Q&A with QuestBridge Finalist: Aarya Patel
January 29, 2025 – Meet Aarya Patel, an exceptional East Hamilton High student who just landed a full scholarship at the University of Notre Dame! It wasn’t an easy journey, but her hard work and determination made it happen. Out of 25,500 applicants, Aarya and four other Hamilton County Schools students won one of the 2,627 QuestBridge scholarships, which cover tuition, housing, food, and other living expenses.
QuestBridge is a program that helps top students get full scholarships to great colleges. In 2024, 2,627 students earned scholarships through its 52 partner colleges. To qualify, students need excellent grades in tough classes, strong writing skills, and qualities like curiosity, resilience, and motivation.
Applications open in late July; after a few very rigorous rounds, QuestBridge selects top applicants as Finalists. Finalists then rank up to 15 colleges and are matched to the highest-ranked college that admits them, receiving the full scholarship covering tuition, housing, food, and other expenses. Applicants must complete individual applications, including 3-4 essays, for each of the 15 ranked colleges on their list.
Getting through this process and earning a match shows how smart and determined these students are. Aarya sat down to share her story, how she got here, and how she plans to make the most of this amazing opportunity.
I think the most important thing is that I really just want to have a place where I can have a really good education. I want to go somewhere where the education is very diverse and there's a lot of different professors in what I'm learning. That will help me learn something, not just tell me what to know. I think being able to explore these different curriculums, teachers, and topics will help me figure out who I am.
Q: Let’s start with your full name and the college you matched with.
Aarya: My name is Aarya Patel, and I matched to the University of Notre Dame.
Q: How did you feel when you found out you matched with that college? Was it in your top 5?
Aarya: “I was with my best friend, casually hanging out, when she told me I got an email that the application was out and my decision was made, and before I even opened it, I started crying because I was so nervous, and scared. Then I found out I was matched to Notre Dame, and I was just so happy that I had this opportunity and all the effort I put in led to something really great. I remember I was just crying, and I was so excited, and they were all really happy for me, too. It just made me cry more.
After finding out I texted my mom and sister first, I knew they were the first people I wanted to tell. Then I texted my teachers, who helped me along the way, and then my other friends.
Q: Was it in your top 5?
Aarya: Yes, It was in my top 3!
Q: Tell us a little bit about what made you apply to this specific college.
Aarya: Notre Dame has one of the best colleges for political science and global affairs which is what I want to major in. Their alumni program is great at connecting students with their future jobs or if they want to go to secondary school. I plan on going to law school, and so it’ll really help me, and they have a phenomenal law school,so it’s just going to set me up for success in the future. I also love their community there, because they’re always so close-knit, and if I’m going to be so far away from home, I’d like to have a little place that’s a home away from home, where I can grow and build connections with people. I’ve always seen their football games, and the culture is insane, they always rave about how fun it is. They’re also very big on dorm life. Everyone just builds a close relationship with each other when they’re in the dorms, and I just think it would be the best fit for me.
Q: How did you hear about QuestBridge?
Aarya: At my old work, two of my coworkers, who are twins, and they both matched to a college in QuestBridge. We were just talking about college, and they told me about the program and that’s how they were going to college for free. I thought it sounded like a long and hard process, but that there’s no harm in trying. So, I just started applying, did more research, and I was like, ‘I think I could do this.’
I was so thankful for them. They found out that I got in, and it was just a full-circle moment. It felt amazing. I was like, ‘This is all because of you guys.’
Q: What was the hardest part for you during the application process?
Aarya: I think the hardest part was, I just didn’t know what to say, because, I had to find out who I was and write it down in 300 words or less. I had to write about my passions and what I want in the future and what I’m looking for. So, I think just figuring that out about myself and getting to know myself on a much deeper level was the hardest part, because I would just stare at the screen for hours and be like, who am I? They ask what do you want to be when you grow up. I’m still figuring that out. I think just being honest with myself and learning who I am along the way was the hardest, but really fulfilling, too.
Q: Is there a moment in your application journey that stood out, like a specific essay or interview you did?
Aarya: One of the questions was if I could switch lives with a fictional character, who would it be? And I could not, for the life of me, think of anyone, because I love to read. I love reading, but I was just like, do I want to be any of those characters? I can’t be Katniss Everdeen and fight a whole war. That’s crazy. So, I was thinking who should I be? I was thinking of characters who always stood out to me and thought of Hermione Grainger. Because she’s so studious, she tries to be better every day, and she always sets herself up for success, and I think that’s who I’d like to be.
Q: What did you learn about yourself during the process?
Aarya: I think the most important thing is that I really just want to have a place where I can have a really good education. I want to go somewhere where the education is very diverse and there’s a lot of different professors in what I’m learning. That will help me learn something, not just tell me what to know. I think being able to explore these different curriculums, teachers, and topics will help me figure out who I am.
Q: What are you most excited about when heading to college?
Aarya: Studying abroad: Notre Dame has a really good program for studying abroad. Learning different cultures, especially if I want to go into global affairs, knowing different cultures, and how they interact with us, would just be the best option. I want to go to a place where I can be curious and just learn more. I think that’s what I’m just looking for in the next four years. Also, I think just going out and exploring all the sports.I think the football games are so exciting. And they have a lot of clubs, like debate club and mock trial. I think just a way to build a connection and, figure out who I am in these next four years is what I’m trying to do.
Q: If you could go back and give yourself advice as a freshman, what would you say?
Aarya: I would say probably you only live once. If you can do anything, just do it. You can do anything and everything possible. You never want to live with regrets. You should go out that Friday night, come home, and study for your test. I know I was adamant about wanting to have fun in life but also being stressed about all the school stuff I had to do. I think I just need to find a good way to balance everything I have to do and set my time management to where I can enjoy myself and do well in school.
Q: So there are students out there who might not think they have what it takes to apply to QuestBridge or get into one of these colleges. What advice would you give to them?
Aarya: I would say there’s nothing harmful in it. There’s no harm that can be done in just seeing if you can make it. You don’t know what you’re capable of. You never want to limit yourself. And I didn’t think I would make it this far. I was so scared that they wouldn’t accept me as a finalist and I wouldn’t have an opportunity to do this. But I found that I’m more than enough. You just have to believe in yourself and believe in what you can do because you know yourself very well. But sometimes we set limits on ourselves to where we think we can’t do anything. You can do anything you want.
Q: Is there a specific quote, mantra, or piece of advice that’s helped you motivate through tough times, like, generally, or during this application process?
Aarya: I think the quote, “This too shall pass,” has really been getting to me. Just because I know that pain is always temporary. This hard moment in your life will pass and you’re going to move on to a life that’s better; better for you, your mental health, and your physical well-being. And you’ll become a better person from it. You’ll learn a lot of new experiences from this and it’ll just help you grow.
For information and resources about QuestBridge, talk with your high school’s career counselor and go here: https://www.questbridge.org/
