QuestBridge -- Princeton?

<p>First generation basically means that neither of your parents have gone to college, thus making you the first to apply to college. However, you do not have to necessarily be first generation in order to participate in the Questbridge scholar or match program.</p>

<p>So I am not first generation since my mom has an asssoicate's degree?</p>

<p>Someone please respond on whether this increases one's chances of getting into Princeton.</p>

<p>I did the Questbridge College Match program and found it to be extremely helpful. I was accepted RD to Williams, Amherst, Stanford, Princeton, and Rice through Questbridge. </p>

<p>Murkywater--if you'd like any of my stats or any tips/opinions from me regarding the Questbridge process, feel free to PM me or to respond on this post. =)</p>

<p>Is 24,000 for 2 people also considered low?</p>

<p>Would questbridge help a lot? Those matched with and accepted to Princeton thorugh QB had equal stats as those admitted wthout QB? WOuld I be able to get in with slightly subpar stats if I am a QB applicant.</p>

<p>Probably not. Being low income isn't the greatest "hook" to have and QB is basically advertising that to all the schools you apply to that are normally need blind. I know a person who was a national merit award winner, great ECs, very low income (35K for a 5 person family). She wasn't matched but Williams showed interest. Well they strung her along, waitlisted then rejected her. I still don't see the value of QB and no one has ever addressed what I keep bringing up - why would you present yourself as poor to a need blind school?</p>

<p>Seriously? Why do so many people apply through QB? Didn't someone say it hurts in the early round but helps in the regular round which will be the only round next year? With the removal of EA Princeton will have to control its yield and QB could be one way to do that. Your doing more than presenting yourself as poor. Your showing what obstacled you have overcomed.</p>

<p>But that can be done in your essays and rec's. For me personally, I'm not a URM or first generation and my SATS are below 2200. Even though I was a college prep finalist I probably won't be doing the college match because the schools I'm interested in (ones I have a chance of getting into) aren't on their list and I'm realistic (thanks to TASP) about how far overcoming obstacles plays in the admissions process. Yep I'm jaded already and its not even officially my senior year in high school.</p>

<p>you do make a point grtskt89, but a full ride for one of the top elite schools is nevertheless very tempting ;)</p>

<p>congrats on TASP btw! that's a really good hook for colleges anyway.</p>

<p>What is TASP? I think being low income in itself is not a hook but t might help for people writing about how their father saying n the war has served them, how growing up without a parent has shaped them and how having a parent taken away by cancer has affected them. Those could be hooks or what seperates them from people with equivalent stats.</p>

<p>Also how would QB work with Princeton next year during the match round since there is no ED for Princeton next year.</p>

<p>collegehopeful78, no offense but I would really stop worrying about if QB is a good hook. If you become a finalist, great. If not, just apply through RD, there is nothing you can do otherwise anyway. Also, Princeton will just look at the QB kids separatly for ED.</p>

<p>"What is TASP? I think being low income in itself is not a hook but t might help for people writing about how their father saying n the war has served them, how growing up without a parent has shaped them and how having a parent taken away by cancer has affected them. Those could be hooks or what seperates them from people with equivalent stats"</p>

<p>Again that can be done in your essays and rec's. If you don't have the stats with the URM or first generation just being low income means nothing and might even work against you in the admissions process. </p>

<p>There is a thread in the summer program about TASP. I didn't get in, just to finalist but still I was shocked to have made it that far. By the time the interview was finished I was finished with TASP lol!</p>

<p>There is no Ed next year so how will Princeton look at Qb separately? Are you serious? QB can work against you? How so?</p>

<p>I think I said many times that most of these schools are need blind. Questbridge is for low income so you are basically telling the schools you need a full ride when they are suppose to be BLIND to that fact. I would think that in itself would be a major negative to applying to schools through QB. HOWEVER, if you have great SAT/ACT AND a URM or first generation then maybe it's a good thing but I think most of these schools would notice you anyway through EA/ED or regular admissions. I guess saving money on college applications and being able to apply to a number of schools ED is a positive. But I wouldn't want to be locked into going to my number 6 choice if I was matched and never know if I could have made it into my number 1 or 2 choice RD. It's happens. I think the QB college prep program is a great concept - most likely those that got the 10 summer program are going to be part of the group that get into Yale or Princeton etc.</p>

<p>What if you are the first one in your family to go to a college in America? Thats not first generation right? My dad never graduated from high school. My mom however has a 2 year degree from some school in India. </p>

<p>Also what if you have a touching story? Would that makeup for not being first generation or a URM?</p>

<p>Also if those schools are need blind why did they become partner schools in the first place? They obviously view being a QB finalist as something positive.</p>

<p>collegehopeful,</p>

<p>Please don't stress and waste your time trying to predict a dice roll. My advice to you is to be yourself when college apps come. Be genuine, honest, and revealing. Say what you want to say, not what you believe can deem a certain advantage over another story.</p>

<p>To clarify, need-blind does not necessarily mean the colleges don't know your income level (after all, being low-income is a challenge in itself that shapes many life choices and could warrant some explanation on the application). Need-blind just means that a school like Princeton will not discriminate based on income. Princeton does not have a select number of spots to give out to low-income students. Princeton will take the most qualified applicants regardless of their financial background. If you put care into your Questbridge application, there is no way that applying through QuestBridge will hurt your chances. Never, of course, try to enter the college match with schools you wouldn't attend in a heatbeat.</p>

<p>Well everyone has a different story but you wouldnt know I was low income from my application and not even from my address so I guess it depends. So if one does Questbridge and wants to apply to a school ED thats not on QB list can we do that?</p>

<p>yes, but you are expected to withdraw your ED application if you are matched to a college.</p>