Financial aid is a huge factor in deciding whether to go to college for students in the U.S., with 87.3% of college students receiving financial aid this year. However, it’s the institutions themselves that give aid, not the federal government.
QuestBridge, an entrepreneurial nonprofit founded in 1994, aims to help students attend college by matching high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds with top colleges and universities. The program requires applicants to earn primarily A’s in challenging courses in high school, plan to attend college in the fall, demonstrate a high literacy level and typically be from a household with a maximum income of $65,000.
Before October of their senior year, QuestBridge applicants must submit their full application, along with teacher recommendations, financial information, test scores, and their high school transcript. If accepted to the QuestBridge program, students “match” with one of their top schools through the National College Match during the Early Decision application round. They can apply for free, and if they match, they are awarded a full four-year scholarship. Applicants rank up to 15 of their top schools, hopefully matching with one. If the student’s first choice rejects them, they will then be reviewed by their second choice, and so on, until the student is bound to the first school to accept their application.
Current Davidson College sophomore Alyssa Jones learned about QuestBridge during September of her senior year through her college counselor. Looking back on the application process, she said it was challenging but “absolutely worth it.”
“QuestBridge has opened the door to countless opportunities to expand my education,” said current Davidson College sophomore Alyssa Jones.
Jones and her friend were the first two people to ever “match” at their high school, allowing them to have experiences out of their home state. Jones was originally planning to attend the University of Texas at Austin, relying on in-state tuition, but matching with QuestBridge changed her plan for her future completely.
If a student does not “match” during Early Decision, they can apply for QuestBridge’s Regular Decision round and receive their results during that round. Students can also apply during this cycle if they choose not to rank their top 15 colleges during the Early Decision round. There are no application fees, permitting more students to apply without financial concerns and allowing students to stand out. Since the start of QuestBridge, over 14,000 students have matched with a school.
Additionally, QuestBridge offers high school juniors opportunities to prepare for college through their College Prep Scholars Program. Juniors in the College Prep Scholars program receive advice on creating strong applications and giving the scholars opportunities such as summer program scholarships, admissions conferences, and writing workshops.
Applicants must meet all the same requirements as QuestBridge scholars. According to QuestBridge, juniors who participate in the prep program are six times more likely to match with a college once in the match program. In 2024, 3,911 high school juniors out of 16,000 were selected as College Prep Scholars.
QuestBridge also offers its alumni a graduate school match program. Alumni can apply for admission and scholarships to two-year, full-time MBA programs at schools such as Yale, Stanford and UChicago. In addition, QuestBridge offers free resources to the public, including worksheets on college rankings and preparation.
While QuestBridge is an incredible opportunity for students, it does not guarantee admission to any school. It is highly competitive, with only around 30% of finalists matching with one of the schools they ranked. Nonetheless, it is a substantial opportunity for high-achieving students concerned about the financial burden of college.
