Is applying through QB worth it when you already have competitive stats and no "hook"

Paying for College Access Programs (Questbridge, Posse)
1

<p>From what I've read, it seems that to get in through QB College Match your stats are much less important than your story. It looks like they care a lot about specific buzzwords like first-gen, homeless, single-parent family, etc. and I feel like my story just can't compare to most of the kids that got admitted to the more prestigious partner schools. My parents are both unemployed but we own the house, my dad has health problems but at least he can walk, my mom is a bit of a hoarder but it's getting better. There's just no central theme and struggle for me to focus on in my essays. The other problem is that I've heard that some people get rejected just because they have high stats and don't really need the edge QB provides.</p>

<p>Anyway, do you guys think the program is worth using when you already have good college prospects and an average life like me? Here's my stats and interests:</p>

<p>SAT (CR, Math, Writing): 770 + 740 +710 = 2220
SAT II: 790 Physics 730 Math 2
GPA: 4.0 unweighted, 4.33 weighted
APs: French 4, CompSci 4, Bio 4, World 5, Lang 5, Physics B 5, Chem 3
Extracurriculars: Varsity wrestling for 3 years, founded my school chapter of Junior State of America, NHS, FHS, various academic clubs
Intended major: Physics
Favorite QB schools: MIT, CalTech, UPenn.</p>

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<p>Why not try?</p>

<p>Are you on free lunch? Have your parents exhausted their unemployment insurance? When you say “own the house”, do you mean completely paid off, no mortgage? What kind of house, a cape or a McMansion?</p>

<p>I wouldn’t worry about buzzwords, if you qualify as “poor enough” you would be wasting an opportunity not to try QB
in my opinion. The only caveat is if they just “happen to be unemployed” at the moment vs. have been unemployed for a few years. Most couples who are both unemployed and have children end up not being able to pay utilities and property taxes.</p>

<p>It sounds like it would be helpful to your situation not to have to pay for a bunch of application fees. The Ivy I do interviews for take Questbridge very seriously.</p>