<p>The information posted is your name, and city.</p>
<p>If I google my D, I get many, many results. QB is just another, none of which could result in stealing her identity.</p>
<p>I can attend a FANTASTIC school for almost nothing via financial aid! What’s the difference between Questbridge and Financial Aid from a highly highly selective private school?</p>
<p>natim1, there are many advantages applying through QB. Read this thread, and the past years threads. Extra essays, early reading of app are among the benefits. If you don’t want to apply don’t, but don’t ***** and moan about privacy etc. Apply to your schools ED, EA or RD, and good luck.</p>
<p>You might want to create an account and see all the essay prompts, maybe you will understand the benefit of the application. </p>
<p>Why would you even consider QB or post on this thread if you seem to have your mind made up that QB has no advantage? A smart person would take advantage of all tips in the admissions process.</p>
<p>@natim1: QB guarantees the financial aid, and increases your visibility to the top schools. It is really much, much more than financial aid. Instead of just being a number, you’re given the chance to be a name, a face to these schools. That’s a great opportunity. I know kids who would never even be considered for admission at these places, but QB got them in. </p>
<p>@GA2012MOM: I was actually agreeing with you. My family earns exactly 60K per year but supports 10 people, so I’m really well within that range. I was saying that I know what its like (I’ve grown up in affluent neighborhoods, and went to a prestigious junior high school, so there was a lot of pressure) to be embarrassed by my financial status, but now that I’ve gotten over that, I’ve realized that it shouldn’t be a big deal. People that judge you by your parent’s income are insignificant in the long run; its a juvenile sensibility.</p>
<p>Yeah, create an account just to check it out. They have the biography essay of 800 words, a short essay section with 7 or 8 100 word responses, 2 more essays, and an optional, what-else-do-you-want-us-to-know essay. This is in addition to the school’s supplement, which generally has one or two essays. This is a HUGE leap up from the normal application.</p>
<p>^^^^^^</p>
<p>Alexandra, your family situation would be a big plus for QB in your essays. </p>
<p>I grew up in OC, and my parents lived in your city several years after I left home. It is an affluent area, but with your family size and if you have other family components that are compelling, it could be to your benefit.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure that Alexandra has already graduated from high school, if not college; both of which are pretty darn clear from his/her responses.</p>
<p>Do a search for Alexandrafitzmor, clearly still in HS. What is the significance of that?</p>
<p>My D was a Questbridge match, take my advice for what you will.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m still in HS, with my big family I know a lot of people and their college experiences (I have about 15 cousins in college right now), so I get a lot of this firsthand. I’m also a little bit obsessed…in the eighth grade I checked out every college-related book in the LAPL. I was really, truly fascinated by it- I would sneak Harry Bauld’s On Writing the Application Essay under the covers with a flashlight, and read 300-page Ivy League tomes. So I would say that the wealth of information and the fact that I have an opinion to lend and some sources I can go to for advice (I know people in practically every field and an admissions officer), gives me something to go to on the CC boards. Not to mention, I really enjoy it!</p>
<p>@GA2012MOM: Really? That’s pretty neat! My mother managed an apartment building in order to pay for housing until I was 9, then we moved out to the SF Valley in order to accommodate our growing family. We bought a fixer(fixer)upper on the edge of one of the most affluent communities in the area. So I’ve pretty much grew up trying to be as “cool” as all these rich kids. Of course, that was futile, because if you think that wealth makes you a better person, it will show.
