QuestBridge

Princeton is committed to providing a top-quality education to students from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds. Since 2006, our partnership with QuestBridge allows us to reaffirm that mission and assist students who may have not previously considered Princeton as an option for an affordable education. In the time that we have been a QuestBridge partner, we have "matched" with hundreds of scholars. While this number is not static and can change from year to year, Princeton goes on to accept a larger number of QuestBridge finalists through regular decision. Your chances of being admitted to Princeton are not different depending on how you apply. We apply the same rigorous selection criteria in the National College Match process as we do in regular decision.

QuestBridge & Princeton University

The QuestBridge National College Match helps outstanding low-income high school seniors gain admission and full four-year scholarships to some of the nation's most selective colleges. For more information on the QuestBridge program or the National College Match, please visit the QuestBridge website.

The QuestBridge Process

Princeton has a binding decision for students matched with us through the National College Match. If you are matched to Princeton through the National College Match, you must withdraw all applications to other schools.
If you are matched to another binding institution through the National College Match, you must withdraw your application for consideration at Princeton. Applicants who ranked Princeton but do not match with Princeton or any other binding partner school will be considered for Regular Decision.
If you have ranked Princeton, we will automatically receive your National College Match application from QuestBridge in late October. We will send you follow-up instructions for accessing your Princeton Applicant Portal and submitting the rest of your application materials.
All materials are due by Nov. 1. You will find the additional required materials in order to complete your application below:
- Princeton-specific Questions
- Graded Written Paper
- QuestBridge Midyear Report and Midyear Transcript due by mid-February (this includes any available senior year grades)
- Test Scores (Please review updates to our standardized testing policy.)
  - Students may self-report their scores on their application. However, if admitted, we will need to receive official scores from a testing agency in order to matriculate.
- Financial Aid Documents
National College Match applicants will learn if they matched with an institution in early December. You will receive an email directly from QuestBridge. Students who match with Princeton will receive a follow-up email from the Office of Admission. We will not be able to release decisions by phone. Please communicate directly with QuestBridge to find out if you matched with a school.
For more information on the National College Match process, please visit the QuestBridge website.

QuestBridge finalists ranking colleges in the National College Match who did not rank Princeton are welcome to apply to Princeton via Regular Decision by Jan. 1, so long as they have not been matched with a binding institution.
Fill out the Regular Decision form provided by QuestBridge in order to have your QuestBridge application sent to us for review. After your QuestBridge application has been forwarded to Princeton University, you will receive follow-up instructions by email on how to log in to your Princeton Applicant Portal and submit the rest of your application materials.
All materials are due by Jan. 1. Additional required materials:
- Princeton-specific Questions
- Graded Written Paper
- QuestBridge Midyear Report and Midyear Transcript due by mid-February (this includes any available senior year grades)
- Test Scores (Please review updates to our standardized testing policy.)
- Students may self-report their scores on their application. However, if admitted, we will need to receive official scores from a testing agency or school official in order to matriculate.
For Financial Aid, submit all required materials by the appropriate deadline.

If you are not ranking any colleges in the National College Match (i.e., you are not participating in the National College Match), you may apply to Princeton via Single Choice Early Action by Nov. 1 or Regular Decision by Jan. 1.
For finalists considering applying via Single Choice Early Action, please email our office (uaoffice@princeton.edu) no later than Nov. 1 for next steps and include your QuestBridge ID.
For finalists considering applying via Regular Decision, please fill out the Regular Decision form provided by QuestBridge in order to have your QuestBridge application sent to us for review. After your QuestBridge Application has been forwarded to Princeton University, you will receive follow-up instructions by email on how to log in to your Princeton Applicant Portal and submit the rest of your application materials.
All materials are due by Nov. 1 for Single Choice Early Action or Jan. 1 for Regular Decision. Additional required materials:
- Princeton-specific Questions
- Graded Written Paper
- QuestBridge Midyear Report and Midyear Transcript due by mid-February (this includes any available senior year grades)
- Test Scores (Please review updates to our standardized testing policy.)
- Students may self-report their scores on their application. However, if admitted, we will need to receive official scores from a testing agency or school official in order to matriculate.
For Financial Aid, please submit all required materials by the appropriate deadline.

QuestBridge non finalists are asked to apply to Princeton using the Coalition or Common Application. For more information on the application process, please visit our How to Apply page.
For Financial Aid, please submit all required materials by the appropriate deadline.

Fee Waiver

All QuestBridge Finalists automatically qualify for a fee waiver. If you are not a QuestBridge Finalist and the cost of submitting an application is prohibitive, you should select the Princeton specific fee waiver on the Coalition or the Common Application. You may also consider applying for a fee waiver through the Coalition or Common Application with the help of a school official at your institution.

Financial Aid

During the National College Match, Princeton will only match with students whose parents or legal guardians have a family contribution of zero as determined by Princeton’s financial aid office. Students whose parents or legal guardians have a family contribution greater than zero will still be considered for admission to Princeton during regular decision and will still qualify for aid to meet their full demonstrated need, if admitted.

Contact Us

QuestBridge can be reached at 1-888-275-2054 or 1-650-331-3280, or via email at questions@questbridge.org.
Questions about the status of your QuestBridge application and the College Match process should be directed to QuestBridge.
Questions about Princeton and our admission process should be directed to the Office of Admission at 609-258-3060 or via email at uaquestbridge@princeton.edu.
Questions regarding financial aid can be directed to Undergraduate Financial Aid at 609-258-3330 or via email at pfaa@princeton.edu.
For additional information, please review our QuestBridge FAQs.

Digital Publications

» QuestBridge at Princeton

» QuestBridge at Princeton Roadmap

QuestBridge FAQs

Learn More

QuestBridge Stories

PODCAST: “‘Matched’ With Princeton: A Conversation With Two QuestBridge Scholars”

QuestBridge & Princeton University

The QuestBridge Process

Fee Waiver

Financial Aid

Contact Us

Digital Publications

» QuestBridge at Princeton

» QuestBridge at Princeton Roadmap

QuestBridge FAQs

QuestBridge Stories

PODCAST: “‘Matched’ With Princeton: A Conversation With Two QuestBridge Scholars”

BLOG: “An Open Letter to Our Future Quest Scholars"

BLOG: “Matching With Princeton”

BLOG: “Open Your Heart”

Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity

QuestBridge

QuestBridge & Princeton University

The QuestBridge Process

QuestBridge Finalists Ranking Princeton

QuestBridge Finalists Not Ranking Princeton

Questbridge Finalists Not Ranking Colleges in the National College Match

QuestBridge Non Finalists

Fee Waiver

Financial Aid

Contact Us

Digital Publications

» QuestBridge at Princeton

» QuestBridge at Princeton Roadmap

QuestBridge FAQs

QuestBridge Stories

PODCAST: “‘Matched’ With Princeton: A Conversation With Two QuestBridge Scholars”

BLOG: “An Open Letter to Our Future Quest Scholars"

BLOG: “Matching With Princeton”

BLOG: “Open Your Heart”

Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity