As the second semester kicks off at ACHS, seniors have begun to hear back from the various colleges and universities they applied to in the fall. College decision season means scholarship applications have also been submitted, and through these various programs students will be given opportunities to excel in their academic careers beyond high school. 

The QuestBridge National College Match Program and the Posse Foundation Scholarship Program are two of the most prestigious scholarship programs in the nation for college seniors. This year, ACHS had one student receive a QuestBridge scholarship and three students receive a Posse Foundation scholarship. 

Senior Christabel Ellis matched with the University of Virginia through the QuestBridge program this year. 

QuestBridge is a non-profit organization that connects high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds to college opportunities. Students apply to the National College Match program to be considered, and if they are selected as finalists, they are able to rank their top schools for the opportunity to be “matched” to the one of best fit. 

Ellis was recommended to apply for the QuestBridge program by an upperclassman who had gone through the process the year before. “[The upperclassman] received the QuestBridge Scholarship previously, so I thought that it would be convenient for me to get advice from him,” she said.  

Students who match with a school on their list are given full scholarships that cover the entire cost of attending, including tuition, fees, housing, supplies and travel dues, which last all four years of college. If a student matches with a school, the decision is binding.

When Ellis found out she had matched, she was ecstatic. She recalls how she got the notification with her results in the middle of class. “I remember I recorded myself just to see what would happen, and then I opened it up,” said Ellis. “And then once I got the results, I couldn’t scream because then everyone would be like, ‘Oh, what is she screaming about?’” 

For Ellis, the process of applying for the scholarship was stressful but rewarding. “Over the summer, I was preparing my materials,” she said. “Once the actual window opened, it was a very short process.” 

At both the King Street and Minnie Howard Campus, the College and Career Center staff support applicants through the QuestBridge process. “We provide the documents that are necessary and then a counselor provides a recommendation,” said Christine Miller, the Director of College Advising for the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria. “We also help them write their essays, we look over the applications before they submit, and we sometimes help them when they’re selecting their match lists.”

Ellis plans to study biology at UVA, and hopes to pursue a career in medicine in the future. “I’m looking forward to the new opportunities,” she said. “Also new relationships or friendships with new people, because everyone kind of comes from everywhere when it comes to college.”

For students who may be interested in applying to QuestBridge in the future, Ellis says that it is important that you prepare in advance. “I know that it seems really early, but having materials, like your essay and your SATs ready if you’re planning to submit them, is a really good thing,” she said. 

Ellis also emphasized the importance of support during the process. “Have a good support system,” she said. “If you don’t really have a good support system, then the whole process is going to be more stressful than you would want it to be. I feel like my results would have come out differently if I was in a more hostile environment or if I didn’t feel like I had someone to rely on.”

Senior Isabel Craine was selected for the Posse Scholarship, a program that offers full-tuition scholarships for outstanding student leaders to attend one of the partner colleges and universities across the country. Craine will be attending the University of Virginia and plans to major in sociology.

Craine decided to apply for the scholarship through a recommendation from a previous scholarship winner. “I talked to my friend, Seamus White, who won it last year for William and Mary,” she said. “He was in leadership with me, and he strongly encouraged me to apply.” 

The Posse Scholarship is intended to highlight students who demonstrate leadership and academic potential in their lives. Through a three-part assessment process, the Posse staff and individual college administrators select a group of ten students, or a Posse, for each institution. 

Craine said that applying for the Posse Scholarship was “the most fun process ever.” The process involved three levels of interviews, ranging from big group meetings to individual interviews. “I really enjoyed the process because you could only be yourself,” she said. “It was just on the spot thinking, and it was really fun because then you also get to meet a lot of like-minded people and work with everyone. I’m still friends with people I met in the first round.” 

When asked about advice she would give to potential applicants, Craine said that the most important thing is to be authentic. “That’s what this whole scholarship is about,” she said. “Showcase your true interests and how you work with other people, and that will shine through with whatever you want to accomplish.” 

“If your GPA is in the right realm for those universities, those partner universities, and you’re interested in the process, I would say go for it because they are both great networks,” said Miller. While a full tuition scholarship is nothing to ignore, there are other opportunities that come from being a part of these scholarship organizations. “It’s not only the scholarship, you become part of that network, which means professionally it could lead to internships,” said Miller. “[Posse and Questbridge] are both tremendously great networks to be a part of. So if you’re thinking about it and you’re willing to keep an open mind for the schools that you’re interested in, then go for it.”