QuestBridge Details
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QuestBridge is a nationwide program that connects talented, under-served students with high-quality education opportunities after high school. We have been a QuestBridge partner college since 2013. We also partner with the Posse Foundation, College Horizons, and many other organizations.
What is QuestBridge?
QuestBridge and its partner colleges offer three programs for students in their junior and senior year of high school:
- National College Match
- For high school seniors
- Earn admission to one of 50 partner colleges. This includes a financial aid award that covers full tuition, housing, and food (with $0 in loans and $0 in parental contribution)
- College Prep Scholars Program
- For high school juniors
- Receive free test prep and early access to the National College Match application. Plus, become eligible for other opportunities like attending one of QuestBridge’s National College Admissions Conferences and receiving essay coaching
- Quest for Excellence Awards
- For juniors
- $1000 awards that are designed to help you excel on your path to one of the nation’s top colleges.
Students who take part in QuestBridge become QuestBridge Scholars once they get to college. Carleton’s incoming class has 36 QuestBridge Scholars. This includes 24 students who came to us through the National College Match process!
QuestBridge has set up the QuestBridge Scholars Network for Scholars to connect in college and beyond. This keeps Scholars connected as they pursue careers in different fields and continue to aspire for excellence. Every QuestBridge partner college has a chapter of the QuestBridge Scholars Network.
How is the National Match different from Early Decision?
Both are binding admissions programs. If you are admitted, you are expected to attend. The difference lies in what your financial aid award will look like.
At Carleton, we have a firm commitment to meeting the full demonstrated need of all admitted students. We do this through a combination of need-based grants, loans, and work-study wages.
The QuestBridge National College Match program takes this commitment even farther. Matched Scholars receive a financial aid award that covers the full comprehensive fee of tuition, housing, and food. That means there are no loans or parental contribution.
Wait, what? A full scholarship with $0 in loans?
That’s right! Each year, Carleton matches 20-25 students through QuestBridge’s National College Match. These students receive financial aid awards that cover the full cost of tuition, housing, and food. In other words: $0 in loans and $0 in parental contribution.
Here’s how it works
- Students who apply for the National College Match list up to 15 partner colleges in order of preference.
- These colleges then get the applications of all the students who ranked them.
- Their admissions committees review the applications. They choose a group of students they’d like to admit with the four-year College Match scholarship
- QuestBridge uses this list, plus the students’ rankings, to make matches between students and colleges.
- QuestBridge will only match you to one school. After you’re matched, you must withdraw all other applications you’ve made.
Who should consider QuestBridge?
If you have achieved academic excellence in the face of economic challenge, we hope you will consider applying. QuestBridge shares these benchmarks for typical College Match finalists:
- Academic
- Earn primarily A’s in the most challenging courses available and display intellectual curiosity and strong writing ability.
- Rank in the top 5-10% of their class.
- Financial
- Come from households earning less than $65,000 annually (for a household of four) and have minimal assets.
- Qualify for free or reduced-price school meals.
- Face financial hardship.
- Personal
- Demonstrate resilience, integrity, and motivation to succeed.
- Make meaningful contributions to activities at home, school, or in the community.
- Are among the first generation in their family to attend a four-year college.
- Display intellectual curiosity and strong writing ability.
Our current QuestBridge Scholars come from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Like all Carleton students, our QuestBridge Scholars are united by a shared joy of learning. This spirit permeates our classrooms, sports fields, theater stages, and residence hall lounges.
A Carleton education is rigorous, but it isn’t cutthroat. Our students are joyfully competitive — more likely to inspire one another than jockey for favor. This spirit fosters not only academic excellence, but also depth, creativity, and compassion. Does this sound like you? Let us know you’re interested!
How can I learn more about Carleton?
Of course, a visit to campus is really the best way to get a sense of our community. Learn more about our visit opportunities, both virtual and in-person, on our Visit Us page!
In the meantime, explore the rest of our website. Carleton students love to learn, and we hope you do, too. Student life is full of clubs, sports, performances, and beloved traditions.
And as always, connect with us if you have questions.
What’s the QuestBridge timeline?
Students interested in participating in QuestBridge programs should pay close attention to deadlines. QuestBridge does a good job of outlining the specific details of the deadlines, but this will give you the general idea:
- March of your junior year: Apply for the College Prep Scholars Program. This is not required for consideration in the National College Match Process. But it’s how you’ll be come eligible to go to one of the National College Admissions Conferences and get other benefits of being a College Prep Scholar. Through this process, you can apply for the Quest for Excellence Awards, too.
- Early summer between junior and senior years: Attend one of QuestBridge’s National College Admissions Conferences. You’ll get help on your college applications, meet other ambitious high school students, and learn about partner colleges (like Carleton!)
- Summer between junior and senior years: Arrange a visit to our campus! We offer various in-person and virtual events.
- Late summer between junior and senior years: Begin work on your National College Match application, if you haven’t already started!
- Late September of your senior year: Submit your National College Match application. Through this process, you can apply for the Quest for Excellence Awards, too.
- Mid-October of your senior year: Submit your ranked list of partner colleges for matching.
- Late October of your senior year: Find out if you’re a finalist. If you aren’t a finalist, and Carleton remains your first choice, you can contact us to change your application to Early Decision. You can change your application to Regular Decision through QuestBridge’s application portal.
- November of your senior year: Partner colleges’ admissions committees meet to select our National College Match Scholars. Then, QuestBridge makes matches based on Finalists’ rankings
- December 1 of your senior year: QuestBridge announces Matched Scholars.
- Mid-December of your senior year: If you aren’t a Matched Scholar and you’re still interested in Carleton, use QuestBridge’s application portal to convert your application to Regular Decision. Contact us if you’re interested in applying Early Decision.
- December through March of your senior year: We consider Non-Matched Scholars who converted their applications to Early Decision or Regular Decision. Decisions come out by April 1.
Phew! It’s a lot to keep track of, we know. If you have questions, check out the more detailed information from QuestBridge. Get in touch with us if there’s anything we can clarify about our process.
Who can I talk to about QuestBridge at Carleton?
We’re so glad you asked. Please get in touch with us and we’ll help connect you with the right person, whether it’s…
- a member of the QuestBridge Admissions Committee
- a current Carleton Matched Scholar
- a current Carleton QuestBridge Scholar
- a faculty member from a department you’re interested in
…or someone totally different! You can always email us at questbridge@carleton.edu or give us a call at 507-222-4516.
If you’re still craving more info, but don’t have specific questions, check out the Carleton QuestBridge Scholars Instagram account to connect with other students like you.