On Monday, high schoolers across the United States who received the QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship learned which universities they matched with and will attend starting next year. Those matched with Princeton are the first admitted members of the Class of 2030.
Through the National College Match, finalists rank up to 15 partner schools, and if a school selects them, they receive a guaranteed full four-year financial aid package. Princeton has been a partner university of QuestBridge since 2006.
The Class of 2030 will be the penultimate class admitted to the University under its test-optional admissions policy. The University recently announced that it will require undergraduate applicants to submit SAT or ACT test scores beginning with the 2027–28 admission cycle.
Though neither the University nor QuestBridge has released data on how many students were matched with Princeton this year, QuestBridge reported that out of 7,026 finalists, 2,550 high school seniors matched with 55 partner universities.
“We do not have a set number of students we plan to match with and much of the process depends on the applicant pool itself,” University spokesperson Jennifer Morrill wrote in a statement to The Daily Princetonian.
“QuestBridge students who match with Princeton and QuestBridge students admitted in Regular Decision receive the same consideration for financial aid thanks to Princeton’s generous need-based financial aid program,” she added.
2021 was the last year that Princeton released the exact number of QuestBridge scholarship recipients it accepted. That application cycle, 110 high school seniors matched with the University.
Princeton will release single-choice early action decisions in mid-December, with regular decision applications due Jan. 1.
Several Princeton Class of 2030 QuestBridge matches shared their reactions to their acceptances and insights about the application process.
Krrish Pahilwani ’30 recalled the moment he opened the link and saw the confetti appear.
“All my friends just started yelling and screaming,” Pahilwani said. “I ran up to my counselor and hugged him. I went up to my AP Gov teacher and shook his hand because he wrote my letter of rec.”
“I got the YouTube video ‘Welcome to Princeton, congrats to 2030 [and] my math teacher kind of got mad at me because I was obsessed with playing it in class,” he continued.
Alex Perez ’30 from Union City, N.J. received his notifying email at 9 a.m. like everyone else, earlier than he had expected.
“I could not wait and decided to open it with my favorite teacher,” Perez wrote to the ‘Prince.’ “I was ecstatic, Princeton was my dream school, and I ranked it first in my match list. I had very high hopes I would match with Princeton, but looking at the results I felt blessed and happier than I could’ve predicted.”
For Sofia Lepore ’30 from Staten Island, N.Y., the moment unfolded at home. Lepore ranked Princeton as her number one choice due to its strong community service focus and mission alignment. Before receiving the match results, “[I] felt like Princeton was the place [I] really wanted but didn’t know if they wanted me,” she said.
“My mom started recording, and I opened it, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I matched,’ and I read it, and I matched, and I was like ‘Princeton!’ and I started crying,” Lepore said.
Sriharsh Burra ’30 from Jersey City, N.J. detailed a different experience: “I put Princeton fourth, but in all honesty, when I was reviewing my list, I thought Princeton was the last place that I would match.”
During his notification opening, he was with someone else in class who had also applied to QuestBridge. After he opened his successful decision, he shared that his friend also matched with Princeton.
“By the time I left that class, people in the hallway were already congratulating me,” Burra told the ‘Prince.’
Many students described the long preparation for the scholarship application.
Robyn Asbell ’30 from Covington, Ga., traced her involvement back to the College Prep Scholars program. “The entirety of this summer, I was going to all of these virtual events, meeting up with people in Facebook groups and [on] Discord,” she said.
Oliver White ’30 from Edmund, Okla., described the experience as “a dream.” White, who ranked Princeton second, found out about QuestBridge through a friend who didn’t match in 2025. He then signed up for the newsletter and submitted the initial application.
“When I realized I had actually made it [as a finalist], I was so shocked,” White wrote. “I didn’t completely realize what I was getting into. First, I took harder classes my senior year. Then, I signed up for a free essay session from [QuestBridge] and started working on my college essay in July.”
The matched students emphasized their gratitude and excitement for various aspects of Princeton.
“Coming from a low-income background, I’m so grateful to have this opportunity especially because my dad is disabled and my mom works part-time as a dog groomer. I’m [a first generation college student], and I’m going to Princeton. That’s insane,” Lepore said.
“I’m excited to study in Princeton’s gorgeous library and take jogs around the campus, but I most of all want to meet new people with similar interests and meet the people I’ll spend the rest of my life with,” White wrote.
Asbell noted how members on both sides of her family never got to finish high school. “[It] feel[s] like a win not only for me, but also for my family,” she said of her match.
In 2025, QuestBridge notably added Harvard as a new partner, a decision likely made by the university following the 2023 Supreme Court’s ruling to strike down affirmative action. Harvard became the final Ivy League institution to join QuestBridge’s program.
Hayk Yengibaryan is a head News editor, senior Sports writer, and education director for the ‘Prince.’ He is from Glendale, Calif. and typically covers breaking news and profiles. He can be reached at hy5161[at]princeton.edu.
Isaac Bernstein is a staff News writer for the ‘Prince.’ He is from Pittsburgh, Penn., and typically covers academic department happenings, faculty and graduate student research, and alumni news. He can be reached at ib4473[at]princeton.edu.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
Read More
Princeton Athletics raises a record $6.67 Million during annual Give Day
Hayk YengibaryanThe primary goal of Tiger Athletic Give Day is to support the school’s 38 varsity programs.
The primary goal of Tiger Athletic Give Day is to support the school’s 38 varsity programs.
‘How can we look and not see?’ Morven Museum reckons with history of slavery in New Jersey
Rebecca DeanOn Nov. 6, Morven Museum and Gardens (Morven) opened an exhibit called “Northern Families, Southern Ties.” This exhibit investigates the prevalence of slavery in Princeton, particularly at Morven, reflecting Morven’s newfound commitment to telling more diverse stories.
On Nov. 6, Morven Museum and Gardens (Morven) opened an exhibit called “Northern Families, Southern Ties.” This exhibit investigates the prevalence of slavery in Princeton, particularly at Morven, reflecting Morven’s newfound commitment to telling more diverse stories.
Women’s Basketball secures close victory over Seton Hall after late rally, 82–78
Alex Beverton-SmithThe Tigers shot 46% from the field on their way to a victory over Seton Hall despite being behind for most of the game.
The Tigers shot 46% from the field on their way to a victory over Seton Hall despite being behind for most of the game.