@RapidPX its called “2019 QuestBridge College Prep Scholars”
@RapidPX where did you see the people who got the emails? do you know if they were separate from the acceptance letter?
@apples1439 Thanks, I requested to join
@angnickelodeon 2 people mentioned they got a separate email days before today concerning pioneer academics. you can take a look on page 3 of this thread
didn’t get in 
, congratulation everyone
Does everyone who got accepted as a prep scholar get the essay review?
accepted!
I think I got the invite for the conference at Pomona College because I’m located in SoCal. Do you guys think it’d be possible for them to reassign me to the UPenn one if I ask? I’m going to be in that area visiting my family at that time, and it’d be a lot more convenient.
Does anybody know if we had to apply to the actual summer program if we applied to it through questbridge?
I applied for the Yale Young scholars program on questbridge but didn’t actually apply through the yale website.
@Abdobe I took the ACT 3 times (1 time for free). I got the same score the first 2 times (32) and felt that wasn’t good enough since my application would be lacking AP/IB/honors courses already. Since I struggled with math, I focused specifically on it and on questions I knew were difficult for me. After repeatedly doing those problems, I took the test a third time and improved my math score by 4 points. Also, while you’re taking the test, what I like to do is put a check mark by every question I’m 90+% certain on, a hyphen by questions I’m unsure on, and an X by questions I need to revisit if I have time at the end of the test (you can use whatever symbols you like). I just find this system very helpful because when I finish the test, I can quickly go back and revisit ONLY the questions I struggled with. Certainly the ACT is not the only part of your application, so don’t stress too much over it, but definitely try your best. Don’t take it more than 3 times (waste of money and time). Study a lot for the ones you do take!
@quantumegypt I just struggle with the English part. It feels so easy, and I finish 8 minutes early… but I get a bad score every time. Lastly, Did you use any specific websites or did you just practice? Thanks for the tips btw!
I didn’t get an email early about Pioneer Academics early so I assume I didn’t get in because I had to submit lower test scores with my application. Should I apply separately to the program through their website or wait to see if I actually did/didn’t get in?
Did they announce all the quest for excellence award recipients yet? It says May/June but I see people that have already gotten info back about that.
@bandissuperior from what ive seen people who got into summer programs (stanford law and trial, pioneer academics, etc) received info on that a few days prior to prep scholar decisions coming out. haven’t seen anyone post about awards such as the $1000 for a new laptop or specific college visits being paid for yet. not sure if quest for excellence awards are separate from some of what people are talking about (i.e. if quest for excellence humanities award is separate from pioneer academics)
I also got the email about pioneer about a week in advance, I imagine to ensure enough time to be interviewed for it since the deadline is so close. It basically said we were impressed with your application and have nominated you as a finalist for pioneer academics.
Also, congrats fellow CPS members! I look forward to interacting with you! ?
To all those admitted, there’s an Instagram and Groupme chat. Check it out @questbridgecps2019
@Abdobe My best advice for English and Reading (I got a 35/36 in those sections) is to read classic books. Take in the grammar. Don’t read newer books because many times the grammar is questionable or just plain wrong. I didn’t use any websites (many of them are very low quality), but I did buy the Official ACT Book (https://www.amazon.com/Official-Guide-2018-19-Online-Content/dp/1119508061) - this helps a lot.
I got in too!
I got in! Here are some of my basic stats:
32 ACT, 1460 PSAT, 4.0 GPA (unweighted), IB Student
Complicated family situation overall, but a single-parent household with three kids, with income that is well within QB’s requirements (also my mom’s ex-husband is $10,000 behind on child support)
Not first gen and I’m white
I think I had some strong writing that secured my spot, but congrats to everyone else who got in too!
760 SAT Math Level II, 720 SAT Chemistry - Class Rank, 2nd out of 277, 4.42 GPA, taking Dual enrollment Calculus 1&2, and Calculus-based Physics 1&2, Dual enroll) Admitted to BOTH the Governor’s School for the Arts AND the Governor’s School for Science and Technology, which are big deals in Virginia.) Admitted to Harvard, Carnegie Mellon, and NYU Summer programs, and Wait-listed at Yale’s - But somehow my son was not deemed worthy of being a Quest Bridge College Prep Scholar.They said the applicants “were competitive” and that he should consider applying to “a wide range of colleges” whatever that means. Apparently they didn’t think he was even capable of gaining admission to UVA, a school in his home state. (We are $20,000 BELOW the income limit.)(Did not get enough aid to attend the summer programs mentioned above.)(Still waiting on Yale tho.)(Has not taken the SAT or ACT yet; did not take the PSAT.)(His older sister was admitted to Vanderbilt in 2006 with a 1400+ SAT and three fives and two fours on AP exams, including a 5 on the vaunted AP Calculus BC exam. She was an AP Scholar with Distinction.)
I read online that Harvard said they do not participate in Quest Bridge because Quest Bridge charges their partners money to participate. See: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2008/10/15/overlooking-questbridge-applicants-merema-m-ahmed/
"Fitzsimmons, explaining why Harvard passes on the National College Match Program, said that the College’s current outreach to low-income students was at its maximum and, in turn, produced a “very, very strong applicant
pool.”
Fitzsimmons also said that the fee colleges must pay in order to participate in the program is a deterrent.
“That amount of money you pay to a program is money that could go into financial aid,” he said.
I have also read that many students with top numbers are not made finalists at Quest Bridge. and therefore many students are not matched with the elite or top colleges. That makes me wonder what is the true purpose of Quest Bridge? All of the top students boast of being “needs blind.” Yet I have read that schools are somehow able to limit their low income admissions to a certain percentile. But how could they if they are admitting on the basis of merit and needs blind at the same time? Could it be that Quest Bridge’s real purpose is to assist elite colleges in identifying low income applicants, …so they can limit their numbers? (Because low income applicants cost the school money, where as full tuition payers do not.)
@MarkTwain007 - Don’t despair and don’t think this is the end of the road with QB. Just because your son wasn’t named a CP Scholar doesn’t mean that he can’t be a QB finalist next year. My daughter wasn’t selected as a CP scholar, but was selected as a finalist for QB. Have your son work on his personal essay, make sure it is a show essay and not a tell essay. The QB Match application is much more thorough with many opportunities to show who you are. My daughter’s essays for the QB Match program were much better than her CP Scholar essays.
My daughter was not matched during the finalist round, but had amazing RD results. She is headed off to Stanford on Thursday for their admitted students program and then will make her decision between Stanford and Columbia.
I would also like to add that grades and test scores only get your foot in the door. It is the rest of the application that will get you an acceptance letter either December and/or March.
Best of luck to your son.