Two Plant students received their acceptance from Harvard University this past Monday, Dec. 1–Hope Brillhart (12) and Diogo Florentino-Mattos (12). Their acceptances marked the end of months of writing, applications and anxiety as they awaited word on what their future would hold.
Both students were participants in QuestBridge’s National College Match, a program that partners with 55 colleges to provide full scholarships to America’s top colleges for high-achieving, low-income students. Brillhart also participated in Questbridge’s College Prep Scholars Program, which provides opportunities like fly-ins and summer programs, such as one at Stanford that Brillhart participated in.
With Questbridge, students rank up to 15 schools and hope to be “matched” with their top school. If the students match with multiple schools, the school they ranked highest is the one they receive binding admission to. Both Brillhart and Florentino-Mattos ranked Harvard first. They don’t receive any information on whether they matched with their other choices or how many Questbridge finalists matched with Harvard.
The day that students receive their match is called “match day.” Both students received their acceptances during the school day.
“It was during first period, and we just got the email and it just said, ‘The results are out,’ and then it had a link,” said Florentino-Mattos. “It didn’t have any excitement or anything. Then you have to log back in, so that was super frustrating…finally it logged in, and I was just like, ‘Oh my God, I got it,’ and it was just so cool.”
“I just really didn’t think it would be Harvard, honestly,” said Brillhart. “Like, I ranked other schools, and because it was Harvard’s first year in Questbridge, we didn’t have any idea how many people they were going to match. I was just really, really surprised, really happy.”
The lead-up to match day held many emotions: anxiety, hope and most of all, anticipation.
“Oh, I was terrified,” said Brillhart. “It’s really scary because you don’t [always know], especially with the kind of schools that are part of the Questbridge program. They’re all holistic admission schools, so there’s not an exact way to say, ‘Well, I have this score, and I’ve done this.’ You have essays and extracurriculars, because they look for things like personality, you have no idea how they judge that.”
“I kept thinking to myself while I was waiting for it, I just need to get into one… I did get an interview [for Harvard], and the person really did like me for the interview, but I didn’t want to get ahead of myself,” said Florentino-Mattos. “I never wanted to brag [about it] or think that it was sealed shut for real until I got it. So, I guess I was really anxious the whole time, but I just kept thinking, ‘I just need to get into one of the schools…’”
Being accepted into a top university, both students were incredibly competitive academically. Years of late nights, homework and stress marked their high school careers. They were asked one question: was it worth it?
“Definitely,” said Brillhart. “I mean, I think I’ve been looking forward to college for a long time, and I’ve definitely thought about it for a very long time. There wasn’t a lot that was accidental. I will say, I think that [college admissions are] getting a bit too stressful, and people are getting a little bit too focused on it. [Diogo and I] did the same thing, where we went into stuff that we wanted to do, and then from there, we tried our very best in those things because we knew that we wanted the achievements to get into these schools. But I think picking the activities that you do in the first place, that should come from you.”
“I think so,” said Florentino-Mattos. “I mean, I’m not going to complain about going to Harvard on a full ride. I’m never going to complain about that. I feel like it was worth it…I feel like it was. I still enjoyed high school very much. So, it’s not like I was just a bookworm for the whole year, didn’t have fun. No, I made a lot of friends, I made sure to speak up. I made sure to just be me still. I wasn’t like a computer, just locked in for that. So, I definitely think it was worth it, I was definitely still able to enjoy high school.”
Each concluded with a word of advice for anyone going through the college or Questbridge application process.
“Do your research early but try to still go after things that really are interesting to you,” said Brillhart. “Stop with the ‘chance me’ stuff. Stop asking AI if you’re gonna get in. Stop asking other people if you think you’re gonna get in. It’s not necessary to guess; try to do your very best at what you want to do, and hopefully that works out. Also, work on your writing. A lot of people don’t realize how important the essays are. Be prepared to write a lot and work on your writing. The essays are so much easier when you feel comfortable with yourself as a writer.”
“Just follow through with [Questbridge],” said Florentino-Mattos. “Everybody’s super nice. Everyone’s just trying to help you out. And then, just, you’ve come this far. This should be the part where they should be helping you out to get into the college you want. So, just trust them and do your best.”
Match day is just one day in a years-long process. Those shaking moments as each student opened their email started with a dream, one held before high school even began. It was nurtured by family support, extracurriculars, challenging classes and long nights writing essays.
Only with extreme dedication were these students able to continue their passion for learning. As Brillhart and Florentino-Mattos continue their academic journey in the quiet city of Cambridge, Massachusetts, the world will see the impact their commitment, passion and diligence have.