Hey guys, seeing that I am in the end of my college applications and QuestBridge process, I thought it would be a good idea to offer some insight and answer any questions for those interested in doing QuestBridge. I am a QuestBridge finalist and got into a QB partner school RD and have an older sister who was matched to Wesleyan via QB so I have a good amount of experience with the program. It’s a long process and can be actually confusing, so I am here to help and support you guys!
Did you apply for the College Prep Scholarship?
@HERCULES_HERCULES No I did not, however, I have lots of friends that got in, but some did not end up going to the program.
I have a question:
Does the National College Match give students specialized help with their applications? And how likely is it to get accepted and then to be matched? Any estimate statistics on Stanford as a college partner? And last, any tips for future applicants?
@youngnhopeful Hello, the national college match does not particularly offer help with applications, but it does make it easier when applying to colleges. The only thing is that you may feel rushed after finding out you have been selected a finalist because you are only given about 2 weeks to complete additional applications (some colleges want common app or supplements). Chances of being matched are very low, only about 600 out of 5,000 are chosen (estimate numbers). But two people from my school got matched, so you never know. (They got matched to Columbia and Notre Dame) I recommend during college match (I did), but if you don’t get matched do not be discouraged, you can still get in regular decision. Lots of kids have gotten almost full rides by doing QB regular decision, plus you have more options.
My tips would be to start on your application as soon as possible (it opens July I believe), and just make sure you show who you are on your applications. My friend who also did QB regular decision got into Harvard, Princeton, Duke, Emory, UVA, USC but his stats weren’t super high. But he had a really good application, so make sure you try to show that you are unique. I know Stanford doesn’t choose as many kids during match, maybe max 5, but that’s just my guess. Uchiago actually has the most matched kids (80 this year). Some schools only choose 1-2, it really depends on the school. I do know that being a QB finalist helps, I hear of kids with low test scores getting into Stanford, Pomona, Davidson. I had super low test scores but got into a QB partner school.
Feel free to message me anytime and when you are completing your application. I didn’t have any help and had to do it all by myself and do all the financial requirements by myself so I’ll do my best to offer you support. Good luck!
Hey,
In your previous post, you said low test scores. You don’t have give me an exact score but may you provide a range that your score fell in? What partner school did you get into, if you don’t mind me asking?
@HERCULES_HERCULES Nah don’t worry I’ll tell you my scores. I took SAT twice and got 1120 both times (sad lmao) but I sent them in and still got QB finalist. I took ACT after I sent my application and got 26 (is like a 1240 on SAT) and sent it after not being matched. I got rejected regular decision from all my QB schools except for one (AYEE) and got waitlisted at UVA and Colorado which I guess is impressive considering getting into UVA out of state is super competitive, kids with 36 on ACT or 1600 SAT often get rejected. SO being a QB finalist helps!
Did a lot of College Prep Scholars get into the National College Match? And what kind of extracurricular she do you do? If you don’t mind me asking?
This may be late but Do colleges admit you by comparing your app to those in your area (giving advantage for lower-income ppl with less opportunities. Also cuz I think compared locally to my school or county, I’d stand out but not against like everyone yknow) or compare you to all other applicants across the nation? Like do you guys know the policy for UC vs. USC, Claremont Colleges, Stanford, Caltech, Yale, MIT, Princeton?
Also, would our chances of being matched be higher if we rank schools that most people don’t rank? Like let’s hypothetically say Columbia is a lot less popular/is ranked by way less people than Yale. Would my chances for Columbia increase because less people ranked it? Like does each partner college have a certain number they try to match each year or is all based on if they really want you? Sorry if that sounds like a dumb question.
Thanks!
@lambchop1000008 Hey! and no you’re not late, sorry I’m just getting back to you. Yes, colleges do look at the area you are in and take that into consideration. However, colleges get applicants from various backgrounds, so I don’t think they compare every applicant to one another. Also, admission officers are assigned a region where they are in charge of looking at, so I wouldn’t worry too much about not standing out. As long as you piece your application that is true to yourself, you will be fine. I can’t say for all the colleges you listed, but for CMC and other small liberal arts schools, they definitely want geographic diversity. So applicants that are from states that are underrepresented at their school have a higher chance (though not a guarantee) of getting in. For USC competition is huge and very unpredictable to be honest. USC has one of the most applicants in the country and so they get applicants from all over the place. I had few kids who applied to USC in my year. Two were in top five, and my friend was ranked #25. He had SAT in 1300s, they had their SAT in 1500s. He was a QB finalist and ended up getting in over them. So you never really know how things will turn out. Schools like Caltech are harder to get matched too, only two got matched from what I have heard… but I do believe that you may have a better chance to be matched to schools that don’t have as many people choosing them. Usually the lesser known liberal arts schools would have less people ranking but still a decent amount. Though, it’s hard to say since I know a lot of these colleges will only match if they truly want the applicant. Some schools only match from 2-5, while others such as Uchicago match up to 80. It all depends on the school. Im prettt sure colleges do not shoot for a number but they may recognize they can only match a certain number of people since it will cost them. I hope I am making sense. 
You said you filled out everything by yourself? I’m in the same boat as my parents don’t seem to have time to attend to me and help with the common app and other college related things, so I’m kinda on my own lol. But I know that the deadline is September 27 and my SAT scores come out on the 15(R+M) for the August SAT and essay on the 18th. Do you think that I should focus on other things in the College math application like the essays and teacher recommendations? I didn’t get a chance to get teacher recommendations before school ended but I did tell two teachers who I’m extremely close with about teacher recommendations and they said that I will be their first priority when school opens (Sept 5), which is good but I don’t know if the will have it done before the deadline(and make it excellent). Also if you apply to questbridge and you want to apply to other colleges not partnered with Questbridge, do you wait till they announce finalists or do you just apply like you would normally for the common application.
