Celebrating 10 Years of QuestBridge Since 2010, the university has enrolled 326 students through QuestBridge’s match program, helping high-achieving, low-income students access higher education.

By Kelsey Goodwin
December 11, 2024

“These students are the vanguard of the entering class as our first wave of admitted students, and it is so gratifying to get to know them throughout the application process.”

~ John Wolfgang, assistant director of admissions

Dec. 2 marked an important date amid a busy holiday season for many prospective students and their families: It is the day that college matches through the QuestBridge program, a national program connecting high-achieving, low-income students with the opportunity to attend prestigious colleges and universities around the country, are announced to QuestBridge applicants.

John Wolfgang, assistant director of admissions, serves as the liaison for QuestBridge applicants as they navigate the admissions process with Washington and Lee, and said he is excited once again to welcome a new cohort of QuestBridge students onto campus.

“These students are the vanguard of the entering class as our first wave of admitted students, and it is so gratifying to get to know them throughout the application process,” Wolfgang said.

2024 also marks a significant milestone for Washington and Lee’s partnership with QuestBridge — the university recently graduated its 10th class of QuestBridge scholars. Since 2010, the university has enrolled 326 students through QuestBridge’s match program. QuestBridge has partnerships with more than 50 colleges, including Ivy League schools, top liberal arts colleges and other elite institutions. Students applying through QuestBridge typically demonstrate strong academic performance through their GPA, rigorous coursework in high school and strong test scores, as well as the qualities of leadership, resilience and a drive to succeed despite challenging circumstances. The application process focuses on a holistic review, highlighting students’ unique stories and challenges.

Eligible students can apply to partner colleges for free, bypassing application fees. Students can rank up to 15 QuestBridge partner schools in order of preference. Ranking is binding for those matched with a college (similar to early decision), meaning students commit to attending the matched school. If matched, students receive a full four-year scholarship covering tuition, fees, room and board (W&L’s number of matched students has increased to 24 from 20 during the last several admissions cycles). Students who are not matched or who choose not to rank colleges can still apply through QuestBridge’s Regular Decision process. This option is non-binding, and students may apply to as many partner colleges as they wish.

W&L’s partnership with QuestBridge aligns with its need-blind admission policy and its pledge to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need. Although the university’s Johnson Scholarship Program and other institutional grants complement the support offered through QuestBridge, students may still benefit from additional need-based aid. The additional financial aid infrastructure helps create a holistic support system for students and enhances W&L’s ability to recruit and support talented students from all backgrounds.

Hân Huynh ’25, a sociology and anthropology and computer science double major from Kirkland, Washington, said she is immensely grateful for the warm welcome she received at her first QuestBridge chapter meeting.

“I will always remember the first QB meeting I went to — listening to the upperclassmen banter with one another and getting to bring home a little memento: a cactus plant,” Huynh said. “As it sat on my windowsill in Graham Lees, it would come to remind me of how resilient and strong Questies are. I am so immensely proud of the wonderful students that I get to call my peers and what they add to our campus.”

Huynh said QuestBridge students greatly appreciated the opportunity to connect with QuestBridge alumni during the QuestBridge 10th anniversary reunion hosted during this fall’s Young Alumni Weekend, which featured a panel of current students and alumni sharing their impactful experiences on campus and post-graduation. This fall, W&L’s QuestBridge chapter also offered a programming series focusing on wellness that included a financial literacy event with the Financial Aid Office (financial), an off-campus housing information session and a bullet journaling event with the Office of Inclusion and Engagement.

Huynh said the primary goal of W&L’s chapter is to provide a support system for QuestBridge students throughout their four years at the university.

“As a bridge between the national organization and students on campus, we provide information about special leadership, professional development and internship opportunities,” Huynh said.

Elizabeth Mugo ’19, who attended the QuestBridge anniversary reunion, said a QuestBridge summer program as a prospective student that connected her with W&L admissions staff sparked her interest in W&L’s close-knit and supportive community. Mugo said that her sense of community was further strengthened when she got to know other QuestBridge students.

“One of the things I enjoyed most about QuestBridge as a student was attending QuestBridge events and getting to know other students with shared experiences,” Mugo said, “which made me feel more connected to the campus as a whole.” Mugo, who served as Executive Committee president, is currently a member of the Shepherd Program Advisory Board and a Master of Public Policy candidate and Rackham Merit Fellow at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.

Abdurrafey Khan ’17 has remained actively involved with the QuestBridge community after graduating from W&L, serving on one of the organization’s alumni boards and attending its annual conference while obtaining his master’s degree in digital humanities at Loyola University Chicago. He said this has allowed him to maintain connections with other QuestBridge scholars and continue benefiting from the network and community the program provides. Now a digital systems and support specialist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Khan said his QuestBridge experience at W&L has had a lasting impact on his personal and professional development well beyond his time on campus.

“So many aspects of my life would be so different without QuestBridge,” Khan said. “The opportunities that I had access to at a school like W&L are so different from what I would have had elsewhere, and even after graduation, I continued to find leadership opportunities and forge valuable personal relationships through my connection with QuestBridge.”

Isabel Duarte ’26, a music and biology double major from Washington, D.C., advises prospective QuestBridge students to leverage the support of their QuestBridge cohort as they embark on their application process.

“Faculty and other QuestBridge students here are a great resource for learning more about W&L, so don’t hesitate to reach out and introduce yourself,” Duarte said.