualify.
Financial Criteria | |
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Household income |
All sources of household income are taken into account, including, but not limited to:
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Assets |
All assets held by the family are taken into consideration, including:
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Non-custodial parent income and assets |
Students with divorced or separated parents must report the income and assets of their non-custodial parent, as this information is taken into consideration by our college partners when determining financial need. The only exception is when the student has not had contact with the non-custodial parent for an extended period of time. 💡 Visit AskQB to learn more. |
Household circumstances |
Individual household circumstances are taken into consideration, including:
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We also take the following factors into account when reviewing applications:
Personal Circumstances | |
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Parents' level of education |
Many past College Prep Scholars are among the first generation in their family to attend a four-year college in the U.S. |
Activities, including home or family responsibilities |
Participation in extracurricular, community, or other activities. Activities may include home or family responsibilities, such as part-time jobs to help pay bills or caring for siblings if parents are absent or at work. |
Honors, awards, and achievements |
Accomplishments and leadership roles in extracurricular or other activities. |
Personal traits | Strength in character and motivation to succeed. |