National College Match Program: FAQ

"Binding" means that if you are admitted to a college through the College Match process, you are required to attend the college (with the exception of MIT, Notre Dame, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale, which are not binding). You are required to withdraw your applications to other colleges. The college you match with is required to give you a full four-year scholarship (also with the exception of MIT, Princeton, Stanford, Yale, which are renewed yearly). The Regular Decision process via QuestBridge's application forwarding service is not binding and does not guarantee full scholarships, although students who are accepted receive excellent financial aid.

2. Is this an application for college admission or a scholarship application?

The National College Match is both a college admissions program and a scholarship program. The application you submit to QuestBridge is your college application. It will be read by college admissions officers. On the basis of this application, QuestBridge's partner colleges will decide whether to admit you and provide you with a full scholarship. The QuestBridge application is also used to apply for the Quest for Excellence Awards.

3. What if I have a problem submitting materials or I'm not sure if they have been received?

To determine if QuestBridge has received your submitted application or your faxed materials, log in to the 'My Locker' section of our website. When you log in, you will find a list of the application materials you need to submit and status notifications to whether or not we have received them. When a section has been submitted, its status will say "Completed."

For materials submitted via fax, please allow up to two business days for them to be processed. After the faxed documents have been processed, they will appear in a list at the bottom of your 'My Locker' page. If your faxed materials do not appear within two days, try faxing them again. It is very important that you use the correct fax cover sheet for all faxed materials. The cover sheets are available on your 'My Locker' page.

4. What qualifies as "low-income?"

Please visit our page on selection criteria. You may also want to consult statistics on last year's College Match scholarship recipients.

5. What do you consider ''outstanding'' or "high-achieving"?

QuestBridge seeks motivated students who challenge themselves by taking and excelling in their high school's most rigorous courses. We, as well as our partner colleges, look at many different factors when assessing a student's academics, including grades, class rank, high school courses taken, standardized test scores, teacher recommendations, and other markers of talent and motivation.

Students interested in applying to our partner colleges through the College Match can also visit our partner colleges' websites for more specifics regarding their academic standards. Last year, 75% of the students who received College Match scholarships were in the top 5% of their high school classes. To learn more, see QuestBridge's eligibility and selection criteria.

6. Is QuestBridge only for minority students?

No. QuestBridge is for students of all races and ethnicities. We recognize that students of all backgrounds may face financial and circumstantial obstacles to higher education.

7. Can I apply to the National College Match if I did not apply for the College Prep Scholarship or win a College Prep Scholarship award?

Yes. You do not need to have applied for the College Prep Scholarship in order to apply for the National College Match. If you did apply to the College Prep Scholarship, the results will not influence your eligibility to receive a College Match Scholarship.

8. How can I evaluate my chances of gaining admission to a QuestBridge partner college through the National College Match?

To assess your chances of admission to one of our partner colleges through the National College Match, please see our acceptance rates from previous years. In addition, you may find it helpful to consult a statistical profile of last year's College Match scholarship recipients, as well as our Selection Criteria.

1. How do I refer a student to QuestBridge? If I am applying, can I also refer someone that I know to apply as well?

While students do not need an invitation from QuestBridge to apply, referring a student is a good way to ensure that they will receive information about the College Match. Click here to refer a student. You will be able to tell us the name and contact information for the student you are referring so we can send them an email with an invitation to apply. You can also encourage a student to visit the QuestBridge website and register for an application without having an invitation from us.

2. I am not from a low-income background, but I received a mailing from QuestBridge inviting me to apply. Why did you choose to send a mailing to me, and how did you receive my name?

We receive names and addresses of students who scored highly on the PSAT, SAT, or ACT through the College Board and ACT. Thus, many students receive our mailing because they did exceptionally well on their standardized tests and checked a box on their test form indicating that they would like to receive information about scholarship opportunities. The College Board and ACT do not release information regarding students' family income. We estimate students' household income using data from publicly available sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau. However, these sources do not provide perfect information on the income of individual households. As a result, some of the students who receive our mailing do not qualify financially for the National College Match. We hope that these students will refer others who qualify for the program.