How is Georgia, by the way, in comparison to SoCal? I’ve never really been anywhere, but I would think its an interesting contrast. What school did your daughter get in to?</p>
<p>Happy to see this thread active…and a big ‘Thank You’ to former Questbridge parents and applicants for help.</p>
<p>I will be following anxiously - (more of a lurker than poster)
Good Luck to all!</p>
<p>QuestBridge is a wonderful program. The names of the College Match Scholars are published and QB requests that the College Match students provide a photo and a write-up about themselves so they can be included on the website. They say this helps the program as seeing and reading about the recipients brings to life the kind of kids who are being helped. I noticed this year QB has some funding available to help defray the cost of submitting the CSS Profile. Once you get along further in the process, you may realize what a huge deal this can be for some families. Some students qualify for an automatic limited number of free CSS Profile submissions based upon very low family income and asset levels, but may wish to apply to more schools than the number of available waivers. Others may be over the automatic waiver limit, but really, really need help paying for this. I remember a student who was in that situation. Thankfully, the student was ultimately able to get some help paying for the Profile so they could send their info to the schools in which they were interested. As I recall, they ultimately ended up being accepted to a QB school during RD. While I don’t know exactly how QB goes about its fundraising, I bet that prospective donors probably do read those profiles. I think a willingness to share one’s story is probably going to help more kids be helped in the future. Again, the write-ups are provided by the students so they are the ones who decide what to include.</p>
<p>Amen to that, 2blue!</p>
<p>Can somebody please explain to me the entire process of this program? After I fill out the application, then what? How will QB know which colleges I was trying to apply to? Do I have to still fill out common app and individual supp. apps? Or does QB application cover the entire thing as a substitute? How do I exactly benefit from QB? (I mean, I understand that it’s a scholarship program for low-income students, but how?)</p>
<p>I’d recommend setting up an account on QB and using their FAQs: you’ll have just about every question answered there. You create a list of up to eight partner colleges, and QB forwards your app to them. If you’re matched, QB will inform you. Some schools are non-binding, some aren’t. Almost all of them require the QB app plus the common app supplement for their school.</p>
<p>QB gives you the opportunity to be a part of a select group of students that are disadvantaged by the general system of admissions. By allowing you to elaborate upon your situation, yourself, etc in several more essays than a normal app, it enables the student to really show themselves. It creates a separate process for these students so that they each get individual attention that isn’t received in the normal admissions process. Students that would never normally receive admission from YPS can, and have received admission through QB.
The scholarship aspect of the match program is simple: you receive a full four year scholarship with no loans. No strings attached. This is a really big deal, as $200K is hard to come by. The RD round doesn’t guarantee a scholarship of that size, but you’ll likely get a massive amount.</p>
<p>powerbomb, I wrote earlier that every time I look at the website, I learn something new. You really should just spend some time on it. You’ll still have questions afterward, I’m sure, but the ones you asked above are answered on the website, though it is confusing. </p>
<p>This page helps me keep it straight in my head:</p>
<p>[QuestBridge</a> National College Match - Process Overview](<a href=“http://www.questbridge.org/students/process.html]QuestBridge”>http://www.questbridge.org/students/process.html)</p>
<p>Also, if you’re a visual learner, look at their graphical flowchart of the process. That might help you out some.</p>
<p>Thanks so much Youdon’tsay and alexandrafitzmor - One more question (and yes, I am reading the QB site, too!) If I apply through QB, can it ever hurt me in any way, shape, or form? or will it just benefit me?</p>
<p>Also, what would be the purpose of QB for schools such as Yale and Princeton who are need-blind for admissions anyways? </p>
<p>Also, what if I don’t get “matched” through QB? Will I ever be considered normally as if I had never applied through QB?</p>
<p>powerbomb, there is ONLY benefits from applying through QB.</p>
<p>Many of the QB partners are need blind. The benefit is in the extensive application, and for them to evaluate you in the context of which you were raised, economically, academically, and family.</p>
<p>Yes, you will be judged “normally,” if not better, being a QB applicant.</p>
<p>Powerbomb - I believe most of the CC Questbridge participants on this message board have been aware since last year’s (Questbridge College Prep) portion…and I’m sure some for more than a year! </p>
<p>Good that you are now reading their Website (I agree w/YDS). When you start a Questbridge account - there is a good FAQ section that may answer many of your questions. </p>
<p>If you think you qualify, although it’s extra work, it’s very well worth it to apply. There are NO downsides. </p>
<p>Even if you are not chosen as a Questbridge Scholar Finalist - you will have had a special & early application head start on your college applications …</p>
<p>As a QB Finalist (if requested) you will be considered in a separate & choice pool for Reg. decision applications both to Questbridge partner schools and other colleges too. </p>
<p>All this with application Fee waivers!</p>
<p>So I have a question…</p>
<p>Several schools will automatically consider you for RD if you rank them but do not get matched to any schools. You don’t have to do anything. Penn and Stanford are examples, I think.</p>
<p>This is what they say: “If you have submitted the Common Application or the Universal Application to Penn as a finalist, you will automatically be considered for Regular Decision unless you contact Penn and request to withdraw your application.”</p>
<p>Now, will they still follow that policy if I get matched, but to a non-binding school? Or would I have to re-apply / forward my apps to see what happens even though I’m already matched up?</p>