questions! please help!

Paying for College Access Programs (Questbridge, Posse)
1

<p>i have gathered that the ea/ed acceptance rates are lower for questbridge acclipants as opposed to normal acclipants. does applying via questbridge during the match program decrease my chances at these schools:
MIT
Brown
Penn
Stanford
Caltech
Columbia</p>

<p>Also, I have gathered that the financial aid offered to questbridge applicants is not much different from the aid offered to non-questbridge applicants coming from similar financial backrounds. If this and the supposed low acceptance rates are true, then what is the advantage of this program? I am very confused. Please illuminate!</p>

2

<p>I want to know that too, please.</p>

3

<p>I was a QB finalist this year who was not matched, though I did get into three QB partner schools during RD. I also got in Dartmouth and Cornell during RD (QB was essentially a waste of time for me). </p>

<p>The goal of QB is to give high-achieving low-income students a chance to get into a top-tier school for pretty much free, but as OP pointed out, but most, if not all, of QB’s partner schools already guarantee to meet full demonstrated financial need. In retrospect, I would advise against participating in the National College Match unless you are an absolutely stellar applicant. The reason is that the likelihood of getting matched to the top schools such as the ones that OP listed are extremely low; you are after all competing against several thousand other distinguished students for about 60 spots (a rough estimate of the OP’s schools, not counting the other 20ish QB partner schools). Not to mention that the admissions officers may not necessarily be need-blind when reading your application because they are conscious of your QB finalist status and are aware that by offering you a seat, you will be offered a full-ride scholarship. They all say they are need-blind, but admissions officers are still human, not to mention the economy is not doing well.</p>

<p>Also, after you find out you were selected as a QB finalist, you have about a week and a half to pull together all your college applications. If you ranked 8 colleges (or 4 like I did) and did not prepare for the applications during the month of October, you will end up rushing your applications to the colleges (mine were all submitted right around the midnight deadline). If you are not matched, then you will be pitted against competitive students who have had much more time to prepare to applications, putting you at a disadvantage during Regular Decisions. Yes, this is completely my fault for not planning ahead, but it is very easy to put off your QB ranked colleges’ applications especially when you still have homework, projects, and ECs to do during October. Ultimately I feel I was hurt in the RD round as my applications to Princeton, Stanford, and MIT (they look at your QB app, and my QB app was rather rushed as well) were weakened by my rush for the deadline.</p>

<p>That said, there are many people who are extremely delighted with their QB/RD outcomes, but the majority of students who apply to QB are probably disappointed to some extent and could easily end up pointing fingers at QB after April 1st (I know that’s what I’m doing right now).</p>

<p>If you an outstanding student (you should have an idea by looking at the chance threads/HYPSM accepted stats), I do encourage you to apply to QB as the Match results could easily end up in your favor. If you are a good student, but not quite overachieving, then I would advise you to apply to QB, but NOT rank colleges. Apply to QB to try to get the finalist status, but don’t rank a college. Instead EA/ED to one of your top choices. Then come RD, you can use your QB finalist status as an award and an automatic fee-waiver but without the deadly cost of rushing applications to meet the tight deadline.</p>

<p>I have a feeling that some other QB finalists who got very good results will soon bash me on this thread for advising against QuestBridge, but I stand by my conviction that unless you are a highly accomplished student, don’t do try out for the Match process if you are aiming for the Ivies; just EA/ED the normal way while applying to QB for the finalist status.</p>

4

<p>^^that was really helpful. thanks!</p>

<p>Question: if you put that you are a Match finalist on the college’s normal EA application (assuming you get finalist, lol) will that help you or hurt you? Will they be impressed by your accomplishment, or worried about potential major FA?</p>

5

<p>I am also curious as to whether a Quest-bridge award is enticing to a college/university, or simply a detrimental factor. I MIGHT be applying this senior year, as I was awarded the College Prep Scholarship, but is it worth the time and effort?</p>

6

<p>i was matched with the QB National College Match, and i understand completely where immortalix is coming from because i felt pretty rushed with my QB app and I ranked 8 colleges so it was that much more work for me. </p>

<p>To answer your question, clarinetgirl, i would think that being a QB finalist would help you. As immortalix already said, the majority (if not all) of the partner schools have need-blind aid, so they would see your finalist status as an accomplishment, rather than something that would hurt you. </p>

