A Full Ride

Image getting a free ride to one of the Ivies, such as Yale, Princeton, Penn, or Brown. Or how about attending a world-renown school like MIT, Columbia, or University of Chicago? These top-notched universities are among the 31 partnered schools participating in the QuestBridge program. Click to view the complete list of QuestBridge partnered schools below:

http://www.questbridge.org/partner-colleges/overview-listing 

Over $2 billion dollars in full financial aid offers have been awarded to QuestBridge scholars since 1994. This sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Believe it! My daughter is attending the #4 ranked dream school by parents according to the Princeton Review http://www.princetonreview.com/college-hopes-worries.aspx. It wasn't hard for my daughter to turn down the University of Michigan because of the student loans. Instead, through QuestBridge, Notre Dame offered a generous financial aid package that covered her entire tuition and more!  

Top colleges are seeking talented low-income students to apply to their schools to diversify their campuses, not only in race, religion, and interests, but also from different social economics backgrounds. Many talented low-income students are unaware of the opportunities that exist for them to attend a four-year university. In most cases, the costs to attend a QuestBridge partner school are less than attending a local community college. Below are some startling statistics from QuestBridge:

• 84% of America’s qualified low-income students do not even apply to one top college and

• 44% do not attend a four-year college at all.

QuestBridge's Mission:

• QuestBridge aims to create a singular place where exceptionally talented low-income students can navigate educational and life opportunities.

• QuestBridge recruits, develops, and supports motivated low-income students – beginning in high school through college to their first job – to be successful at America's best colleges, graduate schools, and companies.

QuestBridge offers students a chance to apply to eight partnered colleges for FREE! That’s a huge savings when an application fee for a top college can range from $65 for Notre Dame to $90 for Stanford. There was one high school student in my daughter’s class that spent over $2,000 applying to different colleges! The QuestBridge application allows students to tell their personal stories, including hardships and achievements, to the college admissions officials.

My daughter’s completed online application with multiple questions and essays was over 23 pages long. The required teachers’ recommendations, college counselor’s report, grade transcripts, SAT and ACT test scores, and financial aid forms were submitted separately. In addition to QuestBridge's application requirements, each college had its own specific supplements, which included more essays and questions. Applying to the QuestBridge National College Match is one of my daughter’s biggest accomplishments.

Next week, I’ll dive into the QuestBridge application process details. Be sure to check out the video below by a QuestBridge National College Match Recipient for more information including what qualifies as a low-income. 

Rags to Riches

I loved the movie, The Blind Side, with Saundra Bullock.
The movie portrayed a talented young man that overcame many obstacles: born poor, one of 12 children, and his mother was an alcoholic and crack addict. Against all odds, Michael Oher was     given an opportunity to enroll in a Christian school, live with a wealthy family, and later went on to play college football. Today, Michael is an offensive lineman playing for the Baltimore Ravens! I always cry when I hear inspiring stories on how people overcame adversity. QuestBridge scholars have similar amazing stories. 

Daniel Flores is a 2009 QuestBridge College Match Recipient. Daniel’s parents were immigrants from Peru that spoke little English. They settled in San Antonio, Texas, in a neighborhood full of crime and violence. Even though his parents never attended college, they believed that education would be the key to his success.

Daniel attended a large public high school with over 4,000 students. His school was one of the most violent in the district with a parole officer on campus. Despite the dim circumstances, Daniel was involved in sports such as soccer, swimming, and water polo. He was also part of the Honor Societies and volunteered in community service. He pushed himself academically by taking advanced classes. After graduation, Daniel planned to enroll in his local community college. One day, a friend pointed to a QuestBridge poster hanging in a classroom and said, “Hey, you should do that.” Even though it sounded too good to be true, he applied and submitted the QuestBridge National College application. Today, he is attending Northwestern University for four years free including room and board! Over $220,000 was awarded by Northwestern.

Next week, I will share how QuestBridge is partnering with the nation’s top universities.

To view Daniel Flores’ full story and to read about other QuestBridge success stories, go to:

http://questbridge.org/about-questbridge/success-stories.

http://questbridge.org/news-and-events/qb-students-in-the-news.

QuestBridge Experience

My goal is to reach low-income parents with academically gifted students. I believe that parents, grandparents, and guardians, play a significant role in influencing their child's high academic standards with hopes of them attending a reputable college. I remember the countless hours worrying about how to pay for college without any savings. Fortunately, it was through a postcard that I learned about QuestBridge and the college application process.

The journey began in the fall of 2008. I encouraged and assisted my daughter, Rachel, every step of the way during the QuestBridge application process by gathering the necessary financial documents and keeping track of the application deadlines. Like most high achievers, my daughter was busy with AP classes, varsity sports, and community service during this time. The entire application process was challenging and very time-consuming! I commend everyone that persevered and submitted all the required items during the college match process!

I would love to hear from you if you are a parent of a QuestBridge scholar or want to learn more about QuestBridge from a mom like me.