QuestBridgeThis is a featured page


QuestBridge is a non-profit program that links bright, motivated low-income students with educational and scholarship opportunities at some of the nation's best colleges. QuestBridge is the provider of the National College Match Program and the College Prep Scholarship. Link


QuestBridge Application: 9/30 Notification: 10/23
College Selection: 10/12 Notification: 12/1
Decisions are Binding. The rankings are binding (with the exception of MIT, Notre Dame, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale); students must attend the school highest on their ranking list that also admits them.

Essays:
Biographical Essay: We are interested in learning more about you and the context in which you have grown up, formed your aspirations and accomplished your academic successes. Please describe the factors and challenges that have most shaped your personal life and aspirations. How have these factors caused you to grow? (800 word limit)

Short Answers:
What are your favorite types of music? (30 word limit) *
What are your favorite books or movies? (30 word limit) *
What are your favorite sports? (30 word limit)
What is your favorite source of inspiration? (30 word limit) *
How do you spend a typical weekday evening? (30 word limit) *
How do you spend a typical weekend? (30 word limit) *
Who are your heroes? What qualities in them do you admire? (30 word limit) *
What things make you happiest? (30 word limit) *
What is the compliment that you have been paid that you are most proud of? Who gave you the compliment? (30 word limit) *
How do you rejuvenate yourself? (30 word limit) *
What do you consider to be your most significant achievement? (30 word limit) *
If you could change one thing about your high school, what would it be and why? (30 word limit) *
What historical event do you wish you could have participated in and why? (30 word limit) *
How do you handle obstacles that stand between you and your goals? (30 word limit) *

Essay 1:
Write on ONE of the following topics. (500 word limit)
1. A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your background, please describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
2. Describe an experience that you have had or a concept you have learned about that intellectually excites you. When answering this question, you may want to consider some of the following questions: Why does this topic excite you? How does it impact the way you or others experience the world? What questions do you continue to ponder about it?
3. If you could change one thing about your community, what would it be and why?

Essay 2:
Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you. (500 word limit)


Other Information:
Is there any other relevant information you think we should know? (300 word limit)
You may include any additional information you feel will help us get to know you better. Please feel free to include any information on your relationship to a non-custodial parent, any extra medical expenses, special ways your school calculates GPA's, etc.

QuestBridge Application Process:
  • Generate recommendation instructions and give them to your recommenders as early as possible, preferably during the first week of school.
    • Open your QuestBridge application and enter information for the two teachers who will write your teacher recommendations and the counselor who will write your Secondary School Report.
    • Forms with instructions on how to fill out the online recommendations will appear on your 'My Locker' page. Print out these instruction forms and give them to your teachers and counselor. Your teachers and counselor should fill out their online recommendations following the directions provided in the instructions form.
  • Ask your high school to submit an official copy of your academic transcript and standardized test scores via fax to QuestBridge using the designated fax cover sheet provided on your 'My Locker' page.
    • If your counseling office does not have standardized test score reports on file, please provide them to your counselor. Either an official test score report or a printout from the testing agency's website will suffice.
  • Assemble necessary documentation (below) that you will need to complete the application:
    • Transcripts (an unofficial transcript is sufficient to use in entering your courses and grades into the application)
    • Test score reports
    • Most recent tax returns
    • College Application Process:
    • September 30: Students complete and submit the QuestBridge online application and send in transcripts, test score reports, two teacher recommendations, and one counselor recommendation (Secondary School Report).
    • October 12: Students select eight colleges.
    • October 1-12: Submit Fee waiver form.
    • October 23: QuestBridge notifies finalists via email of their status and forwards their applications to the appropriate colleges on October 23. Students selected to receive CSS PROFILE fee waivers will also be notified on October 23.
    • October 23- November 2: Find school specific materials required. Submit through QuestBridge.
    • December 1- Finalists are notified of College Match. If you are not matched, you many apply through the Regular Decision Process.
    • December 15- Regular Decision application forwarding requests are due.
    • January FAFSA due

    Primary Qualification Questions:     1. Does this student have the motivation and ability to thrive at one of our partner colleges? 2. What obstacles has this student overcome, socioeconomic and otherwise?
    Selection Criteria:
    • 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.
    Referral: link Students may be referred as a candidate for the QuestBridge program.
    Tests: link to QuestBridge school list and required tests.
  • College Match: Students participating in the College Match process complete one application by September 30 and use it to apply early to up to 8 of QuestBridge's 26 partner colleges, ranking the schools in order of preference.
  • Please see the College Match Process page for details.

    Partner Colleges:


    • AlisonH1
    AlisonH1     		Latest page update: made by AlisonH1 , Sep 14 2009, 3:33 PM EDT (about this update About This Update AlisonH1 Edited by AlisonH1


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