<p>if I’m understanding your question correctly Shiny, i just wanted to let you know that QB isn’t the one to determine who gets matched and who doesn’t. QB just picks the finalist, and the schools that you rank pick who they want to give the scholarships to. </p>

<p>personally, i thought, after all of the rushing, the anxiety, the running around for recommendations and the feverish writing of essays, it was worth it. but that’s mainly because i got matched with a college. </p>

<p>also, i think that anyone applying to MIT, Stanford and Yale through the QB NCM rankings should know that since ranking those schools are non-binding, more people are going to rank them, and therefore your chances of getting into one of those is that much slimmer. </p>

<p>if you are going to do QB, make sure you fully understand what you are getting into and DONT PROCRASTINATE.</p>

7

<p>Wait, let me get something straight.</p>

<p>There is a finalist application that is different from the college match application. And once you become a finalist you have to fill out a new application? or are you guys saying you have to fill out the individual school’s application.</p>

8

<p>So, just checking, if I’m in the middle-class area where I don’t qualify for FA but I can’t pay for college, would QB not go for me?</p>

9

<p>immortalix, if you rank Princeton, Stanford, and MIT in the QB NCM and don’t get matched, and apply to the same schools RD, do they have to read your QB app or can you submit the Common App instead?</p>

10

<p>

. </p>

<p>I have to weigh in here. QB schools do not take only stellar applicants. I know from my D’s year and the QB match forum, that all did not have what you would consider stellar. QB is a VERY worthwhile program. Students that are applying are generally stressed over college apps, can I get in, how much will they gap, how will my parents pay for the gap, etc. My D ranked 5 schools and would have been greatfull and excited to attend any one of them. She did get into her #1, and while she withdrew from the other schools, several told her they had also chosen her for the match. As a parent, and also my D, to know she was “in” before December was a HUGE weight off our shoulders.</p>

<p>yes, you can forego QB and apply ED/EA wherever, but IMO QB gives you a huge boost to write essays telling a bit about your life, financial stuff or whatever</p>

<p>Yes, QB paperwork can be overwhelming, but it gets everything done early! You have NOTHING to lose from appplying to the QB match program, only things to gain.</p>

11

<p>Apparently nobody from my school knows about QB, I just found out about it today… and right before senior year, this should be fun.</p>

<p>anyway, I have a few questions about the whole QB process:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>my parents are divorced. my mom makes well below 60k, but my dad makes far over 100k. he doesn’t live in my household and only gives child support, do I need to include him in my household income?</p></li>
<li><p>I haven’t taken SAT IIs yet. I’m prepared for them and I’m sure I’ll do a good job, but the earliest I can take them is in October. Will QB accept my application without the scores?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>thank you in advance!</p>

12

<p>does mid 600’s on SATs and low 700’s on SAT IIs, average ECs, top prep school, somalian refugee, 1st gen college, welfare income status, put someone in the running to be matched?</p>

13

<p>I have a question similar to benditlikebenjii’s , I plan to take the ACT in Sept, and retake the SAT in Oct - should I even bother to apply if I don’t have any test scores to report?</p>

14

<p>hey peacelovesoul, I got my question answered on a different forum. it’s tricky.</p>

<p>to apply to be a QB finalist, you don’t need SAT IIs. the colleges need them. all that needs to happen is that you send the SAT scores to the colleges you match with. it’s a weird loophole.</p>

<p>for QB finalist, you do need SAT/ACT scores though… so I don’t think that if you take the ACT in september it will get to QB for evaluation in time.</p>

15

<p>ok thanks! ahh poop I guess I can’t apply :(</p>

16

<p>oh wait nvm, maybe I can still apply, I found this on the QB website</p>

<p>*QuestBridge will accept any test scores that you receive prior to the National College Match application deadline of September 30, 2009. If you expect to receive scores after September 30, please list your testing date(s) on the Testing Information page in the application, leaving the score fields blank. If you are selected as a finalist and want to have your new test scores considered for the College Match process by the colleges you have ranked, you should request that the College Board and/or ACT forward your scores to those colleges. Any testing done after October will be considered only in the Regular Decision process. *</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.questbridge.org/cmp/criteria.html[/url]”>http://www.questbridge.org/cmp/criteria.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;