QuestBridge College Prep Scholars Program

FOR JUNIORS ONLY WITH A 3.5 OR BETTER UNWEIGHTED GPA

QuestBridge’s 2021 College Prep Scholarship (click) for high school juniors is now open. This program addresses a problem in higher education across the country: a low number of academically outstanding, low-income students attend leading colleges.

QuestBridge has connected more than 15,000 high-achieving, low-income students with full four-year scholarships or generous financial aid to attend the nation’s best colleges. These students have advanced to become leaders in their workplaces and communities, and many of them started their paths to success as College Prep Scholars.

How will the College Prep Scholarship help students?

Selection as a College Prep Scholar is a distinction that signifies academic success and leadership despite having faced financial challenges. College Prep Scholarship awards give high-achieving, low-income juniors the tools they need to prepare successful applications to top colleges, and help them understand that the generous financial aid at these colleges makes attending them affordable – if not free.

The awards include:

  • full scholarships to summer programs at schools like Yale, UChicago, Emory and more
  • personalized college essay feedback
  • exclusive access to a National College Admissions Conference
  • Quest for Excellence Awards, including $1,000 for a new laptop
  • specialized guidance on applying for full four-year scholarships to 45 top colleges through the National College Match (click)
  • For a list of partnering colleges, click Colleges.

Who is qualified for the College Prep Scholarship?

College Prep Scholars are often:

  • top in their class – 3.5 or above unweighted GPA; top 5-10% of class
  • earn primarily A’s in the most challenging courses available
  • SAT Critical Reading & Math score = 1250+; ACT score = 27
  • posseses strong writing ability, intellectual spark, determination
  • from households earning less than $65,000 per year for a family of four
  • typically eligible for free/reduced lunch
  • of the first generation in their families to attend college.

Family assets and savings are taken into consideration. If the student has any special circumstances (i.e., health issues, personal struggles, etc.), they should be mentioned in an application. Last year, 3,000 College Prep Scholars were provided with resources to help them achieve their college dreams. For more information, click Selection Criteria.

The application deadline is March 24, 2021.

If you qualify and if you need assistance, contact your guidance counselor. You cannot wait until the last minute to apply because a lot of work is involved.

To apply, click College Prep.