3. What are the benefits of applying to QuestBridge if I am not interested in participating in the College Match Process?

For QuestBridge applicants who are selected as finalists and who are not interested in participating in the College Match process, QuestBridge offers an application forwarding service through the Regular Decision process. Our application is tailored to high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds and aids these students in presenting a full picture of their intellectual promise and personal qualities in light of the obstacles they have overcome.

Using the QuestBridge application also enables finalists to ensure that their socio-economic status is understood by admissions officers at QuestBridge partner colleges who are actively seeking to increase the number of outstanding low-income students on their campuses.

Many of our partner colleges accept the QuestBridge application in lieu of their own application for Regular Decision admission. Those that do not will use the QuestBridge application as a supplement. All of our partner colleges will waive their application fees for QuestBridge finalists. Please see the Regular Decision Process page for details. Last year, more than 800 QuestBridge finalists gained admission and generous financial aid to our partner colleges through the Regular Decision Process.

In addition, students who apply to QuestBridge without participating in the College Match process will have the opportunity to:

4. Should high-achieving low-income students consider options other than the QuestBridge National College Match for applying to QuestBridge's partner colleges?

Yes. Many high-achieving low-income students gain admission to our partner colleges with generous financial aid each year through QuestBridge programs. At the same time, many others are also admitted with generous financial aid without applying through QuestBridge. We encourage students to consider the benefits of the National College Match in comparison to the benefits of the other options available to them, and to select the option that best suits their particular circumstances and preferences.

5. Can I apply to QuestBridge if I am not a high school senior?

Only students who are applying to enter college as freshmen in the fall of 2010 are eligible to apply to the National College Match. High school juniors are encouraged to apply to QuestBridge's College Prep Scholarship, which uses a different application available in the spring.

6. Can I apply to QuestBridge if I have been homeschooled or have had another type of unconventional secondary school education?

Homeschooled students, as well as students with other types of unconventional high school experiences, are welcome to apply to the National College Match. For information on who should submit recommendation letters for homeschooled students, click here.

7. Can I apply to QuestBridge if I am not a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident?

Students who are not U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents may apply. However, only Pomona College, Princeton University, Brown University, and Yale University will consider these students for admission and full scholarships through the College Match process. Most of our partner colleges use federal and state funds to finance a portion of the scholarships, and these funds are only available for U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents.

Although only U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents are generally eligible for College Match scholarship packages, our partner colleges will consider all students who apply through the Regular Decision process, regardless of citizenship status. In 2008, more than a dozen QuestBridge applicants who were not U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents gained acceptance and financial aid to our partner colleges via the Regular Decision process.

8. Can I reuse essays from the College Prep Scholarship or the partner college supplements?

Yes, you can reuse essays from the College Prep Scholarship and the partner college supplements. Please be sure that your response is appropriate to the specific question being asked, regardless of whether or not you are reusing essays.

1. How many full scholarships are being offered this year?

Last year, 260 students received admission and full scholarships via the College Match. In addition, more than 800 QuestBridge applicants were offered admission to our partner colleges with generous financial aid through the Regular Decision process.

QuestBridge's partner colleges are not obligated to accept any specific number of QuestBridge applicants. One way to assess your chances of acceptance by one of our partner colleges through the National College Match program is by looking at the results from last year.

2. Why can't College Match scholarships be applied to any college? Why only to QuestBridge's partner colleges?

Scholarships to our partner colleges through the National College Match are non-transferable to other colleges because the partner colleges themselves pay for the scholarships using college, state, and federal funds.

3. How are College Match scholarship recipients selected?

When students submit National College Match applications, QuestBridge reviews the applications and selects finalists (see Selection Criteria for more information). We then forward finalists' applications to our partner colleges for consideration.

