QuestBridge College Prep Scholarship

"The QuestBridge College Prep Scholarship I received to attend Stanford University's summer program gave me an amazing preview of campus life, and confidence that I could manage the rigorous curriculum of a top college."

Nicole Gaetjens

Lawai, Hawaii

2007 College Prep Scholarship Recipient

2007 National College Match Scholar
Yale University, Class of 2012

Students from low-income backgrounds with strong academic records actually have significant advantages in college admissions. Leading colleges are actively seeking to increase socio-economic diversity on their campuses. Admissions officers view academic success in the face of economic challenges as an indicator of a student’s potential to succeed in college.

QuestBridge’s College Prep Scholarship prepares high-achieving low-income students to make the most of their advantages in the admissions process.

Attending a selective private college actually can be less expensive than going to a community or state college, because aid packages at many leading schools cover 100% of students’ financial need.

QuestBridge’s College Prep Scholarship helps high-achieving low-income students learn how to get the full benefit of top-ranked colleges’ generous financial aid policies.

Selected students will receive one or more of the following awards:

Full scholarships to summer programs at leading universities: 10 students will receive free counseling from QuestBridge to support their applications to summer school programs at Harvard, Notre Dame, Stanford, or Yale. If accepted, they will receive scholarships covering the full cost of travel, tuition, and room & board.
Individualized college admissions counseling: 40 students will be paired with an experienced counselor from QuestBridge's staff who will provide personalized admissions and financial aid advice.
College Admissions Conference invitations: 1,000 students will be invited to QuestBridge conferences at Stanford and Yale. Participants will attend workshops on how low-income students can successfully apply to leading colleges. They will also meet college admissions officers and learn more about the opportunities that QuestBridge offers.
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

All-expense-paid campus visits: 100 students will have their travel expenses and room & board covered by a partner college to visit a QuestBridge partner college campus.
Tele-mentoring with college students: 100 students will be paired with an Amherst College student who will advise them by phone and e-mail about the college admissions process.
In addition, qualifying Jewish students are eligible for the Edward Fein Foundation Scholarship Awards program at QuestBridge. Students selected as "Fein Fellows" will be rewarded for their academic achievement with scholarships to summer programs at leading universities, laptop computers, and scholarships for SAT preparation courses.

The College Prep Scholarship is a gateway to further opportunities that QuestBridge offers. It is designed to prepare students to be successful applicants to the QuestBridge National College Match program at the start of their senior year. The National College Match pairs outstanding low-income high school seniors with admission and full scholarships to QuestBridge's 25 partner colleges.

Students who receive College Match scholarships will also join a national alumni network of hundreds of Quest Scholars who are as committed to helping others as they are to their own academic excellence and professional aspirations.

Click here for more information on QuestBridge opportunities

If you are a high school junior with a strong academic record and an annual family income of less than $60,000 with typical assets, we encourage you to apply. Many past award recipients have also been part of the first generation in their family to attend college.

Click here for more information on eligibility

Click here to access the 2009 College Prep Scholarship Application.
The application is due on March 31.

Yale Campus photos by Michael Marsland, courtesy of Yale University