Hey so I’m applying to questbridge and I’m unsure what to write about…i’m worried it may come off as cliche even though it wholehearted talked about things personal to me. (i.e. being first gen african american and trying to find my voice thru my African and African American heritage and clubs related to this) How do you think they differentiate being genuine versus cliche. Also, IDK whether to send in my acts…they’re pretty low and don’t match up with my sats, can I just like not and send in my sats lol. I got a 1320 on them and I got my IB scores and I got a 6 on my IB history SL so what do you recommend. Sorry if this is an all over the place type of post…just don’t know where to start and my friend who was a college prep scholar got rejected. Is it ample time to give my teachers time to write it when my school starts which is the 2nd week of august? Or, should I email the week before school starts. PLZ help! I am soo lost
Also unsure if I can put these down as extenuating circumstances:
I have a disorder that made me miss a lot of school,(included large bouts of digestion etc. grades align with situation and HUGE upward trend junior year w/ 3.85 gpa both semesters full ib which is when actual ib starts…i’m pretty sure colleges know it’s difficult around this time so I feel like I really should put it but what do you guys think??)
1 and a half hr commute to school everyday (Not as many school clubs bc of it but does it sound too whiny???..parents didn’t want me coming home late so by by tennis soph year when serial killer struck and was rampant and I significantly decreased school clubs junior year again but eh…just want food for thought on the circumstance)
Serial killer was in my neighborhood/community killing people left and right …bout 6 or 7 ppl i think??(idk… def true story and super impactful in high school career but tbh nooo clue if they would care?..possible tie in to essay???)
@JasmineArmani Feel free to personally message me if you need anything, I know how stressful it can be to do things on your own without help from family. Yes, I strongly recommend you start your QB application if you haven’t (it’s opened!) and start writing your essays. The essays are the most important part of your application, so if you can, try finishing them before school starts so you would just need to edit them during September. It’s difficult to balance the QB application and school work at the same time, so doing whatever you can know will help. Also for your teacher recommendations, try emailing them know and remind them you would need it by the 27th. Those are also important. You need two teacher recommendations and one counselor recommendation. As of right now, you can type out a list of clubs you are in, volunteer work, gpa, your hobbies, interests etc for teachers and your counselor to include in the recommendation. My school gave us this thing called “brag sheets” where we had to write all these things about us and words to describe us and give it to our counselors and they would then write our recommendations. Let them know as soon as possible because it is a lot of work for teachers and counselors to write all these recommendations. and if you apply to be a finalist and become one, you can’t apply to any other schools (only in state public schools). If you go through the match and are not matched, you can then start applying to nonpartner schools and continue your application to the partner schools. Also, if you aren’t matched don’t feel discouraged because you can still get in the partner schools and get amazing FA. Let me know if you have any other questions!
@Salmerks I do not think your essay ideas are cliche at all. I’ve read a few this summer from other QB applicants and I find that each person has their own unique story to tell. Definitely, focus on how your race, upbringing, and struggles have shaped the person you are today. With the QB essays, a lot of people try to include as much as possible about their lives in chronological order. Although it says it’s a “biographical essay” you don’t have to write it like it’s a biography. Think of it as you are writing a part of your life. Be creative as possible with your writing style. A lot of people have unique experiences but they end up “telling” instead of expressing in their essays so it doesn’t make the essay as interesting as it could be. You don’t have to change how you write for this essay, but think outside of the box and don’t worry about what you think the readers would want to read. It’s your life and your choice on how to tell the story. If your SAT is higher I do suggest only sending that one in if you’re comfortable, but test scores really don’t have that much of an impact as much as your essays do. I do not know IB score ranges but I do think you should send IB and SAT. Also, a lot of kids who apply to CPS and get rejected get accepted into QB, so encourage your friend to apply! And I strongly suggest you email your teachers and counselor now, and have a typed up letter/list about your extracurriculars, hobbies, interests, etc. And I would include your disorder in the application (there’s a section that lets you include extra things). It has interfered with your academics so its important to explain that in the application. And as far as the serial killer and the commute, if that has impacted your academic and or extracurriculars you can put that in your essay. if you have any more questions personally message me and I’ll help out!
Hi, I’m curious about if you applied for questbridge prep scholar. If you did, did you reuse the same essay from prep scholar for the match?
Hi! I hope my question isn’t too weird, but I was wondering about what happens after you become a finalist. Do you have to submit a lot of documentation about your income and stuff. For example, my household value is really high and my income is super low so I don’t want them to get confused about my situation. Do they have to get papers about the household value and such? I hope that makes sense thanks :).
@myan22 I didn’t apply for the prep scholars but I do have a lot of friends who did do the CPS and they wrote entirely new essays.
@mlplover69 Your question isn’t weird at all. After you become a finalist, you have to submit your parent’s 2016 tax returns and their w-2s; some schools require additional documentation. I know that FAFSA and CSS ask about household value but I don’t think any schools require paperwork about that. Also, you can always explain your situation in the section for FAFSA or CSS, schools keep an open mind and are willing to read about your situation.
Just today I received an email from QuestBridge which invited me to apply to the 2017 National College Match. I was hoping you could give me a quick, little summary of what it is/does? I’ve been researching a bit but I am still a little confused about what it actually is… Thanks.