Application Preview
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Welcome to the Thrive Scholars Application!
Applying to Thrive Scholars is a great first step towards securing a bright future for yourself and your family! Here are a few tips to help you submit your best application.
- Bookmark this link. You will be working on your application in stages, and bookmarking the link will make it easy for you to start, stop, and then pick up right where you left off.
- Download our Application Toolkit. This guide is full of tips and useful information to help you complete your application correctly.
- Sign up for our Application Overview Info Session. This session reviews each section of the application and answers the most common questions that students have. You can also watch an OnDemand recording here.
- Give yourself plenty of time. The application requires gathering supporting documentation, a 650 word essay, several short answers, and finding recommenders. All of this takes time and coordination with parents, counselors and teachers. For this reason, we recommend giving yourself a minimum of 2 weeks to complete the application.
- Talk to your parent(s)/guardian(s) right away. The application asks for information about both of your parent/guardian's total annual income and other assets. (even if they live separately) They will be asked to provide 2025 tax documentation so that we can verify all income and assets.
- Begin your essay as soon as possible. Even just choosing which essay prompt to write about can take time, so jump to that section and begin to think about what story you'd like to tell. Try doing a brainstorming session with some friends! Once you have your idea, you can begin an outline and then start drafting the essay. Writing a solid essay will take several revisions, and you will want to have a few trusted adults read it for you for feedback.
- Reach out to your recommenders. Thrive will ask you to list your guidance or college counselor and a core subject teacher as recommenders. Think about who knows you well and can speak to your strengths and areas for development.
Following these tips will make the application process easy! If you have any questions at any time during the application process, please contact us here and a member of our team will assist you.
Applicant Profile
Here is what we know about you so far. Please review and continue.
Can be the same as or different from your legal first name.
Your primary email — all Thrive communications go here. (e.g. @gmail.com, @yahoo.com, etc.)
Backup email in case we have issues reaching your personal email.
I would like to receive text notifications from Thrive Scholars, including notifications and reminders about my application. *
Identity
Collected when you created your account — you can update it here if anything needs to change.
What are your pronouns? *
Which of the following best describes how you identify? *
(This information will NOT be visible on your application when it is reviewed. We collect this for data reporting only.)
Optional. This is separate from the race/ethnicity categories above — use whatever words feel most accurate to you.
Are you a first generation college student? *
You are considered first generation if neither of your parent(s)/guardian(s) graduated with a 4-year Bachelor's Degree in the United States. You are still considered first gen if: your parent(s) earned a 2-year Associate Degree, earned a 4-year degree outside the US, or your siblings attended college.
Home Address
Collected when you created your account — you can update it here if anything needs to change.
High School
Collected when you created your account — you can update it here if anything needs to change.
Enter the 6-digit CEEB code for your high school. If your school is not listed, enter 000000. Do not know your code? Look it up on the College Board website.
Is your high school in a different state than your home state? *
Family & Financial Profile
Our program aims to support students from economically-disadvantaged backgrounds.
To this end, annual household income is one criterion we consider during the selection process. In order to apply to a Thrive Scholars program, your total household income should not exceed $125,000 annually.
We ask about family income not only to assess your eligibility for our program, but also to assess financial aid eligibility.
Please answer the questions below regarding your family and your household income. You will be asked to upload financial documents for your parent(s)/guardian(s) at the end of the application so that we can verify your household's annual income.
If you live in more than one household, enter the household where you spent the most time in the past 12 months. If equal time, enter the household of the parent/guardian who provided more financial support.
Parent / Guardian 1
Please enter a number without decimals or commas. This amount can be found on line 11 of the tax form 1040.
Many families have more than one source of support or additional assets apart from regular wages/salary, and telling us about it helps us understand your full picture. There are no right or wrong answers and we invite you to review our FAQs for more information.
Other assets or support could include:
- Property or land besides your main home
(a rental, a house you're not living in, land a parent owns) - A family business or self-employment income
- An inheritance, trust, or money set aside for you or your family by a relative
(even if it hasn't been received yet)
Parent / Guardian 2
Selective colleges ask that you share income information about both of your biological or adoptive parents, regardless of if they contribute financially to your household or not. Exceptions to this are cases where there has been no contact for several years or other extenuating circumstances, such as documented abuse or legal orders limiting contact.
Financial Summary
2025 Total Household Income (before taxes) — calculated from the information entered
—
Enter Parent/Guardian income above to see the total.
e.g. parent lost a job; parent purchased a property, etc.
Parent / Guardian Contact Info
From time to time we offer info sessions specifically for parents/guardians to learn about Thrive Scholars and our program. Please enter the name and contact info of one parent/guardian you would like us to invite to these info sessions. (All info sessions are optional and are recorded for those who cannot attend.)
Academic Profile
Academic Performance
A Note About GPA
Your cumulative GPA is your overall grade point average calculated from all classes taken across every completed semester of your school program so far. For most students, this is an average of all of the classes that you took in 9th and 10th grades. In some cases, students will also have some classes from 8th grade on their transcripts that are calculated into their cumulative GPA because they count towards high school graduation.
