April 16, 2025 - Jake Douglas Jackson, a senior at Soddy Daisy High School, truly embodies how grit, sacrifice, and unwavering determination can lead to remarkable opportunities. While maintaining top grades in rigorous courses, Jake worked 40-hour weeks during the school year and up to 70 hours each summer—paying his own bills, playing varsity baseball, and still finding time to chase his dreams. Competing alongside 25,500 other applicants, Jake—along with just four other Hamilton County Schools students—earned one of 2,627 coveted QuestBridge National College Match scholarships, which cover everything from tuition and housing to food and other living expenses.
QuestBridge is a nationally renowned program that connects high-achieving students with full four-year scholarships to 52 elite colleges. In 2024, over 2,600 students were selected as recipients. To qualify, applicants must demonstrate academic excellence, strong writing skills, intellectual curiosity, and personal traits like resilience, integrity, and motivation. The process is intense: after becoming a Finalist, each student ranks up to 15 schools and completes individual applications—including multiple essays—for each one. If matched, the student receives a full-ride to the highest-ranked school that admits them. Jake matched with none other than Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
In this Q&A, Jake talks about what kept him going, how he made it all work, and what it feels like to be heading from Soddy Daisy to one of the most famous colleges in the world.
Q: How did you find out about QuestBridge?
A: "I accidentally stumbled upon the QuestBridge thing while interviewing my college career advisor.“
Q: What was your reaction when you found out you matched with MIT?
A: "Obviously, I was ecstatic. I was actually at baseball practice when I found out. I knew my counselor told me that was around the time we’d hear. So during practice, I kept leaving, going to the clubhouse, checking my email. I finally saw it. I opened the email and it said, 'Congratulations, you matched.' I started freaking out. I read the fine print and I saw MIT. I was like, 'Oh my goodness!' I freaked out. I ran with the phone in my hand, ran to my coach, and said, 'Coach, it’s MIT!' He went crazy. I was ecstatic."
Q: Who did you tell first?
A: "The first person I called was my dad. Then I called my mom. Then I emailed the college advisor I had spoken to."
Q: Was MIT your top choice?
A: "It wasn’t my first choice. I had good academic scores, but with MIT I was actually below the average. You wouldn’t believe it. I put Caltech and MIT kind of as a shot in the dark. I had no expectations. I was stunned. Absolutely stunned when I discovered I’m going to MIT. It’s the number one school in the world for what I want to be, which is to be an engineer. It hasn’t fully set in yet, but yeah—I’m going to Massachusetts for four years."
Q: What other schools were in your top five?
A: "Definitely Vanderbilt, Caltech, MIT, Stanford, and Rice. MIT, Caltech, and Stanford were a shot in the dark—great schools. Rice and Vanderbilt weren’t safety schools by any means, but were in that echelon."
Q: Why did you choose MIT?
A: "They’re the best in the world. They’ve invented so much. They’re pioneers in technology, in advancements in all fields. Everything STEM-related, MIT has a hand in it. It’s a big stepping stone. I want to be part of something that could potentially change the world. That’s what I want to do."
Q: Any engineering projects or fields that sparked your interest?
A: "Not a specific project, but I’m extremely interested in topics like dynamical systems and chaos theory—basically trying to put math to things that can’t be predicted. Like airflow around an airplane wing. It leads to inventions that are millennia ahead of their time. Like, people predicted planes for thousands of years, and then 10 years later, we were in the air. 60 years after that, we were on the moon. I think with math, anything is possible."
Q: What’s unique about MIT’s approach to choosing a major?
A: "At MIT, every first-year student is undeclared. It’s pretty general classes, and they encourage you to look around and find your passion. Years two through four are where you hone in on what you want to do. The student-to-faculty ratio is incredible. There’s help every step along the way. I’m extremely excited."
Q: Have you been to Boston before?
A: "No. I’ve only been as far north as Illinois. I went there for a Cubs game and came right back and never explored. Never been to any of New England. But it looks beautiful."
Q: Are you excited about the culture and sports scene in Boston?
A: "Yes, extremely. Fenway, man—one of the most prestigious parks of all time. I’m excited for that. It’s going to be great."
Q: How did you balance work and school?
A: "For the past two years, I’ve worked 40 hours a week during school and 50 to 70 hours during summer. I work at Chick-fil-A. I pay all my own bills—car, insurance, gas, groceries, phone, Netflix, car wash—everyday expenses. I’m actually fortunate to have that responsibility. I try to be the adult I am. I’m 17 now, turning 18 this year."
Q: What role did your college advisor play?
A: "Miss Kelly Martin, my college advisor, is incredible. She told me about the College Prep Scholars Program junior year. She really pushed it. She helped me every step of the way. Without her, I genuinely wouldn’t have even known about it. She deserves all the credit."
Q: What was the hardest part of the application process?
A: "Probably the three essays. I didn’t write drafts. I just brainstormed in my head and went for it. I worked every night from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m., after baseball practice and cooking meals for the week. I didn’t proofread. I wanted the authentic version of myself. That’s what I gave them."
Q: Any essay question that stood out to you?
A: "One that asked how my background shaped who I am and who I hope to be. I’m excited to be around people with different ways of thinking. I didn’t grow up around a diverse population, and I’m excited to enter one."
Q: Are there any clubs or traditions you’re looking forward to at MIT?
A: "Definitely the robotics club and other STEM stuff. I don’t know which ones will apply most, but I’m excited to join. Also, the study groups. It’s such a hands-on environment. Even though the rigor is extreme, I think it will be more manageable than a giant lecture hall at a big university."
Q: If you could give your freshman self advice, what would it be?
A: "Enjoy it while it lasts. I wouldn’t change anything, but I wish I had taken some friendships more seriously. Sophomore year flew by. I was less mature then. You eventually mature through experience."
Q: What advice do you have for students who feel like they don’t qualify for QuestBridge?
A: "I’m a great example. I didn’t meet the raw requirements. My ACT was a 33—not a 36. GPA wasn’t 4.0. QuestBridge looks at the whole person. They evaluate every part. It’s not just academics. They saw something in me, even though I wasn’t the smartest. The partner schools are more personal, and they’re looking for potential."
Q: Do you have a quote or motto that inspires you?
A: "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. I work 40 to 70 hours year-round, play baseball, and take hard classes. I didn’t have time to study all day or breeze through school. I had to push myself in every avenue. I’ve made my strengths stronger through work."
Q: Do you plan to work while in college?
A: "Yes, but not the same way. I’ll focus on academics. I want a hands-on job—maybe working with a professor, researcher, or Ph.D. student. Something in my field. Not just a basic job. I’ll probably work 10 to 15 hours a week. MIT pushes real-world experience, and that’s why they produce the best in the world."
For information and resources about QuestBridge, talk with your high school’s career counselor and go here: https://www.questbridge.org/