All applicants submit their final ranked list of the colleges they are ready to commit to attend by October 12. Similarly, our partner colleges review the finalists' applications, and submit lists to QuestBridge of the students to whom they wish to offer admission and full scholarships. QuestBridge compares the lists, and students are matched with their highest ranked college on their list that also selects them. A student can only match with one college. Through this matching process, it is ultimately students and our partner colleges that choose each other.

For more details about the College Match Process, please click here.

4. If I participate in the National College Match, am I guaranteed placement at a college?

There is no guarantee that you will gain admission to any of our partner colleges by applying to QuestBridge or by being selected as a finalist. Our partner colleges are not obligated to admit a specific or predetermined number of applicants. Therefore, we encourage all QuestBridge applicants to explore and pursue other college admissions options in addition to the National College Match.

For more information about your chances of gaining admission and financial aid through the National College Match, please visit our page summarizing last year's acceptance rates.

5. If I participate in the College Match process, can I also apply to another college via Early Decision or Early Action?

If you choose to rank one or more colleges (regardless of whether each college is binding or non-binding) for the College Match, you may not apply to other colleges through Early Decision or Early Action. Since the College Match is a binding early admission program, applying to both QuestBridge and another program early would violate the agreement with the other program. If you submit a QuestBridge application but do not become a finalist (notification of finalist status will occur on October 23, 2009), then you are released to apply to any college Early Decision or Early Action.

Students are encouraged to apply to other colleges through the Regular Decision process. However, if you are matched with one of our partner colleges, you will need to withdraw all of your regular applications.

If you decide not to rank any colleges for the College Match process, you are still welcome to apply and use our application forwarding service for the Regular Decision process. Please review the profiles of each of our partner colleges on our website for more information.

6. How is applying to the National College Match different from applying Early Decision to a QuestBridge partner college?

QuestBridge allows students to apply early to several different colleges simultaneously and for free. You complete one application, and if you are selected as a finalist your information will be forwarded to all of the QuestBridge partner colleges that you ranked. Your QuestBridge application will present your achievements in light of the obstacles you have overcome, as our application questions and essays are tailored to high-achieving low-income students.

If you gain admission through the College Match, you will be awarded a full scholarship for all four years of college.

If you become a finalist but do not gain admission through the College Match, you may still be considered in the Early Decision round at some of our partner colleges. Please see the Regular Decision Table for more information.

7. If I become a QuestBridge finalist, should I still plan to apply to colleges other than QuestBridge partner colleges through the regular admissions process?

We encourage all QuestBridge finalists to plan to apply to colleges other than QuestBridge partner colleges for regular admission. As all of our partner colleges are very selective in their admissions, some finalists may not gain admission to any partner colleges either through the College Match or through the Regular Decision process. For this reason, we recommend that in addition to applying to any of QuestBridge's partner colleges, finalists should also apply to a number of less selective colleges.

Please note that if you are matched with admission and a full scholarship to one of our partner colleges through the College Match process, you will need to withdraw all of your regular admission applications.

8. Will QuestBridge and/or the partner colleges interview me before I am matched?

QuestBridge will not conduct interviews. However, some partner colleges may choose to interview you, either on campus or in your local area. This is decided by each individual college, and QuestBridge is not involved in the interview process.

9. What happens if I am not matched with any of the colleges that I ranked?

If you are not matched with any of the colleges that you ranked, you can participate in the QuestBridge Regular Decision process. To do so, you should request application forwarding through your 'My Locker' page to the QuestBridge partner colleges to which you plan to apply. In addition, you will need to take further steps to have your application considered for Regular Decision by our partner colleges; please see our instructions for the Regular Decision process for specifics. The colleges will then consider you for admission and financial aid.

You should also continue with the regular admissions process, preparing and submitting applications to colleges other than QuestBridge partner colleges.

