<p>i just got something in the mail about the questbridge program, and it sounds great. however, there is a problem: i'm not poor. i'm not rich either. i'm pretty much middle class. my dad's an officer in the air force, so he doesn't make a ton of money but we get stipends for almost all of of our cost of living. i'm wondering if it would even be worth applying. so does anybody know if acceptance is based more on academic merit or financial need?</p>
<p>It's supposed to be a combination of both. Also, they say that people with moderate incomes get into the program too. I would apply (can't hurt, right?).</p>
<p>financial need is a big factor -- but a lot depends on what you consider middle income. If you have medical expenses, a large family or other unusual circumstances, then you income could be higher. </p>
<p>As an officer in the Air Force with living stipends, I am guessing you won't really show that much "need". Keep in mind that what Questbridge will be evaluating is whether your family could pay, not whether they want to or whether it would really stretch their budget.</p>
<p>it definitely can't hurt to apply -- and it could be good practice for college applications in the future.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.questbridge.org/cps/summer_school.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.questbridge.org/cps/summer_school.html</a>
R u talking abt this? I guess one must be enrolled w/ the program......I definitely qualify for this program but one thing...is it only for seniors?</p>
<p>asifkhan -- the scholarship is only for kids who are now juniors and will be seniors next year. You do not have to be enrolled or belong to anything to apply -- but the application is due March 31st, so start working on it.</p>
<p>Questbridge offers several programs -- the one you linked to is the College Prep Summer Scholarship. they also have a college match program -- very competitive, but students get full financial aid to attend top schools if selected.</p>
<p>for full information on the summer college prep scholarship, this is the link: <a href="http://www.questbridge.org/cps/info.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.questbridge.org/cps/info.php</a></p>
<p>is the financial aid the biggest part of this program? because i'm not really interested in that. i was more interested in the fact that the brochure made it sound as if they have the ear of the admissions committees at top schools and if you are accepted to the program they will help you get admitted.</p>
<p>if you are referring to the college match program, the financial aid is just part of it. The program allows you to apply ED for several schools (which you can't normally do) and those students that are selected for the college match program really shine to admin officers.</p>
<p>however -- if you are not interested in the financial aid because you don't demonstrate need, then the program is not for you. Why aren't you interested in FA?</p>
<p>rotc scolarship. i can probably demonstrate at least some need, but i'm not really sure about the complexities of financing a college education, or the intricacies of my family's financial situation, so i can't really say how much.</p>
<p>the questbridge college match program is only for seniors applying to college for the first time -- the match happens in the fall, so the next group of kids are currently juniors and will participate in the college match program next fall as seniors.</p>
<p>If you already have an rotc scholarship, then you are past the time that you can participate in the college match program. If you don't have an rotc scholarship then you can't count on it. </p>
<p>To find out what your family will be expected to pay for college, go to: <a href="http://www.finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate.phtml%5B/url%5D">http://www.finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate.phtml</a></p>
<p>The lower the number, the more need you demonstrate.</p>
<p>If you are just starting your college search, you need to understand that college finances are very important to understand -- you really need to do your research so that you don't end up with a handful of admittances but no way to pay to attend the schools.</p>
<p>i'm fairly sure i can get an rotc scolarship without many, if any problems. i'm 3rd generation military and i've got a 33 on the ACT. i don't have one yet.</p>
<p>iowejf -- I see by reading your other posts, you are a junior this year and you seem like you will be a well-qualified applicant.</p>
<p>I think rotc is a great way to pay for college as long as you are interested in pursuing a major that they are looking for. I agree -- you probably do have a good chance, but I know that some kids who are sure they will get the scholarship end up with a disqualification due to their physical. That is why you need to know your options. I always recommend that you do the physical as early as possible (it also gives you time to get waivers if you need them).</p>
<p>As you know, rotc scholarships are separate from admittance to colleges. One thing to keep in mind is where the ROTC program is physically located -- Cornell is the only Ivy with the ROTC program on the campus. Many students would rather live on the campus where the ROTC program is located -- makes PT easier to attend, classes, you connect with the other ROTC kids and you really reap more of the benefits of ROTC.</p>
<p>If you can demonstrate need, you could also apply to the Questbridge program and then you would have a choice.</p>
<p>yeah, i'm in the process of looking into which places i want to go that have rotc. and i can do 60 pushups in a minute.</p>
<p>sounds like you have a good plan. make sure that if you plan the rotc route, that you not only check out the school but also the rotc unit -- you will be spending alot of time with those guys and a good unit will really make a difference.</p>
<p>Have you thought about attending a service academy?</p>
<p>Hi, I hope you don't mind me hijacking this thread.</p>
<p>I got the QuestBridge thing in the mail yesterday also, and my family definitely qualifies for it. My mom doesn't work and my dad makes way less than $60k a year...</p>
<p>I'm applying for the summer school scholarship AND the College Match program, but the only drawback is that the College Match program is binding. As in, if you are accepted to one of the match schools, you HAVE to attend. I find this slightly disturbing because Harvard University is definitely on my list of schools I'd like to attend, yet it is not one of their Partner Colleges. Do you still think I should do it? The other colleges I'd do the Match Program for would be Yale or Princeton, but Harvard is definitely my first choice. Ahhh! Advice please? Do I have this whole system all wrong or something?</p>
<p>Thank you :]</p>
<p>that decision is all up to you -- my advice is to apply for the College Match program. The program selection is very competitive and the application is time consuming, but once it is done you will have a leg up on regular college applications (you will have already done essays, contacted teachers, etc).</p>
<p>If you are accepted into the College Match program, you can then decide whether to apply to partner schools -- you don't have to accept the match process. Next fall you may have a better idea of exactly what you want -- you may decide you hate Harvard, you may decide it is the only school you want.</p>
<p>If you choose to apply through the college match program, it is binding -- however, you choose the schools you are willing to be matched to. So if you are only willing to match with Princeton or Stanford, you wouldn't be matched to any other school. The process does not always result in a match -- students may choose a few schools, but those schools may not choose those same students. The student is then free to apply during the RD round.</p>
<p>I think that deciding whether you would want to do the college match because you think you want to go to harvard is putting the cart before the horse -- you may not be selected and then it is a moot point. if you are selected, you would have some good choices.</p>
<p>Response to the original post:</p>
<p>if you go to Questbridge's FAQ, they answer your question directly- they receive scores from PSAT/SAT/other standardized tests, and send out mail to all outstanding scores regardless of income; they have to do it this way because they don't get any information about the student's family income status. Questbridge says that successful applicants' incomes range up to around $60,000. Check out the site for a more "official" answer to your question. Hope this helps!</p>
<p>Hey, I was curious in knowing what the stats are for kids who get accepted into Stanford, Princeton, or Columbia via Questbridge. And do you need to have taken SAT's in order to apply for the Questbridge summer program</p>