Hi, so I am a questbridge finalist but I’m not sure if I want to do the national college match. The binding part seems so scary to me and honestly, none of those schools are my top choice. There is only one school I am considering, but from what I’ve heard about the pre med rigor at the school, I’m not sure if I want to be required to go if I get matched. That’s why I would rather do regular decision(be able to make my own choice), but I have no idea how likely I am to get a scholarship. The full ride via the national college match sounds great but I’m not sure if it’s right for me, although everyone I know keeps saying I should do it. Should I just go ahead with the regular decision through questbridge? Do the majority of finalists get a scholarship if they do regular decision?
Lots of people choose to skip to skip the match thing and go straight to RD. Even many of the people who apply to get matched don’t make the cut. I think that you shouldn’t let yourself be pressured by those people. I’m also nervous–I mean, I’m applying to schools that I’ve never even been to. What if I set foot on the campus and realize I made a mistake?
In any case, I’d say that if you are 90% you want to go to this college, then apply for the match. If not, go ahead and apply for regular decision.
Many of the schools have really good financial aid, and since you’re a QB applicant they are already aware of your financial situation. I suggest you do more research about the types of aid this college offers, although I think it would still be worth applying to even if you’re not sure what kind of aid they might offer you. If you’re applying RD anyways, you’ll be able to decide if you want to go somewhere else. best of luck!!
Really? From what I’ve heard, many people do the match, but only a small number of applicants actually get matched.
Making a mistake is what I’m worried about too- I don’t want to be in a school where I hate the environment(the people, the rigor, the academics, etc). It’ll make me miserable even though I am getting a full ride (if I get matched that is).
That QB school wasn’t even my first choice to be honest. An instate school was actually my top choice but it’s not a QB college partner. But the reason I keep going back and forth between doing the match is that everyone I talk to keeps telling me to do it but I’ve been leaning more towards RD the whole time, even before I found out I was a finalist.
I think I may end up just going with RD but the money…I was talking to somebody who got a full ride through RD but that’s only one person, I doubt it’s like that for everybody else. On the QB website it says that finalists who apply through RD get a “generous amount of financial aid” but I’m not sure how much that would be exactly, although they do say that since all of the college partners meet 100% of financial need so… I’m not sure. There’s a lot of pros and cons to both…
Best of luck to you too!!!
True, most people do the match from what it sounds like. But I’m sure there are still a good amount of people who are choosing to go with RD (I almost did as well) since QB mentions that on their website here and there.
Yeah, it’s stressful to think about how much is at stake. I’m also worried about getting homesick since I’ve studied at home almost all my life, ahah…It would be a pretty big change. I talked to someone about this and they said that they worried about the same things when they went to college (they didn’t use QB btw) and felt terrible during the first few months they were there. Eventually though, it became a second home to them. I’m hoping that wherever I go, this’ll happen for me too.
On this page (probably the same one you found) it says applying RD as a finalist means you will “Receive a very generous financial aid package that will meet 100% of your demonstrated financial need.” https://www.questbridge.org/high-school-students/regular-decision Some colleges, from what I’ve heard, meet these needs with loans or other means that aren’t really ideal. So like you said, I’m not sure either.
Was there a particular reason you decided not to go with RD?
Homesickness is definitely another one of my main concerns. I’ve never been away from my family (not even for a sleepover as sad as that sounds-my parents are super strict) so going away to some place I’ve never been to and spending 4 years there just sounds so terrifying…But I think this is something that happens to most people, but like you mentioned, with time, it gets better.
I’m not sure either…no matter what I do, my future is unclear. This is so nerve wracking. 8-|
Chances of a match are slim anyway I picked colleges I like but yea I am doing the match so i can get apps done by 11/1 otherwise I’ll be stressed out the rest of 2016
To OP and others: my Son was a finalist 3 years ago, he went ahead and processed his match schools (don’t forget the non-binding schools). Although he was not chosen for a match, he did receive notice of intent of acceptance at RD round, or he could change to ED. He chose to go RD so that he could receive offers and Financial Aid totals in order to have a more rounded decision on his part. I can say his school is fantastic with the financial aid and most definitely meet 100% of need. You should know your expected EFC right now. Be sure to go and do the Net Cost Calculator at the school you are looking at. QB does a great job with naming the finalists. Trust the system.