The nonprofit group QuestBridge has launched its 2010 College Prep Scholarship, and applications are due March 29.
The scholarship is designed to level the playing field of college admissions by equipping high-achieving, low-income students with the knowledge necessary to compete for admission to the nation's most selective colleges.
If you are a high school junior who has achieved academic excellence in the face of economic challenges, complete the College Prep Scholarship application at www.questbridge.org .
Selected students will receive one or more of the following awards:
Full scholarships to college summer programs: 10 students will receive scholarships to summer school programs at Emory, Harvard, Notre Dame, Penn, Stanford, or Yale. The scholarships will cover the full cost of travel, tuition, and room & board.
Individualized college admissions counseling: 40 students will each be paired with an experienced counselor from QuestBridge's staff and will receive personalized admissions advice via phone and e-mail throughout the college application process.
College Admissions Conference invitations: 1,000 students will be invited to QuestBridge conferences at Stanford or Yale. Participants will attend workshops on how low-income students can successfully apply to leading colleges. They also will meet college admissions officers and learn more about the opportunities that QuestBridge offers.
All-expense-paid campus visits: 100 students will have their travel expenses and room & board covered by a QuestBridge partner college to visit their campus.
Tele-mentoring with college students: 100 students will each be paired with an Amherst College student who will provide advice about the college admissions process.
QuestBridge also offers Quest for Excellence Awards as part of the College Prep Scholarship program. Awardees will each receive a new laptop computer, and either a full scholarship to a college summer program or career mentoring opportunities. Please visit www.questbridge.org  for details.
The College Prep Scholarship also prepares students to be successful applicants to the QuestBridge National College Match program in the fall of their senior year. The National College Match pairs outstanding low-income high school seniors with admission and full scholarships to our partner colleges. Last year, more than 1,000 students who applied through QuestBridge gained admission to these colleges with generous financial aid.
QuestBridge partner colleges include Amherst College, Bowdoin College, Brown University, Caltech, Columbia University, Emory University, Haverford College, MIT, Northwestern University, Oberlin College, Parsons The New School for Design, Pomona College, Princeton University, Rice University, Scripps College, Stanford University, Swarthmore College, Trinity College, the University of Chicago, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Pennsylvania, Vassar College, Washington and Lee University, Wellesley College, Wesleyan University, Williams College, and Yale University.