<p>Greetings! First, congratulations to all of you who have just received your college acceptances and finally got through the college application process. I am next in line to go through it (I'm currently a Junior). I have some questions for those of you who have experience with Questbridge. I appreciate your help. </p>
<ol>
<li>Do you feel that the Questbridge application is significantly different from the Common Application or each respective college's application ( in terms of number of activities/awards/ types of essays/ supplemental and optional material)? If so, would that in any way impact your chances?</li>
<li>I know that 5 schools have non-binding college match decisions. Of those, I am interested in Yale, Princeton, Stanford and MIT. However, I get the impression that one has to rank those schools, and therefore has the chance to get into only one (even that would be amazing, don't get me wrong). Is this true? If so, can you rank only one school for the college match through QB and apply to ED to other partner colleges not via QB?</li>
<li>Could I apply to Harvard (non-partner) , for example, early decision and still use the QB match program for another school - I am not interested in binding decisions - ?</li>
<li>The schools that are NOT partners of QB, do they know you have been selected as a finalist?</li>
<li>Due to their deadlines, is it still possible to take SAT tests in October?</li>
</ol>
<p>Some aspects of the process seem daunting and confusing, sorry if it is more obvious that I realize, I just want to be prepared so I can get everything together by the end of September. :)</p>
<p>The Questbridge app is designed to bring out the qualities they believe the low income applicant should emphasize. There are fewer spaces for ECs and awards, I believe, than in the common app, but there is also a section where you can add anything you think you need to increase your chances. </p>
<p>You are correct that in the Match round, you will only be matched with the first school on your list that accepts you. You can list only one school if you choose (or none, for that matter). But you can’t apply ED to any college.</p>
<p>Unless you are matched, you will be submitting the common app and the school-specific supplement to most QB schools to apply regular decision. The QB app becomes an additional supplement at that point. My son added “Questbridge Finalist” to the National Award section of the common app, so even the non-QB schools he applied to were aware of it. </p>
<p>The Match Decisions for last year were released Dec. 1st, so the October SAT scores were okay. I think it was a little stressful since the scores went right to the colleges. My son used his junior year (May) scores.</p>
<p>Questbridge has a lot of information on its site, and I strongly suggest you explore it thoroughly; most questions can be answered by studying the site. But I know it seems that the information is in a lot of different places. Here’s the answer to your other questions from the National College Match Agreement, which you can find at [QuestBridge</a> National College Match Agreement Form](<a href=“http://www.questbridge.org/ncm/match_agreement.html]QuestBridge”>http://www.questbridge.org/ncm/match_agreement.html)</p>
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<p>And don’t hesitate to email QB directly; they respond quickly and are friendly.</p>
<p>scoutsmom, thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question. Regarding the quoted paragraph from QB, it says it is a violation of the regulations to apply to ED or EA, but what if you list 0 schools, does this still apply? I think that would really discourage me from participating in QB because I was set on Harvard’s ED. :S</p>
<p>That sounds like too much a part of your decision to take my word for it. I think you should get in touch with Questbridge directly. </p>
<p>And I think my post was confusing about SAT dates. College Match apps are due 9/30, so Oct SATs obviously won’t be available. Official SAT scores are sent to the colleges after finalists are announced, so Oct. scores can be sent then.</p>
<p>I did call QB and for anyone interested: even you apply to the non-binding schools via early decision, you CANNOT apply to any other schools early action (non-binding) if you are not doing so through QB. It’s too bad, but fair. I guess there is always regular decison :)</p>