<p>First off: this is my first thread; my apologies if I've posted it in the wrong place.</p>
<p>Secondly: I was recently selected as a Questbridge Match to Grinnell, IA. However, due to recent filial issues and health problems and, admittedly, recent acceptance letters from some of my Top Choice colleges, I'm beginning to question the practicality of my traveling all the way to Iowa -- but from what I've been told the QB Match is absolutely binding, meaning I must attend it immediately and for the entire four years.</p>
<p>My questions to all of you are these: 1) Do I HAVE to attend, or is there some kind of loophole? 2) If I must attend, must I attend for all four years? 3) Will I still retain financial aid for the number of years I DO attend Grinnell if I end up not staying for the full four years and transferring? 4) If I stay at Grinnell but take longer than four years to finish, must I then begin paying for tuition out of my own pocket?</p>
<p>Thank you all so much for taking the time to even look at this thread, let alone answer it. And please don't think I'm ungrateful for the QB Match! It sincerely is a blessing and I appreciate Grinnell's kindness and use of resources towards me.</p>
<p>There is a Questbridge forum in the financial aid section and you may want to post there if this thread isn’t moved. </p>
<p>Re: your question. Why are you receiving acceptances from other ‘top choice’ colleges? The NCM process prohibits you applying early to other colleges, and RD decisions will not be coming for some time. You are allowed to apply to your state flagship and rolling decision colleges, (and a couple other special provision cases). Are these the schools you refer to as your ‘top choice colleges’? If so, surely you knew those acceptances were likely and you weighed that out before entering NCM. One reason that binding and restrictive early admissions programs including QB NCM are designed the way they are is so you do not have competing choices around a binding/early admission. This was, in effect, the decision you made when you ranked colleges and signed the match agreement. </p>
<p>If you remember back to early November, you signed a legally binding match agreement which your college counselor and your parents also signed. It is probably still available on your application management page in the upper right hand corner. I won’t reproduce details here from the document you signed, but yes it is a binding agreement. Must you attend immediately? The issue of a deferred matriculation should be taken up with your college and would be on a case-by-case basis. </p>
<p>1) If a student is unable to attend college at all due to disability or grave health issues, there are provisions for that, but preferring another college would not be grounds for violating the contact. 2) You are expected to attend for the four years your match scholarship covers if you are in good academic and social standing. 3) Your FA will not follow you if you leave Grinnell and it is more difficult to get FA as a transfer student. Additionally, some colleges that are need-blind for freshman are not need-blind for transfer students and a 100% demonstrated need pledge from colleges does not apply to transfer students 4) You’ll have to talk to the college about this. Maybe cross that bridge when/if you come to it?? Colleges like Grinnell are dedicated to helping you have a successful tenure as student at their institution and there are numerous resources that will support you academically and in other areas to complete your degree on time and in good standing. </p>
<p>You may also want to go to the Grinnell forum and post there if you have any questions about the college. It is an active community and the families/posters are very warm there.<br>
A fully funded education at a top US college is indeed an amazing opportunity and I’m sure you do recognize that. Good luck making this work!</p>
<p>OP, this is not the time to decide about Match. The app process was thorough and extensive and you were lucky enough to make finalist, then even more fortunate by getting matched. You made the decision already.</p>
<p>I don’t think you want this post to be misinterpreted as indicating an intent to break your contract for ED. I further suggest that you begin posting in the Grinnell forum so you can better get to know the wonderful school which has given you an incredible offer.</p>
<p>A lot of kids get cold feet. But OP if you are the great student you must be (if you became a finalist and even got matched) then surely you did your homework and researched Grinnell before ranking it. Not having to worry about money for college is a gift for which you will be grateful for the rest of your life.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of the responses. I think I should mention that the main cause for my hesitation was the health issue and NOT that the other schools accepted me. Upon looking into them I realized Grinnell is absolutely way better than all of the others and it was stupid of me to think anything else. </p>
<p>ALSO: I had applied rolling admissions and NOT early decision everywhere else. I will be contacting the schools to tell them I will not be attending and am committed to Grinnell.</p>
<p>I spoke to my family about the health concerns and they were all very adamant that I not shape my college experience around them, so I am happy to announce that I no longer have cold feet about attending. I am looking forward to attending Grinnell next year!!</p>
<p>OP, I’m glad that you are starting to connect with the Grinnell community and that your family is supporting you in overcoming any perceived obstacles to attending college away from home next fall. </p>
<p>Also, you should not feel guilty or judge yourself for having had a moment of doubt; it is human and happens around many moments of commitment - marriage, buying a house, moving for a job, etc. - change is hard and commitment is harder, even when it’s the absolute right thing for you. So, you made your cold-feet moment public, and that’s ok too! (in fact several other QB match students have done the same this year but with different schools - so you are really not alone!) It’s all part of a big exciting adventure.
Now you can relax and enjoy the fact that you are done with college applications forever! On top of the excitement of being matched to Grinnell, you are lucky to have the time to just enjoy the rest of your senior year with your friends and family – without stress!</p>
<p>Ghettohorsey - I’m glad that you and your family have decided that you’ll be able to make this work!</p>
<p>A couple of points of clarification, though . . .</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You are expected to enroll at Grinnell, but no one expects you to remain there for four years if you are truly unhappy or some personal or family situation makes it impossible for you to stay there. So, if, for whatever reason, you decide a year or two down the road that you need to be closer to home, no one at Grinnell is going to say, “No, you have to stay here.” And, no, you would not have to repay the financial aid you’d received up until then, if that were to happen.</p>
<p>Also, most financial aid packages are good for four years only. If you needed to take a leave of absence during those four years, that would not count. But if you remained a student in residence, then, yes, you’d be expected to graduate within four years. But, as a Questbridge student, you’d also be getting plenty of support to make sure you stay on track and are able to make that happen.</p>
<p>Good luck!!! And, if you have any other concerns, contact the Grinnell admissions office and speak to them. I’m sure they’d be happy to help you!</p>
<p>Ghettohorsey, if you don’t mind, would you tell us how many people got matched at Grinnell? It should be in the decision on your account. We’re trying to collect some stats. Thanks, and congrats on your match! Seriously, don’t worry too much about it. The other Quest Scholars will make you feel at home. You’ll do fine.
–a fellow 2013 match at UChicago.</p>
<p>Ghettohorsey, if you don’t mind, would you tell us how many people got matched at Grinnell? It should be in the decision on your account. We’re trying to collect some stats. Thanks, and congrats on your match! Seriously, don’t worry too much about it. The other Quest Scholars will make you feel at home. You’ll do fine.
–a fellow 2013 match at UChicago.</p>