RAKHI AGRAWAL

West Hartford, CT
Class of 2014
Columbia University

Growing up in a household with dire financial struggles, Rakhi Agrawal had been told from an early age that she would need to work hard to find ways to finance her education.

As a first-generation American, Rakhi became the first in her family to embark on the college application process. Thankfully, she says, QuestBridge eliminated several stressors. The QuestBridge Team encouraged her to get applications done earlier than necessary, which allowed her to apply for other outside scholarships. Without application fees, she could apply to top schools for free. She also had the opportunity to tell her story and know that it would be heard.

After dealing with years of abuse, and with no one to turn to, Rakhi left home during her senior year of high school and began living out of her car. It was a difficult choice, but one she felt she had to make if she wanted a chance of going to college. Throughout senior year, she found a way to finish applications and stay on top of deadlines despite her living arrangement and personal situation.

"QuestBridge gave me the leg up that I needed to help express my story to the institutions I was applying to," she says. "To this day, I am homeless, financially independent, and working six jobs to support myself, yet I am attending one of the nation's most prestigious universities." Rakhi is actively involved with campus life at Columbia, especially with peer education. After graduation she hopes to attend medical school.

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