QuestBridge Non-Finalist Stories?

Paying for College Access Programs (Questbridge, Posse)
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Hey guys. So pretty bummed out that I became a Non-Finalist. But hey. Anyone who sees this thread. If you are a Non-Finalist, its not the end! At least. That’s that I’m trying to tell myself. From what QB wrote, they basically said that we shouldn’t lose hope. For me, I didn’t need to check to see my status because Yale told me in an email “Although you are not a finalist…” Anyone else who ranked Yale get this letter? Also, I’d you don’t mind, I’d like to open this up for Non-Finalists to share their stories and give the rest of us some hope about getting into one of QB’s partner schools as a Non-Finalist.

Thank you. And don’t lose hope! Although I am hurting a bit right now, let’s support one another. :slight_smile:

2

Same case here. My son was not a finalist. We were quite hopeful although the fact that both parents being college grads probably weighed against him. Yet to figure out if there are benefits of being a non-finalist. I noticed some schools waive the application fee, but is there anything else that I am missing?

3

I am also a nonfinalist. I know how you feel :frowning: I think the fact that my income is well over $60,000 because of a scholarship I receive to attend a private school may have effected my outcome. I am trying to keep positive and continue with the application. :smiley:

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I’m a FINALIST lol :stuck_out_tongue:

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@gunnati I think that is all besides the fact that you are free to apply wherever you want.

@Shabeezy I hope that as a finalist, you are modest and kind towards others who didn’t make it, which is contrary to your post.

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I worked with a student who did not become a finalist. This hurts. It feels like the partner schools are out of reach for her. Has anybody heard of getting into partner schools after not becoming a finalist? One thing that might change is that a new, hopefully higher, SAT score will come in October 27th. This is hard on people who don’t field a high score before senior year, and many people need the extra time.

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There is a closed FB group called Questbridge Family 2017-18 that has many non finalists past and present sharing their stories of acceptance into partner schools and giving much encouragement.

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Hey don’t feel so bummed , it is already presummed that Questbridge is extremely competitive when it comes to it’s selections.

As far as my story goes , I’m going to be straightforward about my academics and scores so you know where I stood. They say that as females , we are less prone to get into something unless we have the 100% qualification to do so. I did not , no where near meeting the typical finalist profile. I had a 3.0 , class rank somthing like this 320/770, sat score :1010 etc. I still applied though so, I prepared myself for not being a candidate as well.

When I got the notification of not being a candidate , I was not stricken a bit because at least I know the answer. I wouldn’t haven known the answer if I did not make the effort. If I did not try , I for sure knew I was not going to get it.
Despite knowing of my risks of rejection, I did it.

I took the SAT again Oct 19, 2016 before the finalist notification and I’m taking Math level 2 subject tests and Physics. I had thoughts of pulling completely out to just finish my last year to get my associates at the community college I go to but, I decided to keep pushing to the regular decision for my schools picked.

Yale sent me a letter even when I didn’t rank them also including Pomona, Rice, Colorado and I did not rank those schools.

We can all be strong candidates for our college despite our academia or financial circumstances. You are more than just your gpa, class rank , and extracurriculars! Maybe it was better to be a non-finalist, in my case I got rid of schools I didn’t really want to apply for which narrowed down my application process. The schools themselves look for something specific in their candidates , you will be able to make it if you communicate it properly!

Fighting!!
Even so , I’m willing to share my email with you guys and we can work together to make our applications profficient.

Sincerely,
Aspiring educator and pursuer of STEM related studies.

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@Shabeezy you should respect the people who WORK HARD but did not become a finalists. RESPECT! They work hard just like you do! Treat them EQUALLY. Become you still have another phase to go! You haven’t got accepted yet to the college! So, treat everyone EQUALLY! Non-finalist or finalist! Thank you!

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Because*

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@Stephstudent98 great comment!

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@carrots0066. Much to our surprise and disappointment, my son was not selected as a finalist. He applied to Yale SCEA and was accepted Yale Class of 2017.

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@gunnati Where do I find out which schools waive the app fee?

My son isn’t a finalist but the QB process helped spark his motivation with the college app process. He’s more invested now than he was before. None of the QB schools were his top choices because he’s not that interested in LibArt colleges or Ivies since his intended major is Gaming Development. USC and MIT offer it as a major (not just a CS course) but none of the others. Maybe why he wasn’t accepted as a finalist. Now I’m trying to weigh whether he should apply EA at a few of his reaches. We’re in Pittsburgh at Carnegie Mellon into Monday and they are due Tuesday. So may not happen.

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Congrats to your son @momofmusician17! He must be so excited!

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@momofmusician17 Thanks for sharing! That sounds amazing!