Will Fletcher got word early this month he had won a rare QuestBridge College Match scholarship to his chosen Pomona College, a small liberal arts institution in California. The award is worth nearly $200,000 over four years of study.
In accepting Pomona's offer, 17-year-old Fletcher turned down another full-ride scholarship to Drexel University he earned as a junior. That award came for his performance at the 2006 International Science and Engineering Fair in Indianapolis last spring.
Since then, he has refined his efforts. He recently completed a review of 100 classical piano solo pieces against 100 contemporary piano solos, and found much less difference. The significant jump, Fletcher said, occurred in the early 20th century with the advent of the Jazz Age.
But that, and many of his other scientific efforts, have been left aside in the rush to complete college applications. The QuestBridge College Match application alone went 23 pages. It included three essays and numerous shorter responses.
“Will embodied the ideals of a College Match student,” said Tim Brady, QuestBridge's CEO. “He's passionate. He's public-service minded. He will do great things at Pomona College.”
In addition to his science fair efforts, Fletcher helped found a competitive mathematics team at Hellgate. This year, he is captain of the Hellgate debate squad. He is also vice president of the University of Montana's Math Club.
The Palo Alto, Calif.-based QuestBridge awarded just 102 full-ride scholarships out of several thousand applications, Brady said. The award covers tuition, room and board, books, travel and other expenses.
Right now, Fletcher is keeping his options open among physics, mathematics and pre-medical majors.
Fletcher gave much of the credit for his academic preparation to classes such as Hellgate science teacher Gary Gagermeier's Advanced Problems in Science.
“It's definitely self-directed, letting students do what they want to do,” Fletcher said. “It doesn't do a lot for many people, perhaps most, but for those for whom it does work, it can mean a lot. Because the applications all go back to self-motivation.”
Other crucial bits of advice Fletcher offered were to brush up on essay writing and watch the grade-point average.
“You have to keep your grades up, even in the first couple of weeks,” he said. “You get that B in your freshman year and you lose a shot at a lot of the full-ride scholarships. Other than that, just take the hardest classes you can.”
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