<p>Hello! </p>
<p>I am applying to Questbridge and I was wondering, if I become a finalist, how helpful is Questbridge when applying to Yale? Is Questbridge considered a good hook?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Sorry to respond so late (wish I could subscribe to this forum!), but, YES, QB is a definite hook for Yale, for several reasons.
My son, a 2011 QB finalist, is a senior there. Yale admitted about twice as many QB students last year than any previous year ~80. (He texted me during the first QB get-together last this week and said “I can’t believe how many freshmen are here!”)
Yale has made a commitment to increase the number of low income students it admits in response to the challenge from Obama, and QB gives it a good way to do that.
My son also heard from an Admissions Office intern that the first thing your admissions officer says to the panel of three who decide whether to admit is “I have a QuestBridge applicant here.” ( He also learned that ALL 3 have to vote to admit, so there’s that).
Given how selective Yale is, you obviously need the stats, etc., to be admitted - but being a QB finalist would be a plus to admission.
Good luck!
BTW, my kid LOVES Yale and has had an amazing time there!</p>
<p>Also, according to this article, Yale has changed their application to more closely resemble the Questbridge app: <a href=“‘A National Admissions Office’ for Low-Income Strivers - The New York Times”>The New York Times - Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos;
<p>thank you! I am applying now and I makes me feel better that it could possibly help if i were lucky enough to recieve it @scoutsmom @honeybee63</p>
<p>@scoutsmom can you post your sons stats? I’m applying but I’m looking to shoot for the schools with lower test scores and gpas since mine aren’t perfect like many matched students. Do you know any partner colleges that accept lower stats? (: </p>
<p>Not sure if knowing his stats is helpful, since it was so long ago, but I copied my post when he became a finalist with his stats below.</p>
<p>The QB schools are pretty selective. Choose ones you’d be interested in attending and then go to their sites to see what their score ranges are for accepted students to see if you’re in the ballpark. .BUT remember that numbers aren’t everything - that’s why the QB app is helpful, so the colleges see you, not just your stats.</p>
<p>Scoutson is a finalist</p>
<p>SAT: 2280; SATII math2 800; Physics 790</p>
<p>GPA: UW 4.00
Rank: 1/292; blue collar public hs</p>
<p>Jr. yr: AP Eng. Lang-5; AP WH-4, AP Physics C E&M-5; AP Calc BC-5
Sr. yr: AP Chem, AP Psych, AP Lit, AP Latin</p>
<p>ECs: Orchestra (president); varsity tennis; NHS; bowling leagues, chorus
NMSF; AP Scholar w/Distinction
QB College Prep Conference</p>
<p>Household: 2 people 51K
Mid-Atlantic region
Mom has MA</p>
<p>Essays: Worked hard on them-about our unusual family/situation</p>
<p>Letters of Rec: saw one and it was great, hope the others were, too</p>
<p>Congrats and good luck to all!</p>
<p>in Finalists: Post your stats. Comment by scoutsmom October 2010</p>
<p>Marrissa, as scoutsmom says, the numbers really aren’t everything. Every year a few kids are matched to very elite schools with very low GPA or scores. A Stanford match student last year posted his stats and his GPA was low ( I forget the #) and ACT was 26. Of course there are always other appealing aspects of an application when the stats are lower. So focus on what is special about you and make sure that comes through in your application. </p>
<p>In general the LACs are slightly less selective and may have an even more holistic process. You can find the GPA and score averages for colleges in numerous places online and in college guidebooks. You can also look up the most recent common data set for each college ( available online) which will tell you a lot about the school including which aspects of the application are most important, what the admitted student profiles are etc.</p>
<p>After you submit your application, take the time to really research the partner colleges and try to find which appeal to you. This is a more productive approach and the issue of fit is often reciprocal - not always but often. You can use CC boards to ask about QB partner colleges, and also ask Questbridge scholars who are at partner schools via the facebook groups. </p>
<p>OP, this is very good advice ^. Take time to read up about colleges so that you can figure out what type of school is best for you. Large, small? LAC, university? Geographical area? Strong departments? Frats / arts / sports / general campus scene? They are very very different. One even has an unusual semester system, the block plan at Colorado Coll. </p>
<p>Our S is a Questbridge pre-college scholar who turned in his Match app last week. I think he has 10 QB partenrs on his college list. He also has maybe 4 or 5 which are not. Cast a wide net! I think QB posted an essay by a finalist last year who had even lined up a full scholarship at a non-QB school, in case her QB choices did not work out. Personally I think that choosing similar schools on the QB list with higher / lower stats is a good idea. They are all fantastic. </p>
<p>Back to your point, tho, Yale would be great! Good luck!</p>
<p>@honeybee63 thanks a lot! I know stats aren’t everything, but it makes me nervous nonetheless. I’m going to just hope for the best and take your advice to heart 
thanks everyone</p>