National College Match - 2009-2010

<p>I’m just starting the QB essays/short answers now because of football practices and a week’s worth of two a days. I have less than a month to do the three essays, and then a month to work on the common app writing prompts just in case I am a finalist. There are a few similar prompts between the two applications. Would you guys recommend me not choosing the same ones, so there won’t be any copy + pasting between the two, or just choose different prompts so I have more essays?</p>

<p>I’m not exactly a good writer, and I won’t have much time between 5 AP classes and football. Should things get out of hand, football would have to go first…which would give me ~4-5 extra hours per day to do hw, rest, essays, etc, but I would rather not go down that route.</p>

<p>For the letters of recommendation, do the teachers and counselors have to write you 2 different letter of recs for questbridge and the common app? It seems like the questbridge letter of rec is a bunch of questions while the common app one is just a straight up letter of recommendation. I need to figure this out because I have to ask my teachers soon.
Also, for MIT, does it decreases your chances a ton if you don’t do an interview?
Lastly, if my family owns a failing business, does it make me low income? Our business is actually pulling in a negative. However, my mother has her own job. Is that low income?
Any help would be appreciated.</p>

<p>@HOPEFUL: Regarless of whether your specific situation makes you low income or not in definition, you really just have to look at the data. If you own a “failing business,” then that should reflect in your parent’s taxes, etc. Any records your parents have of finances should be demonstrative of your situation. If you find that the “income” part of the QB app represents you incorrectly, there is always the extra information section at the end of the application.</p>

<p>If I held a summer internship this past summer and write that I used my earnings for school supplies, and whatnot will they require tax return forms? (I didn’t file taxes because it was a summer job and the lawyer decided to give me the amount I would end up with after taxes)</p>

<p>@powerbomb: I believe if you earned over a certain amount you have to file tax returns (or you’re supposed to, at least- obviously if it was under the table this wouldn’t apply). 3K I believe, but it may have changed or be different depending on where you live.</p>

<p>okay, it was only for 3 and a half weeks, and it was under 3K.</p>

<p>Also, another question - the “official SAT score report” is not the same as the page we see when we open our collegeboard accounts to see our scores, right?</p>

<p>@powerbomb: No, that’s a personal report. The official report is something they send to the colleges, a separate piece of paper. It costs money, but you get a few for free if you qualify for a waiver. Most people here are going to need more reports than waivers offered, so it may cost a substantial amount of money.</p>

<p>and QB honors score choice even though the college doesnt?</p>

<p>I feel like I’m bombarding some of you with questions, but I have one more:</p>

<p>I live with my mom who receives ~$500/month from the church as an assistant minister. My dad lives and works abroad, though he is not divorced, and wires money over to contribute to me and my mom. </p>

<p>When filling out the Household Income section of the application, should I put $0 for my household income (my mom)? she did not file taxes. For the non-custodial income, I can put down that my dad earned around 20K.</p>

<p>@powerbomb: I believe most of the partner colleges superscore. Your second question raises a very good point. 6K seems small, but it seems much larger when attached to 26K. Usually these forms state EVEN if you didn’t file taxes, state the income. I would put it in to be safe (the school might later ask for income forms). Also, it wouldn’t change your EFC, would it?</p>

<p>doesnt non-custodial mean that he is divorced and that he does not have custody over me? because that’s not true. he just lives away from me. So when I put 20K under my dad’s income, why does it go under non-custodial income, and not household income?</p>

<p>and also my mom doesn’t have income forms, she received minimal appreciation funds from the church in cash.</p>

<p>Just a heads up, I asked QB this and they said that you can just print out the unofficial scores from collegeboard or act.org (no matter how unofficial) and fax it to them. Free. It’s only until you send official reports to colleges that you have to actually pay. I just printed out a copy and faxed. I mean, it’s not as if you can get away with anything to the college if you lie and the colleges see that in your QB application.</p>

<p>@powerbomb, maybe I’m misunderstanding, what do you mean when you say “you put your father’s income and it went automatically to noncustodial”? If you just fill it out on QB like it is now, it shouldn’t do that…?</p>

<p>@Crystal- Under household income it says $0.00 (because my I put that my mom was my primary household caregiver) and under non-custodial income it says 20K (I’m guessing it says non-custodial because I put that my Dad does not reside with me, but he did NOT get divorced)</p>

<p>The Questbridge application only gives you 5 spots to list extracurriculars…
Would it be a good idea to combine several things? For example, if I did 2 related sports (such as swimming/water polo for example), could I list them both in one spot? (one is a fall sport the other is a spring sport)</p>

<p>Or should I just list the one that I am most dedicated/interested in? </p>

<p>Is there any possible way to list more things? Maybe in the additional info section?</p>

<p>@powerbomb: Well, if your parents aren’t divorced or anything just put your parents BOTH as your primary caregivers.</p>

<p>Hi guys,
i was wondering how QB works for internationals (the website doesn’t offer much help) because i can only apply as an international.</p>

<p>i understand that i can’t get the national merit scholarship but i still can still be a finalist… how would that help, actually? also the whole EA/ED & RD thing confuses me in the sense that because I am international i can’t apply EA/ED with QB but only RD. how does that work? </p>

<p>it’d be gr8 if you guys can help me out here (: </p>

<p>oh right… and if it matters, I AM ASIAN. (-500 points)</p>

<p>@tomjonesistheman: Combining sports probably works fine, as long as you’ve done them both the same length of time.</p>