<p>If I became a finalist for Questbridge, to what extent would it help in the admissions process? </p>
<p>Could it be considered a "hook", i.e. URM, Athletic Recruit, Low income and what not.</p>
<p>It’s really difficult to say. In general, if you have overcome difficulties with low income, it would help you a bit.</p>
<p>It isn’t a hook at Stanford, one because Stanford doesn’t look at the QB app (they require their own), and two because becoming a finalist isn’t terribly difficult, but it’s not easy either. Being a low-income student alone gives you a boost. Being a finalist can help you by singling you out, putting you into a separate applicant pool, and highlighting your status as a high-achieving, low-income student. Of the people who rank Stanford, typically fewer than 2% are matched (though that might be more a testament to how popular Stanford is among QB applicants). The finalists who are matched or who get in RD have an acceptance rate very similar to Stanford’s overall acceptance rate.</p>
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That’s disheartening…I didn’t really talk about low-income status in my Common App. </p>
<p>I thought they treat the QB app as supplemental material?</p>
<p>That’s the hope… but unfortunately it seems more like they don’t. They would more likely look at it if they didn’t find much info about your background in the Common App, but that isn’t a guarantee.</p>
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<p>Just out of curiosity, where did you get this information? Stanford says that they use the QB app as a supplement, so it seems like they would do so…</p>
<p>I’ve been a student worker at QB (though on a little hiatus from it) and have been involved with it for four years now. The first time I discovered that Stanford doesn’t look much at the QB app was before I myself applied, when my then-college counselor at QB (who was one of the founders of the organization) said QB didn’t think Stanford looked much at the app after requiring their own. Discussions with admissions officers doesn’t confirm it 100%, since they’ve skirted the issue but have given enough clues. So our conclusion is that no, while they have access to the app, they (at worst) don’t look at it or (at best) look at it only as supplemental in difficult decisions.</p>
<p>Stanford views the organization as a recruiting outlet. Since the admissions rates are virtually the same for Quest Scholars, Stanford relies on QB to bring in qualified low-income students, which it does quite well, given that it has a very strong network of counselors, students, teachers, etc.</p>
<p>^ So, in other words it wouldn’t hurt me in admissions process if I did not achieve finalist status, or it wouldn’t help if I achieved finalist status. </p>
<p>I know this is not the forum for Harvard but anyone have an idea on how Harvard views a QB finalist?</p>
<p>It wouldn’t hurt you if you didn’t become a finalist. Being a finalist helps in that it singles you out as a high-achieving, low-income student, but being a finalist in and of itself isn’t a hook. QB just helps you bring out an aspect of you that its partner colleges want to see.</p>
<p>I do not know how Harvard views being a finalist, but my instinct is that it doesn’t give you much a boost. Harvard does not participate in the Match and has its own methods of recruitment. Being a low-income student will give you a boost at Harvard, but they are aware of how QB works. Just my hunch, though.</p>
<p>Also @physicsnut1 here’s a few statements from the Stanford FAQ on QB’s site which I think is illuminating (emphasis in italics mine):</p>
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<p>I assume you’re referring to the last statement there when you say it’s a “supplement”–but as their replies to the questions implies, it’s the Common App they consider.</p>