10. When will I be notified if I am selected as a finalist? When will I know if I am matched?

If you are selected as a finalist for the College Match, you will be notified via email on October 23, 2009. Finalists will be notified of College Match results on December 1, 2009.

11. If I am matched, can I defer admission to the college for a year?

If you are matched with one of QuestBridge's partner colleges, it will be up to the college to decide whether or not you can defer admission. Each college has its own policies on admission deferrals. Two College Match scholarship recipients in 2004 and one in 2006 received permission from their colleges to defer admission for one year.

1. Is there a fee to apply to QuestBridge? Are there any other costs associated with the National College Match Program?

Applying to the National College Match, like all of QuestBridge's student services, is completely free of charge.

If you are selected as a finalist for the College Match program, you will need to file a financial aid form called the CSS PROFILE. This form is administered by the College Board and is required for students applying for scholarships and financial aid to private colleges, whether they apply through QuestBridge or through the normal admission process. This form costs $9, plus $16 for each college to which you want information sent. Please be aware that this fee is paid to the College Board, not to QuestBridge, and is a fee you will have to pay no matter how you apply to the same colleges, even if you do not apply to the National College Match.

QuestBridge is committed to ensuring that as many finalists as possible can afford to complete the CSS PROFILE. To this end, we will provide a limited quantity of CSS PROFILE fee waivers this year to as many finalists as our funds allow. As a non-profit organization, QuestBridge does not have the resources to sponsor fee waivers for all finalists. Please click here for more information on the CSS PROFILE and QuestBridge's fee waivers.

2. When is the QuestBridge National College Match application due?

National College Match applications must be submitted online by Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.

Final college rankings for the College Match process and Match Agreement Forms are due by Monday, October 12, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.

3. Can I fill out a paper application?

QuestBridge only accepts applications submitted online. For access to our online application, please visit our application page.

4. I previously applied to QuestBridge's College Prep Scholarship. Do I need to fill out another application?

For students who submitted an application for the College Prep Scholarship, all of the information that you entered into your College Prep Scholarship application will automatically pre-fill into your National College Match application except essays. You can then update it and fill out the additional information needed for the National College Match, including several essays. Once completed, you then need to re-submit your application in order to be considered for the National College Match.

5. What standardized tests are required to apply to the National College Match?

To be considered for the National College Match, you need to submit the standardized test scores required by the QuestBridge partner colleges you are interested in attending. For information on the tests each partner college requires, please see our required standardized tests page. You should ask your high school counseling office to fax your score reports to QuestBridge using the 'Transcript & Test Scores' fax cover sheet available on your 'My Locker' page.

QuestBridge will accept any test scores that you receive prior to the National College Match application deadline of September 30, 2009. If you expect to receive scores after September 30, please list your testing date(s) on the Testing Information page in the application, leaving the score fields blank. If you are selected as a finalist and want to have your new test scores considered for the College Match process by the colleges you have ranked, you should request that the College Board and/or ACT forward your scores to those colleges. Any testing done after October will be considered only in the Regular Decision process.

If you are selected as a National College Match finalist, you will need to send official score reports to some of the colleges that you rank. Refer to the National College Match requirements page for instructions regarding submission of test scores to colleges.

6. Who should write my recommendation letters and how many do I need to submit?

The QuestBridge application requires the submission of two teacher recommendations and one counselor recommendation, called a Secondary School Report (see below for more information on the Secondary School Report). Your teacher recommendations should be written by educators who have knowledge of both your academic ability and your personal strengths. They must have taught you in core academic subjects, such as English, history, math, foreign languages, or the sciences, during your sophomore, junior, or senior year (preferably junior year).

For tips on choosing recommendation writers and getting the best recommendations possible, see our recommendation tips page.

7. What is a Secondary School Report and who should fill it out?

A Secondary School Report is a recommendation form that your high school counselor fills out for you. This form helps QuestBridge and our partner colleges evaluate you relative to other students in your school. The QuestBridge application requires the submission of a Secondary School Report. With this form, your counselor should include a high school profile and any additional information on your high school. See below for information on submitting your Secondary School Report.

