Five Vassar College QuestBridge scholars visited Poughkeepsie High School on Feb. 19 to connect with juniors and share their experiences.

QuestBridge is a national program that connects high-achieving, low-income students with top colleges and universities across the country through a highly competitive application and scholarship process. For Poughkeepsie High School students, it represents access, opportunity and the possibility of graduating debt-free. Through QuestBridge, Poughkeepsie students have earned full scholarships to institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Southern California and Yale University.

To be eligible, a student generally needs to be a high school junior; primarily get top marks in the most challenging courses available to them; have a strong writing ability and intellectual curiosity; have demonstrated resilience, integrity and motivation to succeed; and their must come from a household below a standard of roughly $65,000 income for a family of four with minimal assets.

The five Vassar QuestBridge scholars spoke honestly about the application process, the level of commitment required and how transformative the program has been for them. They emphasized the importance of starting early, being authentic in essays and asking for support. They also talked about the community they’ve built through QuestBridge, not just at their individual colleges, but nationally. They described it as a family.

They encouraged the juniors to seriously consider applying and reminded them they are available to answer questions. Students were invited to email them directly for guidance and support throughout the process. More details regarding the program and application can be found at this link.