<p>Hi,
I am a high school junior who was just looking into scholarships and colleges, and I got an email from questbridge. I understand how it works and everything, but I was just curious if you have to still have the same grades and test scores as someone who is not applying for the colleges through questbridge. In other words, do you have have. A better chance of getting in to these colleges through questbridge than through normal channels? Also does anybody know the average GPA and SAT scores of the questbridge finalists?
Thanks!</p>
<p>you can see the average finalist profile on the questbridge website. but if you think you are low income, and want to attend one of the partner colleges, i would suggest you apply for questbridge, whether you think you have the grades or not. it is a great thing to have on your application if you become a finalist</p>
<p>If I’m reading right, which I very well may not be since it’s late here, then you’re asking whether or not it’d be easier for an applicant to be accepted to a school through QB rather than the regular process. Well, yes and no. You still have to the same academic caliber, BUT you get the advantage of allowing a school to see you as an applicant beyond these stats. The QB app requires 3 essays and really allows an applicant to expand on his/his unique circumstances, i.e. my mother recently passed away, my father lost his job, etc., through these 3 essays rather than the CA 1 essay. </p>
<p>With many of the QB schools, you’ll also have to complete the school’s specific supplements in addition to the QB app, providing more opportunities for the applicant to talk and so on forth. Honestly, your GPA and SAT scores can only take you so far. In the game of college admissions, essays are where it’s at. What’s going to differentiate a 3.9 GPA from a 4.0 GPA? An outstanding essay, that’s what. So with the QB app, which has more essays…</p>
<p>Also, you can Google the average QB Finalists stats. It’s most likely on the site. Remember to consider that majority of QB Finalists don’t get Matched with a QB partner school, but instead, get admitted either through EDII or RD later on. There’s only a limited number of QB scholarships a school offers, but that doesn’t mean that if you’d get accepted EDII or RD that you wouldn’t basically get the same scholarship. Many of the QB schools meet 100% demonstrated need, which allows them to essentially give “full rides,” if you demonstrate that financial need. Majority of the schools will even go as far as to guarantee that no loans will be included in these “full rides.”</p>
<p>A bit long-winded tonight, I apologize. Hope that helps a little bit.</p>
<p>I think that QB gives you the opportunity to show what you are beyond the stats, or possibly why your stats are great. </p>
<p>Ludicrous amusing example: If you scored a 29 on the ACT, but due to an ancient curse you are only able to write with a pencil taped to your left ear, then that’s a much better score than it would be for a normal person who can read and write at the same time.</p>
<p>Translate to real life, and many students have extenuating circumstances that make very good scores into great scores, ditto grades, ECs, etc.</p>
<p>I also think it’s a great benefit that schools see your application early. When they are not swamped with other applications. I have no statistical backup whatsoever, but based on conversations and students that I know IRL (including my son), a high proportion of finalists who are not matched are not only accepted by QB schools, but are encouraged to apply ED/EA or given likely letters if they forward to RD. Again, YMMV but I have seen it happen more than once last year alone, and I know it happened the year before as well.</p>
<p>The other benefit: many students say their applications get better as they go along. Having a crunch day in October makes the rest of the process seem easy, and you can revise those essays later.</p>