<p>Yes, but the Questbridge partner schools cover cost with grants, not loans.</p>
<p>Let me tell you what, my D and I are BOTH on her GC to get the recommendation and transcript in before the deadline. I actually called her GC myself the first day the GC's at her school were back for the year and followed up with a personal visit to pick up her unofficial transcript 2 days later.</p>
<p>The allure of Questbridge for my D is just what a previous poster said, no loans. What I told her when I first heard about Questbridge and told her about it was this "It doesn't cost anything but your time and for the chance to graduate debt free doesn't it make sense to maybe look at a few other schools than what you have already chosen?" As a result D started looking at several of the QB partner schools that she had never really considered before (for no particular reasons) and is actually excited about the ones she is applying for. I told her we have to seriously narrow down the choices this weekend and get that app done (she has handwritten her essays, they need to be typed now. It is just the way she likes to do it) so that we can get the fax cover sheets to the teachers making recommendations by Monday.</p>
<p>Sheed, as far as asking for a quick rec I am sure it will be fine. My D had a project last year in conjunction w/ her English class where they were required to research colleges and request recs from teachers in advance. They also had to write thank you letters to the teachers providing the recs.</p>
<p>My D gave forms to her 2 teachers last week, and GC yesterday. She is being not so subtle in her encouraging the 2 teachers. This morning she took to one "sweedish fish", his favorite, and the other, Starbucks, his favorite! If we don't see that they have faxed in the recs by next week, it will be more of the same!</p>
<p>GA2012MOM, LOL good idea!! We are not above a little sucking up either. I will have to get on that one. I think I could make some muffins this weekend!!</p>
<p>My d was a finalist but since she applied SCEA to Yale, she did not apply as a binding applicant to Princeton as a Quest bridge applicant. Staring this year Yale is one of the college on quest bridge list. If Yale was on the list she would have done the binding program. If you can get in, it is a wonderful program.</p>
<p>Allow me to comment on a few misconceptions:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Amherst for example, covers not tuition, room/board, fees, books, travel, health insurance, and stipend for personal expenses. It does however require in return $1700 in work/study money and $750 in summer contribution. This $2450/yearly can be wiped out if the student has received outside scholarships.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Unfortunately, there IS a difference between work study and summer eaning contributions. ALthough each school sets its own policies, it is usually very hard to replace the summer earning expectation with outside scholarships. Please read the information posted by Amherst on the QB page:</p>
<p>Outside scholarships
These awards can be used to reduce the work-study requirement. Scholarships that exceed the earnings requirements can be deferred to subsequent academic years or used toward the one-time purchase of a personal computer. Additional scholarships will be used to reduce the Amherst grant dollar for dollar.</p>
<p>This means that no matter how much you have in outside scholarships, you will still need to contribute the summer assessment --and of course your EFC. This is pretty standard for ALL financial aid packages, and for the record, the proposed student contributions of the QB partners are on the LOWEST end of the range. The combination of work study and summer earnings typically runs in the $5,000 per year range. </p>
<p>Financial aid which meets 100% of need can vary greatly, in many cases by $10,000s, ie loans vs. grants, what is included in COA, computer, laptop, fees/books transportation, summer internships, research funds, it is labeled as "preferential packaging".</p>
<p>Since the proposed packages are posted on the QB site, it is easy to see that the partners are ALL offering the VERY best available package. In some cases such as Stanford that is alreeady VERY generous, the financial aid would be very similar if you apply directly or via QB, but other schools seem to make a substantial effort for QB finalists.</p>
<p>I was under the impression as well that if one was fortunate enough to be matched through Questbridge that the fin aid packages were loan free. Time to hit the site again. I also was under the impression that being identified as a Questbridge applicant may be a "tiebreaker" so to speak.</p>
<p>Xiggi:</p>
