Thank you for your interest in Matriculate! Matriculate is a national college advising program that provides free, virtual, one-on-one college application support for students from low-income backgrounds – including essay help, FAFSA and CSS Profile support, scholarship application help, and more. Our goal is to help students apply to and ultimately enroll at their best-fit college. Learn more about our impact.
Below are answers to the most common questions about our free college advising program – including eligibility, the application process, near-peer advising, and how our Advising Fellows support you. If you have other questions that aren’t answered here, please reach out to us at students@matriculate.org.
Yes! Matriculate is no cost to students – our advising is 100% free. Matriculate is a national nonprofit (we receive funding from donors) with the mission of supporting eligible students through the college and financial aid process to finally enroll at a college that is the best fit financially, academically, and socially.
Virtual college advising from Matriculate means you’ll receive personalized one-on-one support from a well-trained near-peer college advisor using the technology you use every day, including text, FaceTime, Zoom, email, and phone.
You will work with your Advising Fellow on every piece of the college application process (including writing your essays, finding and applying to scholarships, researching and applying to colleges, completing your financial aid, and more)!
Because your Advising Fellow is “virtual,” you can connect with them from wherever you are. Learn more about our online advising program.
Students are eligible for Matriculate if they meet all of the following:
In addition, students must meet one of the following:
If you have any questions about eligibility, please email us at students@matriculate.org – or simply apply (it only takes 10 minutes.) We’ll be in touch within a month! Check the Become a High School Fellow page for updates and eligibility info.
Applying is easy! It only takes about 10 minutes to apply (no essays or recommendations needed).
Before you apply, have these ready:
Matriculate Application Timeline: The application generally opens in February of your junior year and closes when the class is filled (typically late spring). Complete our Student Interest Form and get early access to our application when it opens for your class. Check the Become a High School Fellow page for updates and eligibility info.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis, so we recommend applying early. Applicants typically hear back within a month of applying; the timeline may vary based on demand and time of year.
Not to worry, we have a Test-Optional pathway! Simply submit your application and, if applicable, the Test-Optional questions will appear and ask you about the courses you’re taking this year and throughout high school.
If your GPA is close to 3.5, we recommend that you apply! If your application is rejected, students who apply early will be offered the opportunity to send in updated grades to appeal their application decision.
Yes! We only require that students attend high school within the United States (no citizenship required).
Students are only eligible if they attend high school within the United States (no citizenship required).
The application opens in February of your junior year. If you want to make sure you get early access to the application and a reminder to apply, complete the Student Interest Form today!
Matriculate is a national college advising program that works with students from all 50 states.
High School Fellows (HSFs) work with their Advising Fellows (AFs) from the moment they are paired in the spring of junior year until college enrollment.
Matriculate Advising Fellows (AFs) are a lot like you! They are current college students from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences who attend high-graduation-rate colleges across the country.
These mentors not only have first-hand experience applying to and getting into college, but also receive extensive training in near-peer advising. They can give you accurate information about getting into the college that’s the best fit for you. Learn more about our virtual college advisors.
High School Fellows are paired with their Advising Fellows using a predetermined list of intentional pairing criteria.
We match students with advisors who are prepared to support you through any college application process—including specialized programs like QuestBridge—even if they didn’t participate in those programs themselves. Every advisor is equipped with the tools, training, and guidance to help you navigate your applications with confidence.
After acceptance, pairing happens on a rolling basis, and students usually meet their Advising Fellow within a month of completing their onboarding paperwork; the timeline may vary based on demand and time of year.
Students are required to meet with their Advising Fellow at least once a month via phone or video call. Many High School Fellow and Advising Fellow pairs decide to meet more frequently, and are required to be in touch every week to maintain regular and consistent communication – especially during the busy seasons.
Our Advising Fellows are trained to support you with all aspects of the college and financial aid application process, including:
Matriculate Advising Fellows are prepared to answer any college application question that is important to you.
In addition to working with an Advising Fellow, there is a full team and bank of resources at your disposal – including, but not limited to:
Definitely. Picking a college is just one step on the path toward college. Advising Fellows can help you with your college essay, the Common App, FAFSA and CSS Profile, scholarship applications, and enrollment. Advising Fellows can also introduce you to other similar colleges you may want to check out.
Yes – and you’re not alone! The college application and financial aid processes can be challenging to navigate. Our near-peer mentors are trained and ready to help you with every step of the process, including time and task management, sharing new opportunities with you, and more!
Yes – in fact many of our Advising Fellows are QuestBridge students! All Advising Fellows are trained and ready to support you in navigating and applying to all financial aid (including FAFSA help, CSS support, private scholarships, institutional aid, and more).
No – while we think highly of our college partners and have students who apply and attend these schools, we encourage our High School Fellows to build a list of schools that is the best fit for them, academically, financially and socially. In other words, we want our students to go to colleges where they will have the best chance of succeeding, enjoying, and graduating. Your Advising Fellow will work with you to build a personalized college list.
Our college partners do provide additional support for our students, including exclusive webinars and info sessions, which is just an added perk! Learn more about our partners.
Absolutely – Matriculate is a great complement to the advising you receive at school! Our Advising Fellows provide you with that extra one-to-one support to supplement the resources you’re getting at school. Your school counselor can give you guidance and tasks that you can then take home to work on with your Advising Fellow in-depth. This way, you are making the most of your time together.
Note: During the application process, we prioritize students who are not part of similar college advising programs (like LEDA, ScholarMatch, College Essay Guy Matchlighter Scholars, etc.).
Great – you can contact us at students@matriculate.org to answer any other questions you might have about our program, eligibility, etc. We usually reply within 1–2 business days.
Learn more about how to share Matriculate’s resources within your community.
Are you a high school student looking for free college application help? Fill out our Student Interest Form and get notified when our program for your class opens!