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Quest Bridge: 2021 National College Match essay prompts, updates, and more

Please read the info below regarding scholarship opportunities through QuestBridge.

The 2021 National College Match will open in early August, and you can now view all dates and deadlines on our website.


2021 National College Match essay prompts

Please share the 2021 National College Match essay prompts and essay resources with students who may be interested in applying. Applicants will need to write one personal essay (800-word limit) and one topical essay (500-word limit). We encourage students to start working on their essays before the application opens so they have extra time to draft, edit, and polish their writing.


Recommendation requirements

For the 2021 National College Match, applicants will need to obtain two recommendations. One recommendation should be submitted by a recent core subject teacher. The second recommendation can from be a teacher or anyone else outside the applicant's household or immediate family who knows them well and can speak to who they are as a person. Additionally, we will continue to require a School Report from a current high school counselor.


Standardized test requirements

As always, we encourage National College Match applicants to enter any available test scores in their application, but test scores are not required to apply. All applications are reviewed holistically, so students who have not taken standardized tests can still be selected as Finalists; however, they should ensure they meet the standardized testing requirements for each college partner they're interested in.


College partners that are now test optional will give students who submit scores to QuestBridge the option to indicate whether or not they would like their test scores reviewed.


New college partners and non-binding reminder

Earlier this year, we welcomed three new college partners: Barnard College, Boston University, and Denison University. Applicants will be able to add these schools to their rankings list to be considered for early admission and a full four-year scholarship.


As a reminder, Massachusetts Institute of Technology is still the only college partner that has a non-binding policy if a student is matched. Please encourage students to start researching colleges early so they feel confident in each school they rank.


Resources to prepare students for college admissions

QuestBridge and our college partners have many resources for students to prepare for college admissions and get to know our schools. In addition to online events with individual colleges, please encourage your students to check out our College Admissions Summer Series. Recordings of past events have been posted on the QuestBridge YouTube channel, where you can also find a playlist with short videos to get to know each of our college partners.

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