Zaineh Saleh
Crimson Chronicle Editor-in-Chief
Erin Nagai and Daniel Gonzalez, two students from the School of Advanced Studies, were granted full-ride scholarships to Brown University and Vanderbilt University through the Questbridge National College Match.
The Questbridge National College Match is a prestigious program for high-achieving students to earn full-ride scholarships to the top colleges in the nation. The scholarship covers full tuition, room, and board as well as other expenses such as laptops and textbooks for all four years. Students must come from low-income and first-generation backgrounds, and compete to become finalists, and if chosen apply for the college match
According to the Questbridge press release, they received over 20,800 applications, and only 6,683 students were chosen to be finalists. Out of the 6,683 finalists, only 2,242 were able to match with a college and earn a full-ride scholarship.
Erin matched with Brown University, her second choice out of the 12 schools she chose to rank. She intends to major in biochemistry and pursue a career in medicine.
“Questbridge has provided me with a new perspective that everyone can attend a great college if you have the right mindset and motivation,” said Erin. “This opportunity has completely changed my future and I’m looking forward to continuing my studies on the opposite side of the country.”
Daniel Gonzalez who also is an SAS student matched with Vanderbilt University which was his first choice out of the five schools he ranked. He intends to major in computer science and psychology.
“Vanderbilt was my first choice,” said Daniel. “I wanted to go because it had a good baseball team and I wanted to tell my baseball friends that I got accepted.”
The process of applying to college through Questbridge can be described as challenging and time-consuming. Students are required to submit detailed academic records, letters of recommendation, and a variety of essays based on the schools they chose in an extremely limited amount of time.
“Applying through Questbridge may be a hassle, but I promise you it is worth a try,” said Erin. “Make sure to not procrastinate your supplements like I did.”
Justin Reyes contributed to this story.