Five Sioux Falls School District seniors were recently announced as QuestBridge Finalists, some of the only 2,242 throughout the country to achieve this honor in 2023. These high-achieving students were paired with a post-secondary institution to receive full, four-year scholarships to that college or university due to their outstanding academic careers.
From Washington High School: Sage Clark, who will be attending Boston University; & Christion Nefler, who will be attending Boston College.
From Lincoln High School: Shalom Kato, who will be attending the University of Chicago; & Avery Baumgartner, who will be attending Colby College in Maine.
From Jefferson High School: Angeth Mayen, who will be attending the University of Chicago.
We congratulate these students on this tremendous honor, and wish them the very best in their continued academic careers. More information about this year's winners and QuestBridge:
QuestBridge is proud to announce the results of the 2023 QuestBridge National College Match, a program that connects high-achieving high school seniors from low-income backgrounds with full four-year scholarships to 50 of the nation’s best colleges. Out of over 20,800 applicants, QuestBridge selected 6,683 Finalists to be considered for the QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship (Match Scholarship). This year, QuestBridge’s 50 college partners matched with 2,242 Finalists, who are recognized as Match Scholarship Recipients. This is the highest number of Match Scholarship Recipients to date for QuestBridge.
“We are thrilled to welcome this historic number of QuestBridge Scholars,” said Ana Rowena Mallari, Co-Founder and CEO of QuestBridge. “These Scholars will bring a depth of thought and range of experiences to our college partner campuses that will surely enrich their new communities.”
Match Scholarship Recipients are admitted early to QuestBridge college partners with full four-year scholarships provided by the colleges and universities, ensuring for these students and their families that an education at a top college is affordable. QuestBridge’s partners include top colleges and universities such as Brown, Claremont McKenna, Columbia, MIT, Northwestern, Swarthmore, Vanderbilt, and Williams. The Match Scholarship is made up of a generous financial aid package provided by the college that covers the full cost of attendance, including tuition, housing and food, books and supplies, and travel expenses. The Match Scholarship does not include loans or a parental contribution.
This year’s Match Scholarship Recipients come from 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as the territories of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
These outstanding high school seniors have an average unweighted GPA of 3.94, and 93% are in the top 10% of their graduating class. Around 92% come from a household with an annual income under $65,000, and 87% qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. The majority of this year’s Match Scholarship Recipients — 82% — are among the first generation in their families to attend a four-year college in the United States.
Since 2003, the QuestBridge National College Match has successfully connected over 14,500 students with full scholarships at college partners. These 2023 Match Scholarship Recipients become the first QuestBridge Scholars for the Class of 2028. Based on an estimate of prior years, 40% of non-matched Finalists were admitted to at least one college partner through QuestBridge Regular Decision or other admissions rounds.
All Finalists who ultimately matriculate to QuestBridge college partners join the QuestBridge Scholars Network, which connects students to a community of like-minded peers. QuestBridge also provides enriching programs for its Alumni, including the opportunity to apply for full-tuition scholarships to top business schools through the Graduate School Match: MBA. The QuestBridge Scholars Network and Alumni Association now include over 25,000 current college students and graduates worldwide.
About QuestBridge:
QuestBridge is a national nonprofit that connects high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds with leading institutions of higher education and further life opportunities. By recruiting, developing, and motivating these students — beginning in high school through college to their early career — QuestBridge aims to help talented students attend the nation’s best colleges and to support them to achieve success in their respective careers and communities.