2 SIS seniors awarded full scholarships via QuestBridge

Out of 23 seniors at Saipan International School, two of the school’s students successfully made it to the 2023 QuestBridge National College Match, which means they get full four-year scholarships to two of the nation’s best colleges. Stephanie Kim was matched at Wesleyan University and Lisha Lai was matched at Boston College

The Match Scholarship is made up of a generous financial aid package provided by the college that covers the full cost of attendance, including tuition, housing and food, books and supplies, and travel expenses. The Match Scholarship is offered without loans or a parental contribution.

“It still feels surreal to know that I got matched to Boston College with a QuestBridge Scholarship,” said Lai. “Becoming a finalist was already exciting enough, but being able to attend Boston College, a top-tier college that I love, is even more incredible.”

Lai said it has always been her desire to go to Boston College since her junior year, “and now, I am beyond grateful and excited to be spending the next four years of my life at Boston College with a full ride.”

She said this signifies a brand new stage in her life and a significant step toward achieving her academic goals.

“I have never felt happier, and witnessing the happiness on my parents’ faces fills me with joy. I am deeply honored and grateful that all the hard work I put into my high school years and throughout the application process has been recognized. QuestBridge has truly helped me fulfill my dream,” Lai added.

Kim recounts that, as she clicked the status update button to check on her application, seeing that she successfully made it felt like “the weight on my shoulders were instantly lifted, and I could finally let out a sigh. That moment still feels like a dream, and I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to pursue my dream career without burdening my parents. The pain of putting in the hard work now feels deeply satisfying, and I can’t wait to share this gratitude with the community at Wesleyan University.”

This is the fifth year in a row that SIS has had students match with QuestBridge. Starting in 2020, SIS Geckos have matched with Emory, Princeton and Wesleyan.

“In the past five years, we have had a Questbridge match every year but this is the first time we have ever had two matches,” said SIS headmaster Dr. Ron Snyder. “We are all very proud of Stephanie and Lisha. They are top-notch students and they has been recognized by two top-tier schools. These two scholarships will add up to over three-quarters of a million dollars for these two wonderful students.”

The QuestBridge National College Match is a program that connects high-achieving high school seniors from low-income backgrounds with full four-year scholarships to 50 of the nation’s best colleges.

This year, out of over 20,800 applicants, QuestBridge selected 6,683 Finalists to be considered for the QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship (Match Scholarship). This year, QuestBridge’s 50 college partners matched with 2,242 Finalists, who are recognized as Match Scholarship Recipients. This is the highest number of Match Scholarship Recipients to date for QuestBridge, according to a QuestBridge news release.

“We are thrilled to welcome this historic number of QuestBridge Scholars,” said Ana Rowena Mallari, co-founder and CEO of QuestBridge. “These scholars will bring a depth of thought and range of experiences to our college partner campuses that will surely enrich their new communities.”

Match Scholarship recipients are admitted early to QuestBridge college partners with full four-year scholarships provided by the colleges and universities, ensuring for these students and their families that an education at a top college is affordable. QuestBridge’s partners include top colleges and universities such as Princeton, Brown, Claremont McKenna, Bowdoin, Columbia, Emory, MIT, Northwestern, Boston College, Swarthmore, Vanderbilt, Wesleyan, and Williams.

This year’s Match Scholarship recipients come from 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as the territories of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

These outstanding high school seniors have an average unweighted GPA of 3.94, and 93% are in the top 10% of their graduating class. Around 92% come from a household with an annual income under $65,000, and 87% qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. The majority of this year’s Match Scholarship recipients—82%—are among the first generation in their families to attend a four-year college in the United States. (PR)