QuestBridge scholar Alejandro Lopez earns full-ride to the University of Pennsylvania
By Rachel Levin, Staff Writer
Alejandro Lopez (’21) was the only student in SMMUSD to receive a QuestBridge scholarship when the results were released Dec. 1, awarding him a full ride to the University of Pennsylvania. The application and acceptance process not only made it possible for Lopez to attend his dream school, but it also gave him the opportunity to gather skills useful for college.
QuestBridge is a scholarship program available to low-income students across the country. This year, 6,885 out of 18,500 applicants were deemed finalists, and 1,464 were ultimately matched to a school, earning the full-ride scholarship. Although the application process is rigorous—the amount of writing is equivalent to a college application—the payoff is significant, covering tuition, room and board, supplies and any other expenses students may have going into their freshman year. QuestBridge requires applicants to rank their top schools and fully commit to that school if they receive both the scholarship and acceptance. Other scholarship programs have similar requirements, such as Posse, a scholarship program based on a series of interviews, which Lopez also applied and was deemed a finalist for. This means that once the application is submitted (the deadline for which was Sept. 26) applicants must immediately start applying to their chosen colleges.
“You have to assume the best. You have to assume that you’re gonna be a finalist. And if you’re a finalist, you have to submit college applications. The month of October, every student who applied to QuestBridge was working day and night,” Lopez said.
Lopez was also a finalist in Posse. The program, had he accepted the invitation to the final round of interviews, might have paid for his tuition to Tulane. Lopez denied the offer and committed to shooting for his dream school, the University of Pennsylvania, though he still acknowledges the experience he had with Posse.
“Those interviews with Posse built my confidence, they helped me adapt to different situations. So I thank Posse for that,” Lopez said.
The QuestBridge supplements, similar to actual college applications, include a personal statement, personal essays and letters of recommendation. In order to prepare for these extensive writing portions, Lopez worked tirelessly to improve his skills with his family and private tutors, Libby Udelson and Kelly Siegal.
“I’ve been really fortunate to have two amazing women who are, really, like my mentors. I honestly owe it to them too, my college acceptance,” Lopez said.
Although being a finalist does not guarantee acceptance into one’s chosen colleges, Lopez was still ecstatic to hear the news. He knew that without this scholarship, he might not have been able to afford college.
“That is what pushed me. The fact that my parents can’t pay for college, I needed to do something about that,” Lopez said.
In fact, Lopez recommends Posse and Questbridge, both of which he was a finalist of, to low-income students. The scholarships are based heavily on a students own merit, instead of grades or test scores.
“If there are students out there who worry about money, and how they’re gonna be able to pay for college, this is the perfect program for kids in those types of situations. If you have the ambition, and if you have the work ethic, then by all means,” Lopez said.
Beyond the full ride, QuestBridge also offered Lopez a community. After learning of his acceptance to UPenn, Lopez was put in a group chat with other students who also got accepted through the program; called the Questbridge Scholars Network, they will be meeting up for events during their first years at college. Lopez was thrilled to find these like-minded people.
“There’s a lot of similarities among us. And there’s obviously a lot of differences, since we all had different paths leading up to decision day, but honestly it's helped me a lot because these are the type of students I really understand, and who understand me,” Lopez said.
QuestBrigde has given Lopez, and many different teens across the country, a definite way to higher education. Although it was an emotional journey, Lopez would not have done it any different.
“October was a stressful month for me. Probably the most stressful month in my four years of high school. But I learned a lot, and where I am now, I couldn't ask for more,” Lopez said.
