QuestBridge College Prep Scholarship

"At the QuestBridge College Admissions Conference I learned that attending a selective college was possible and affordable. With this new knowledge, I applied to college through the QuestBridge National College Match and received a full-ride scholarship."

Carly Valenzuela

Bermuda Dunes, CA

2008 College Prep
Scholarship Recipient

2008 National College
Match Scholar
Williams College
Class of 2013

Students from low-income backgrounds with strong academic records actually have significant advantages in college admissions. Leading colleges are actively seeking to increase socioeconomic 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 Emory, Harvard, Notre Dame, Penn, 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 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.
QuestBridge offers Quest for Excellence Awards as part of the College Prep Scholarship program. Awardees will each receive a new laptop computer, and either a full scholarship to a college summer program or career mentoring opportunities.
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.

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

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 partner colleges.

Students who are admitted to a QuestBridge partner college through QuestBridge will also join a national 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 further QuestBridge opportunities

Yale Campus photos by Michael Marsland, courtesy of Yale University