Questbridge - trying to understand its value

<p>Most people with my stats don't post them, but I'm not ashamed of it.
GPA 4.73 or 3.83 (unweighted)
SAT 1910
ACT 28
middle class, Asian female</p>

<p>Then again, it's not about stats. On the forums, the finalists were posting their stats, awards, and EC, and I remember knowing without a doubt that these people with their perfect stats, awards, EC, and story would be matched with their first choice. Didn't happen. Most of the people who were matched weren't exactly "shoe ins." (No offense obviously, but the point is that you don't know what the school is looking for) So just go for it, you never know.<br>
Either way, if you become a finalist, and don't get matched, you can apply to the partner schools for free.</p>

<p>Sw717 those stats are not that bad. Don't be so harsh on yourself. You have the stats of an average Questbridge applicant. I think the obstacles you have had to overcome plays a bigger role.</p>

<p>i got a questbridge email earlier but didn't apply because i thought it was for people who qualify for financial aid, which i didn't think my middle class family would. so does being contacted by questbridge mean that i could qualify for need-based financial help or was i just contacted becuase of my psat score?</p>

<p>I wholeheartedly agree with PomonaBound. QuestBridge is very good at presenting not only your statistics, but your personality to various colleges. As for wondering about what stats qualify for a QB match, the numbers run the gamut. There were several applicants who had, or claimed to have, perfect scores. On the QB forum, they constantly bragged about their SATs and ACTs and some were even bold enough to post their essays. The essays that were posted were depressing and intense. These applicants were not matched. I would say, if you have any intention of applying to QuestBridge, do NOT give up hope. And do NOT write essays begging for pity. In my personal opinion, the essays are the most important part! My best friend and I were both matched to Wellesley, and the admissions director commented on our essays over the phone, not our grades. If you feel slightly inadequate about numbers and such, don't worry about it, just pour your efforts into displaying your true self. And if you're funny, don't be afraid to show that humor when you write.</p>

<p>In summary, and then some:
*The forum is so competitive! Try to avoid it as much as you possibly can!
*Write personal, interesting essays. Don't be clinical and don't be overly serious. If you do chose to write about a serious topic, perhaps add a bit of optimism.
*Great numbers, while a nice addition, are never a guarantee that you will or will not be matched.
*Even so, don't slack off. :)
*Take every opportunity to visit the campus! QB will send you e-mails about travel grants!
*If you are matched, you will enter a community for life.
*Many people felt QB would only select minority applicants. Pish posh. Yeah, diversity is very interesting, but QB is not exclusive. (My friend is black and I am white)</p>

<p>Good luck everyone!</p>

<p>a question... I looked at the website of Questbridge and found out that the application AND the final ranking forms are due on the same day...
so when can we opt out?
Also I was wondering if someone could tell me if I could apply EA to other schools.</p>

<p>a friend of mine tried for aid, but didn't get it. it is real, and it's well-respected, as it will cover a good portion of tuition and related expenses.</p>

<p>alexolivier congrats to you and your friend on getting matched to Wellesley! You're 100% right about the QB forums. They could be a little...intimidating, lol. Oh, and the travel grants with QB's partner colleges are amazing. I only visited Kenyon but it was still a great opportunity.</p>

<p>jjjjjj89, you're right about Sep. 30 being the due date for the QB app and the final ranking form. That seems odd to me. You may want to contact QB and ask them directly if finalists will be able to opt out this year. Last year we had a week after we learned we were finalists to submit the final ranking form.</p>

<p>Also, you cannot apply EA or ED to any outside school if you decide to go through with the College Match process because QB College Match is basically an ED program that allows you to apply to multiple schools. If you don't get matched you may be able to do ED II for outside schools.</p>

<p>class'08 QB's College Match covers more than just a "good portion of tuition and related expenses." It pretty much covers e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. including travel, room & board, books, medical insurance, and personal expenses. I even got my $500 deposit covered by Pomona. Parent contribution is 0, regardless of FAFSA EFC. Students are expected to contribute to the cost of their education by doing work/study and working during the summer but an outside scholarship could easily reduce the amount needed (I got a $2500 scholarship from National Merit so I'm covered for my freshmen year. They even had to reduce my Pomona scholarship a little so that I wasn't overfunded, lol). Remember QB isn't providing the scholarships, the individual colleges are. But the absolute best thing is NO LOANS!!</p>