8. I am homeschooled. Who should write my recommendation letters?

Your two teacher recommendations should be submitted by persons outside your home. For example, if you have taken any classes at local high schools or community colleges, done any supervised volunteer work, or participated in any religious groups, you might ask someone who has supervised your work or led that organization to submit a recommendation on your behalf.

Your Secondary School Report should be submitted by the parent or other adult who is currently supervising your academic studies.

9. How do I send my teacher recommendations, Secondary School Report, transcript, and standardized test score reports to QuestBridge, and when are they due?

Recommendations should be completed on our website. You will need to register your recommenders' information in your online application before the recommendation form can be completed. You will then be able to print out instructions to give to your teachers and counselor on how to fill out the online recommendation. Your teachers and counselor should fill out the recommendation forms following the directions provided in the instructions form.

If your recommenders would prefer to submit their recommendations via fax, you can download a Recommendation form with fax cover sheet from your 'My Locker' page.

Official transcripts and standardized test score reports need to be faxed to QuestBridge by a counselor. A special fax cover sheet needs to accompany these materials. Counselors must use the fax cover sheet provided. The cover sheet allows us to efficiently sort and process these forms. Look for a link to this fax cover sheet in the 'My Application' section of your 'My Locker' page.

Please do not mail these materials to QuestBridge. If you do, it is possible that your materials will not be processed before the deadline and your application will be incomplete.

All forms are due September 30, 2009.

10. My high school does not have my standardized test scores on file. How can I arrange to have them faxed?

If your counseling office does not have your standardized test scores on file, please provide them to your counselor so he or she can fax them along with your transcript. Either an official test score report or a printout from the testing agency's website will suffice.

11. How do I calculate my unweighted GPA?

An unweighted grade point average (GPA) is reported on a 4.0 scale. If your school does not provide you with an unweighted GPA, you will need to calculate it using the following table:

To use this table, find the grade point value of your final grade in a class (for example, a B+ is a 3.3) and multiply it by the total number of units the class is worth (for a five unit class, multiply 5 x 3.3). Do this for each of your courses in grades 9-12, adding the grade points as you go. Then, divide by the total number of units you have taken. For example, if you have taken only three classes, each worth five units, and you have received an A, B+, and A-, calculate your GPA as follows:

(5 x 4.0) + (5 x 3.3) + (5 x 3.7) = 55, 55/15 =3.67, or a 3.7 GPA (you can round to the nearest tenth for this application).

12. How do I calculate my weighted GPA?

Your weighted grade point average (GPA) must be reported on a 5.0 scale. If your school does not do this for you, you will need to calculate your weighted GPA using the following table:

To use this table, find the grade point value of your final grade in a class (for example, a B+ in an honors class is a 4.3, and a B+ in a non-honors class is a 3.3) and multiply it by the total number of units the class is worth (for a five unit class, multiply 5 x 4.3 for an honors class, or 5 x 3.3 for a non-honors class). Do this for each of your courses in grades 9-12, adding the grade points as you go. Then, divide by the total number of units you have taken. For example, if you have taken three honors classes, each worth five units, and you have received an A, B+, and A-, calculate your GPA as follows:

(5 x 5.0) + (5 x 4.3) + (5 x 4.7) = 70, 70/15 =4.67, or a 4.7 GPA (you can round to the nearest tenth for this application).

13. What should I write for my class rank if my school doesn't report ranks?

If your school does not report class rankings, then you should leave the section blank. In the text box for "extenuating circumstances" regarding your academics, please explain your school's policy about not ranking students.

14. I am interested in submitting performance or art materials to the colleges. Do I send those to QuestBridge?

You should not send these materials to QuestBridge. Please contact the colleges that you are ranking directly to ask about the proper way to send your materials.

15. What figure from our family's tax forms should I enter for income in the application: total income, adjusted gross income, or taxable income?