I am taking the SAT in March so won’t know the score yet.
I am a 3.93 Unweighted GPA ( which translates to 2 B’s in 2 1/2 years of High School) and am taking 4 AP’s this year as a junior.
I am not a first-generation and am not on the extreme low end of the financial spectrum. My parents live separated and we adopted a child a couple years back.
My problem is that I have no form of public transportation. I live with my mom and she can’t drive, so I have to rely on walking to school and biking and walking sometimes for groceries.
My mom was thinking of applying to this program which basically revokes her driver’s license but provides her with public transportation. She doesn’t want to do it, so I don’t know if anyone will believe my story as there is virtually no evidence to substantiate it.
Finally, I don’t know if this counts at all. I lived in the US for 12 years and went to a highly competitive Chinese public (not international) high school. I didn’t know any Chinese beforehand and stayed in that public school for about 2 years. I did all right (we have tests each month and rank fluctuates according to them) and I get around top 10-80 out of 700-800 Chinese students.
I just want someone to tell me if it is worth applying and what kind of information is relevant in terms of becoming a finalist.
I know it might be a little too late, but I was wondering if I should even bother. Does QuestBridge give a noticeable advantage? I was thinking about applying to UC’s and probably just Stanford and like 1-2 ivies.
Thanks so much.
I think it’s worth applying. I’m not sure if you mean the College Prep Scholarship or College Match, but I’ll assume the latter.
I applied to Questbridge for College Match last fall even though I was pretty sure I wouldn’t make finalist since my family makes towards the upper end of the spectrum QB lists (just under $60k). I also am not a first-generation student, though my parents are both immigrants. However, I used one of the essays to write about my family’s situation and exactly what we’ve faced and how it’s affected me. I was named a finalist. It’s so worth it to apply even if you think you might not make a finalist.
A couple of benefits:
-If you’re a finalist, application fees to partner schools are waived. For some partner schools fees are also waived even if you’re a non-finalist. As a finalist you also have a chance of getting waivers for sending test scores and the CSS profile.
-QB does give you an advantage in admissions. It shows you’ve faced hardship and still persevered. It’s another thing to set you apart in admissions. Colleges are trying hard to be more socioeconomically diverse and Questbridge is a way to distinguish high-achieving students who are low-income.
-Even if you’re not made a finalist you’ll have a head start on your college essays!
I’d recommend you definitely apply. The worst is they could say you’re not a finalist. The best is… well, a full ride to a great school! Definitely worth a shot, especially if you use the biographical essay to really tell your story and your situation.
Best of luck. Feel free to PM me if you have any more questions about Questbridge!
@kuleczka
Hi kuleczka
I’m interested in applying for the college match scholarship next fall. I applied to the prep scholarship too. Out of curiosity, what college were you matched to? Also, how does the process work? After you apply, if you are selected as a finalist, do you automatically get matched to a college? Would you be able to walk me through it
Also, I am a pretty strong student academically and am involved in a lot of clubs. My income and other conditions mirror yours, since my parents are also immigrants, and I do plan on writing of the same thing. Do you think I have a chance for the national college match?
Thanks for considering my questions!
@nerdgirl6645, Here’s the Questbridge website http://www.questbridge.org/about-questbridge/our-programs
I strongly recommend you read extensively if you are going to apply to the National College Match (NCM). Understanding the process will help you exponentially as you proceed. There will also be a facebook page where the 2015/2016 Questbridge “Family” (applicants) can answer each other’s questions as you go through the admissions season.
There is also an overview of QB programs stickied at the top of this forum.
The short answer is that not everyone is matched –not at all. Last year out of 11,654 applications, 4,180 students (36% of the applicants) were selected as Finalists and of those 500 were selected as match recipients. However, more than half of the remaining finalists will be admitted to Questbridge schools in the regular decision process.
Use the drop down menus on the QB site to read about the process, about partner colleges, about finalist and matched student profiles…the ‘Questies’ who do best are the ones who really immerse themselves in and understand the program.
You might also look into diversity fly-in programs that you can start applying for this summer. Many colleges (QB and other top schools) offer fully funded campus visits for low income, first gen and URM students. If you qualify for these, it is a great thing to do during your senior fall, since you will get to visit chosen colleges on their dime. There’s a thread about it. http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/african-american-students/1539855-diversity-fall-fly-in-programs.html. The dates won’t be accurate for next fall but you can start to think about/research programs.