<p>That's why I STRONGLY recommend that every upcoming senior apply for this scholarship in September.</p>

<p>Is there any advantage to opting in and applying RD if rejected as opposed to opting out and applying RD?</p>

<p>Also, the acceptance rate for Stanford AND Princeton through QuestBridge is at 5%. If anyone wants to go to those schools, they should realize that their chances are better RD.</p>

<p>haha true, but you might not get a full ride RD</p>

<p>and is it true that this year we have to submit our list of colleges AND application at the same time?</p>

<p>westcoastlove, Stanford and Princeton offer full-ride scholarships to those earning less than a certain cutoff. Most of the QuestBridge students would qualify. Princeton even states that it will provide the same excellent financial aid if someone is accepted RD (that they would essentially get the same thing if they got matched or were accepted RD).</p>

<p>murkywater, yup that is very very true.
btw I just came back from the Pomona Conference so if you guys have any questions feel free to post them!! I will try to answer them to the best of my abilities. </p>

<p>Also, did anyone go to Rice or Stanford eariler? Were all the college representatives present? I was just quite desappointed that the Rice representive was not able to come, especially since I had a lot of questions about Rice. :( Can we email them through Questbridge somehow?</p>

<p>thanks!</p>

<p>westcoastlove, were there any changes made to the application process? Are we still not allowed to apply anywhere else EA/SCEA? Any differences in the # of essays? That would be helpful to know.</p>

<p>Hey guys! I'm also a Questbridge College Match Scholar and like PomonaBound07 (who I actually suspect I'm myspace friends with) had a very positive experience with the program and will be attending Scripps College next year. I encourage everyone to take part of it, even if you don't feel your stats are good enough, and especially if you don't have a first choice dream school already lined up.</p>

<p>Feel free to ask me any question you may have!</p>

<p>yes. We are not allowed to apply for EA/SCEA/ED IF we are finalists.
generally there are 8 essays</p>

<p>Hi, I'm an international from Singapore. Currently, Questbridge doesn't allow internationals to use the Match process, however it does still allow internationals to be come finalists and use the international admissions process. Any comments on this? Do I send in applications to the Questbridge branch only and not to the individual colleges (excluding supplements)? What if I want to apply ED?</p>

<p>This is from Questbridge's FAQ section:</p>

<p>"Can I apply to QuestBridge if I am currently residing in the United States, but am not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States?</p>

<p>Most of our partner colleges use a combination of federal, state, and school resources to fund student scholarships. Because our partner schools use a variety of sources of aid, including federal and state aid, most schools do look at citizenship status in determining eligibility. Currently, Princeton University is the only QuestBridge partner that will offer the College Match scholarship to international students. Generally, non-US citizens are not eligible for the College Match Scholarship packages; however, most of partner schools are open to accepting students regardless of US citizenship status through the Regular Admissions Process."</p>

<p>To participate in the College Match program you need to complete the application and submit teacher and counselor recommendations by September 30. All of this is done online at Questbridge's website: <a href="http://www.questbridge.org%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.questbridge.org&lt;/a>
Nadash, Questbridge is basically an ED program and if you become a finalist and opt-in for the College Match, you cannot apply ED to any other school. If you don't receive the scholarship then you can still use Questbridge's application to apply for regular admission to their partner colleges.</p>

<p>Thanks. But since I am not allowed to participate in the College Match process, I was wondering the process of applying ED using the Questbridge application. Basically, I garner that after submitting all required forms to Questbridge, I need to submit letters to both them and the school in question, requesting from the former to redirect the application to the school and informing the latter of my intentions. After that I am required to submit additional supplements as requested of the school in question. I want to apply Williams ED. I also want to submit Art supplements. Do I submit it to QB or Willaims? Do I need to submit any other forms (FA forms, for example) to the college?</p>

<p>Sw717 Would you disclose your stats? Would you say that it was a mistake for you to have done QB?</p>

<p>If you opt-out of the college match process, can you still send your questbridge application as part of your submission to other non-partner schools? Like if I wanted to apply to Cornell or something, can I send Cornell my questbridge application in addition to the common application?</p>