<p>You are right. In our daughter case outside scholarship were more than $$$$$ and thus first $8050 wets towards - summer earning and Work study for $5550 and then next $$$$ went to eliminate the need of a computer $2500. $$$$ dollars could still covers books (This book part is a guess and I hope this part is allowed. I am not sure as kid has not bought any books so far). Still more than $10000 leftover outside scholarship money will go towards reducing the H need based aid. We are still lucky that H will still cover rest of the need based aid. Our EFC is very low, that we have still to pay from our pocket. Outside scholarship will not eliminate our low EFC. Xiggi, thanks for all the necessary information that you have provided in the past. :)</p>
<p>Ugh, my head is hurting. Thanks for all the information, am I now correct in assuming if D would have Questbridge scholarship, and outside scholarships, those outside ones WILL cover work/study, but D still needs to meet her summer contribution, and I cover EFC (which is 0.) Please tell me I have finally grasped this!</p>
<p>Proudamerican, congrats on all the scholaships. </p>
<p>You should relax about the purchase of the books. I realize that it this concept is hard to grasp in the first year, but books are really on the other side of the ledger (next to tuition, room and board, etc) and ARE included in your budget. The way to look at it requires to put all the expenses on one side and all the RESOURCES on the other side. </p>
<p>Let's take Amherst as an example (from QB)</p>
<p>Annual Cost of Attendance:
Tuition $35,580
Room & Board $9,420
*Books & Supplies $1,000 *
*Travel $750 *
*Personal $2,100 *
Other Fees $652
Total $49,502 </p>
<p>*How Costs Are Covered (Annually) *
Grants $47,052
Federal Work-Study (5-7 hours per week) $1,700
Parental Contribution $0
Student Summer Work Contribution $750
Total $49,502 </p>
<p>Assuming that a family has an EFC of zero (both parents and student) this is what would happen at the start of the year. We'll look as one payment per year, as opposed to the semester or quarter billing (which will really happen)</p>
<p>Your bill from the school will list:
Tuition $35,580
Room & Board $9,420
Other Fees $652
Total Billed: $45,652</p>
<p>You will NOT be billed for
*Books & Supplies $1,000 *
*Travel $750 *
*Personal $2,100 *</p>
<p>How will you pay for your expenses?
The school will credit your account with a Grant for $47,052. After deducting the billed costs, your account will have a CREDIT of $1,400.00. Depending on the school, they'll let you use it at the bookstore, or issue a refund check. Regardless, that is now money for YOU to spend on the non-billed expenses (Books & Supplies $1,000, Travel $750, Personal $2,100.) </p>
<p>Now, that you have 1,400 credit, you can add the Federal Work-Study ( $1,700) and Student Summer Work Contribution ($750.) This should give you a total budget for expenses of Total $3,850.00 </p>
<p>In other words, the amounts that were BUDGETED as part of the COA will be CREDITED to your account. </p>
<p>Now, assuming that a school allows you to replace BOTH the work-study and the summer expectation with scholarships, you won't have to work. When the money hits your account, you credit would become $3,850. The school could give you a check for that amount. With the $3,850, you'll pay for your books, travel, and personal expenses. </p>
<p>So, in the case of ProudAmerica, I believe that, at her school, the books are lumped in with the personal expenses (but the amount is larger.)</p>
<p>Well I was proactive but I didn't want to be a pain. Anyway my GC is the best GC in the whole world!!! she hand wrote every counselor rec and handed them to me today to mail and faxed all my QB stuff.</p>
<p>Wow, thank you Xiggi, i just had a "light bulb" moment! I have never seen it broken down like this, thank you so so much!</p>
<p>BUMP my questions.......</p>
<p>I am taking a SAt subject test in November and December. So Can I just rank Yale during college match and Apply to Stanford and Princeton during regular.Will my chances be severely reduced? keep in mind I am also depending on high senior grades to help[ my case.</p>
<p>Should I rush and take the sat 2's in october or should I take my time to get really high grades, perfect the princeton app and get high midyear grades?</p>
<p>Yes, you can just rank Yale and apply to Stanford and Princeton regular.</p>
<p>Will I be at disadvantage for Princeton and Stanford or will the adavntages outweigh the disadvantages?</p>
<p>No tengo una idea....</p>
<p>do you have to have an income under 100,000 to qualify</p>
<p>there is no limit but there highest income ever was 80,000 and most are under 50,000.</p>
<p>Tomorrow i have to ask for recommendation from teachers who have no idea who i am. Everybody wish me luck :D I hope i dont wuss out.</p>