Tufts Blogs

Around this time last year, I was a junior set on going to my state school because my counselor said I would get really good financial aid. All I was worried about was end of course testing. It wasn’t till that summer while at a summer college prep program (that I miraculously got accepted into) that I found out about QuestBridge from a friend. Soon after the program ended, I googled QuestBridge and I realize that I couldn’t let this opportunity pass. I saw the list of partner schools and I was astounded that I had a chance to attend one of the nation’s top colleges without having to worry about the cost. After months of writing essays and bugging my parents about financial information, I am proud to say that I “matched” to Tufts University.

QuestBridge connects high achieving, low-income high school students with admission and full-ride scholarships to some of the best colleges and universities in the country, such as Yale, Stanford, Pomona, and Tufts. Click here for the most up-to-date list. All of the college partners commit to meeting full financial need for their students. This means that low-income students have the opportunity to attend these colleges for little or nothing at all. When considering applicants, QuestBridge takes a holistic approach. They consider every aspect of a student—not just grades and scores.

The QuestBridge National College Match application opens over the summer and is due in late September. Applicants are selected as “Finalists” by QuestBridge headquarters in Palo Alto, California. Finalist can choose to rank up to 12 schools of their choice that they hope will grant them a scholarship. I am one of 767 students who matched to a college partner school in 2016. Students that do not match can reapply and be reconsidered with larger applicant pools. One main advantage of QuestBridge is that it waives application fees and students are free to apply to any of the college partners.

QuestBridge also has a program for high school juniors, the College Prep Scholars Program, and it is currently open to applicants. Although I did not apply, I am confident that CPS is very beneficial in the college search as it provides a variety of opportunities and awards that prepare students. These include paid summer college programs at top colleges, personalized essay help, and more. The application is open until March 22 and results are released in late April.

QuestBridge continues to help students even throughout their four years of college through the QuestBridge Scholars Network. Each college partner has a QuestBridge community ready to welcome and help new Scholars. Not all chapters are the same, some are older and some may have just been formed, but they often include many fun academic and social events throughout the year. It is essentially a support system that connects people with like-minded individuals who may have similar backgrounds. Scholar may also become involved and become leaders for their school’s chapter.

As a low-income, first generation student growing up with nine siblings in rural Tennessee, I never even thought that I would be able to attend a university as prestigious as Tufts. It just simply did not seem possible, but QuestBridge has definitely changed this and is helping institutions realized that high achieving, low-income students exist and are valuable.

If you know someone who may qualify for this amazing opportunity, do not hesitate to refer them here. Visit QuestBridge.org to learn more and apply.