Enter your unweighted GPA (4.0 max) and weighted GPA below. If you do not have an unweighted cumulative GPA listed on your transcript, please calculate it using a GPA calculator such as https://gpacalculator.io/cumulative-gpa-calculator/. If you do not have a weighted cumulative GPA, leave that field blank.
You do not have to submit any grades from 11th grade. Your guidance counselor will provide your most recent 11th grade report card when they submit their recommendation form for you.
Not sure how to calculate? Use a GPA calculator at gpacalculator.io.
Format: #.## — e.g. 4.60
High School Classes
Please enter the classes you are currently enrolled in for 11th grade. We will ask you to upload your high school transcript(s) with your class history for 9th and 10th grades.
Class 1
Course History
Please also include the AP courses you are currently enrolled in.
Disciplinary History
Standardized Test Scores
While test scores aren’t required for your Thrive application, many selective colleges do require test scores. For this reason, Thrive Scholars asks that you provide any PSAT, SAT, PreACT, or ACT test scores that you have at this time. We consider them as just one of many data points in your application, and there is no minimum test score requirement to apply. If you don’t have any test scores at the time of application, please indicate which tests you plan to take and when. You will not be penalized if you don’t have test scores yet.
At Thrive, we are committed to helping you craft the strongest college application possible. This includes coaching you on how to use and/or improve your test scores. If you are admitted to our program, you will be required to submit an SAT or ACT score during the onboarding process. Depending on your scores, we may recommend test prep courses and resources, and/or retaking the test as part of your advising plan.
We recommend scheduling your tests as soon as possible for this fall or this spring, and meeting with your guidance counselor to see if you qualify for a fee waiver. Click on the links below for more information.
Have you taken any standardized tests? *
Do you intend to take any standardized tests this year? *
Academic & Career Interests
This section is to help us understand your academic and career interests. We understand that you may not be sure about what you want to study or pursue as a career right now. We are just trying to get a general idea about your interests.
Which of these Career Pathways would you be most interested in? *
Top Colleges
How open are you to attending a top (highly selective) college? *
Recommended Top College Research
Research shows that where you go to school directly impacts your career opportunities and earning potential. For this reason, Thrive focuses on Scholars gaining admission to top (highly selective) colleges all across the country. These universities have many resources and extensive networks to position students for high-trajectory careers and get them on a path to upward economic mobility.
For your response, please pick a college from Thrive's Recommended Top College List that you have never heard of before that you think could be a good fit for you, and answer the following questions.
- Why do you think this school might be a good fit for you?
- What do you like about this college or university?
- What more would you like to learn about this school?
You don't need to spend more than 10-15 minutes learning about the school. You can consider location, size, academic programs, campus life, research and study abroad opportunities, and anything else that catches your attention!
Note: Don't worry about the cost of tuition for this exercise. Thrive College Access Managers will work with you to secure the best financial aid packages when the time comes. All of our recommended schools offer substantial need-based financial aid. Most of our Scholars receive low- or no-loan financial aid packages and many graduate with no debt at all!
How open are you to leaving your hometown and/or state to attend college? *
Engagement Outside the Classroom
List your extracurricular activities, community service, athletics, employment, and family responsibilities. Include up to 10 activities.
"Family Responsibilities" is an activity type — use it to describe time caring for siblings, managing the home, or similar commitments.
Activity 1
Honors & Awards
Work Experience
Do you work or have you worked for pay outside your home during the school year? (Not including summer internship work) *
Summer Academies
Attendance
The Thrive Scholars Program includes two summer academies which start towards the end of June and end the beginning of August. These intensive sessions are hosted on college campuses the summer before your senior year of high school and the summer before your first year of college. Attendance is required. You take rigorous math and writing courses taught by college professors Monday–Friday. Extracurricular activities are also a part of the summer academies where you build community while having fun!
On a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being highest, how committed are you to participating in our required six-week summer academy in 2027? *
Essay and Short Answers
Essay
Your essay helps us to assess your writing ability and is an important criterion in our evaluation process. Please take the time to submit a well-developed and thoughtful essay. We encourage you to write several drafts and to elicit feedback from someone you trust. Also, be sure to carefully check for correct spelling and grammar. NOTE: If you are writing in an external editor such as Google Docs or Word, please make sure to copy and paste as text only to ensure compatibility with our system.
Select one prompt to respond to: *
Short Answers
Please use this space to provide any additional context that we should know as we consider your application. (This space should not be used to continue your essay.)
Thrive Scholars expects integrity and honesty from all applicants, including full and accurate disclosure of academic and financial information.
I understand that knowingly providing misleading or incomplete information about my academics or my family's financial information could affect my standing in the Program (if admitted), including dismissal from the Program.
By submitting this application, I certify that the information provided is true, complete and accurate.
You must check both boxes above before submitting.