# QuestBridge

**Source**: https://admission.stanford.edu/apply/questbridge/index.html
**Parent**: https://admission.stanford.edu/apply/first-year/index.html

## We are a dedicated College Partner

Stanford is committed to providing access and opportunity for high achieving, low-income students. Since 2006, we have been a dedicated QuestBridge partner. We are proud of the many outstanding QuestBridge Finalists and College Prep Scholars who are current Stanford students and those who are now Stanford alumni.

### How to Apply

Learn about application requirements and the National College Match on Stanford’s [QuestBridge College Partner page](https://www.questbridge.org/college-partners/stanford-university/application_requirements) .

### Stanford Supplement to the QuestBridge Application

In the supplement, we ask several short questions (limit 50 words each), and the same three short essays that we ask in our Common Application supplement. There is a 100-word minimum and a 250-word maximum for each essay.

1. The Stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning.
2. Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate—and us—get to know you better.
3. Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests and character would help you make a distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to Stanford University.

### Frequently Asked Questions

Show All
Hide All

#### [If I participate in QuestBridge, do I need to apply for financial aid from Stanford?](#1)

Yes; all applicants to Stanford, including those participating in the National College Match, must submit financial aid application documents to Stanford in order to receive a financial aid notification.

If you ranked Stanford in the Match, please submit the CSS Profile and federal tax forms by November 1. Please complete the FAFSA as soon as it is available and submit it no later than February 15. Visit Stanford’s [National College Match Scholarship Package page](https://www.questbridge.org/college-partners/stanford-university/financial_aid) and Stanford’s [QuestBridge College Partner page](https://www.questbridge.org/college-partners/stanford-university/application_requirements) for more information.

#### [I submitted a QuestBridge Application to Stanford. Can I also submit a Common Application?](#2)

No; If you submitted a QuestBridge Application to Stanford through the National College Match or QuestBridge Regular Decision, we will not review a Common Application. Your QuestBridge application is your Stanford application. In your QuestBridge supplement, you will be able to answer the same three short essays that we ask in our Common Application supplement.

#### [How can I add new information to my application or make a correction? Can I submit new essays or supplementary materials?](#2a)

To add new information, such as an award, to your submitted application, please log in to your [Stanford portal](https://apply.stanford.edu/apply/status)  and complete the Update Application Form. If you forgot to enter something or discover an error in your application, you can use the same form to explain the correction.

We do not accept updated or new essays and do not add supplementary materials like writing samples, research papers, or other special work to your application file.

#### [I am a QuestBridge Finalist, but I am not participating in the Match. Can I apply to Stanford under Restrictive Early Action?](#3)

Yes; however, you must submit a Common Application. Your application fee will be waived when you select the “QuestBridge Finalist” option in the Stanford fee waiver section.

#### [Do I select “Early Action” or “Regular Decision” on the CSS profile?](#3a)

You can select “Regular Decision” on the CSS profile. If you have already selected “Early Action”, that is fine, and you do not need to correct it.

### National College Match

#### [Is Stanford’s Match binding?](#5)

Yes; Stanford’s Match is binding. If you are matched with Stanford, congratulations and welcome! We look forward to having you join our community. As a reminder, under QuestBridge guidelines, Finalists who match to a binding institution through the National College Match are to withdraw their applications from other colleges and universities.

#### [Does Stanford have a maximum number of students they accept through the Match?](#6)

No; the Match is a partnership to provide access and opportunity for high achieving, low-income students. Stanford reviews applications holistically and works to create a strong cohort of Match Finalists who bring a variety of perspectives, interests, and ways of viewing the world. In previous years we have matched anywhere between 70-125 students, the number of matches can vary each year. Stanford’s partnership with QuestBridge is more than just the Match. Many outstanding QuestBridge Finalists and non-Finalists are admitted in Regular Decision.

#### [Will Stanford consider Finalists for the Match if their Parent Contribution (PC) is above $0?](#7)

Stanford's financial aid is need-based; therefore, we are focusing our Match efforts on students whose families are determined to have a Parent Contribution (PC) of $0.

However, Stanford is committed to meeting the full demonstrated need of all admitted students seeking financial aid, including those who apply through Restrictive Early Action or Regular Decision. You can estimate your financial aid using Stanford’s [Net Price Calculator](https://financialaid.stanford.edu/undergrad/how/calculator/index.html?tab=net-price-calculator) .

#### [Can I rank Stanford in the Match and apply to other schools through their early action or early decision rounds?](#8)

No; similarly, you cannot apply to Stanford under Restrictive Early Action and at the same time apply to other colleges through the Match. Please see QuestBridge's [Early Application Policy](https://www.questbridge.org/high-school-students/national-college-match/early-application-policy) .

#### [Can I submit an Arts Portfolio if I am applying to Stanford through the Match?](#9)

No; the Match timeline does not align with the Arts Portfolio review process.

#### [If I participate in the National College Match will I have the opportunity to participate in an optional alumni interview?](#10)

No; the Match timeline does not align with the Alumni Interview schedule.

Stanford admission interviews are optional, assigned randomly according to local alumni availability and can be declined without negatively affecting the application. Finalists who rank Stanford but do not match to a binding college will automatically be considered in Regular Decision and may be offered an interview at that time.

#### [Can I submit an additional letter of recommendation in addition to the letter(s) included in the QuestBridge application?](#11)

It is not a requirement or an expectation that students will submit additional letter(s) of recommendation in addition to the two letters we receive with your QuestBridge application.

If you would like to send an additional letter from a school official please have them email it directly as an email attachment to [credentials@stanford.edu](mailto:credentials@stanford.edu)

Ask your school official to include your full legal name, date of birth, school name, and type of recommendation on all correspondence with the admission office. Please visit our [Transcript, School Report and Recommendations](https://admission.stanford.edu/apply/first-year/forms.html) page for additional information.

#### [I am an undocumented/DACA student. Can I apply to Stanford through the Match?](#12)

Yes; Stanford welcomes applications from undocumented/DACA students through the National College Match. Visit our [How Aid Works](https://financialaid.stanford.edu/undergrad/how/undocumented.html)  page for undocumented applicants.

#### [I am an international citizen studying in the U.S. with a visa. Can I apply to Stanford through the Match?](#13)

No; Stanford does not review applications from international citizens through the National College Match. We encourage international citizens to apply to Stanford through QuestBridge Regular Decision.

### Withdrawing Your Application

#### [How do I withdraw my application from consideration?](#14)

To remove Stanford from your rankings for the Match, log in to your QuestBridge Manage page to submit a revised rankings form by November 1. After the Match, if you would like to withdraw your application from consideration in Regular Decision, log in to your Stanford portal and submit the "Withdraw Application" form.

Updated on October 1, 2025 1:33 PM