Also my GC has given me a go light for Northwestern ED. He thinks it’s a very good choice too.
Sounds good to me. If UIUC is in your back pocket (accepted and affordable) then pick the schools that you would definitely prefer over UIUC. I still like Emory but good luck wherever you go.
Excellent.
Remember that even though you ranked NU #1 in the Match, they do not know that. It’s not visible to the Partners where you ranked them on your list, so the advantaged conferred by going all-in with a binding ED app is new (even though it already felt like that to you because it was binding overall and you knew NU was your first choice). From their standpoint your QB app was just in a pile with everybody who ranked NU anywhere on their list - which I’m sure is a substantial pile. ED is not a slam-dunk, obviously, you still have a real shot.
I am glad to hear that you are feeling better and that Northwestern is still on your list. Among the other schools on your list, I think that (especially) Bowdoin, Swathmore, Williams and Tufts value demonstrated interest significantly. Have you a chance to visit them? Are you revising or polishing up your essays for ED2 and RD? We are all rooting for you.
Those are all great, but please apply to another nonreach too. Your list is very reach heavy.
You can be premed anywhere.
You’ve worked so hard and you’re an excellent applicant. Being honest, you need to give up some of your self-limiting ideas about what you are “willing to consider.” I think you are going to get into a reach school, but there’s no way to be sure, so think about something a little less selective, that might give you all the financial aid you need.
What about Macalester, Union, Trinity, Connecticut, or College of Wooster? Those are all good schools that might love a student like you and meet your full financial need. Run the NPC.
I don’t mean it literally, but there’s a lot to be said for the old saying “beggars can’t be choosers.”
@Lindagaf Agreed, beggars can’t be choosers. But I’m mostly just basing things from “Would I want to attend said school over UIUC”, since they have a full ride program too.
Ok, good to know. Will you be eligible for the full ride?
NPC may not work in a single parent family.
HKim, you have to take our word for it. You’re a strong individual and will succeed in life with your skills. This is just a bumpy patch.
I was going to wait until you finished QB stuff this week…but upthread you said something that suggested your EFC is not zero…is that correct? What is your FAFSA EFC?
If it’s not $0, you will not qualify for Illinois Promise (which is a full ride), here is the list of eligibility criteria https://osfa.illinois.edu/types-of-aid/other-aid/illinois-promise/
If you don’t meet those criteria, you would probably meet the criteria for Illinois Commitment which covers tuition and fees, but not room and board. https://osfa.illinois.edu/illinois-commitment/
@Mwfan1921 Hm? My EFC is 0. (15k for a family of 3 with no assets).
I think it may be because I mentioned someone with a 5k EFC matching during the NCM.
But yes, I for sure am eligible (FAFSA and CSS EFC are both 0) as I’ve also emailed UIUC regarding this and they confirmed I would be eligible if I am admitted.
You said this in post #505, so I was just wanting clarification:
Great job communicating with UIUC so that you know you will be eligible!
Ok, that’s great to hear. Fingers crossed for you.
@Mwfan1921 Yikes! I actually meant income, my bad.
Phew! At least you can’t say I am not paying attention! ?
[quote="HKimPOSSIBLE
About that, I’m actually feeling a lot better this year and taking these rejections not as bad. But honestly, I do not think I would be recommending Questbridge and regarding it so highly to prospective students in the future. I think there’s a bit of a facade going on
No facade. QuestBridge is a hook. Hooks don’t guarantee you entry. Just up your chances. You didn’t have a good chance from the get go. You are not top of the top, but you are a “maybe” candidate. Like many. I would recommend WB to any low income college applicant with very good academic credentials.
@cptofthehouse I think Questbridge Finalist is a hook, but when everyone has a hook, I THINK it might null it in the context of reviewing QB Finalist - the regular decision would be where being Finalist shines - I think.
It’s also interesting when you mentioned “top of the top” since there was a steady stream of kids with no AB/IB curriculum, a sub 500/600 SAT 2 scores, and a 1270/27 SAT/ACT score who make it to Stanford, MIT, Yale, Princeton, UChicago, Dartmouth, Columbia, Duke, Notre Dame, Rice, Caltech, and etc. What makes them tippy-top candidates or la creme de la creme? (There “might” be an elephant in the room kind of thing regarding this which is better not discussed).
Disclaimer: I’m fine that I didn’t match and it was a long-shot regardless, I’m blessed for even getting QB Finalist. I have great options like UIUC. I think in retrospect, my sadness/disappointment came from the disappointment of seniors in the process for the first time, many of them with the idea that college admission was more merit than holistic (an idea every high school student is conditioned to).
So when I said “facade”, I was referring to Questbridge’s advertisement: low-income kids who have performed exceptionally throughout the nation despite the circumstances. It’s advertised as meritocratic, but it just doesn’t seem that way. I was surprised to see someone with the below-average (Stanford’s 50th percentile) statistics get matched to Stanford with an EFC of $5000 (which is incredibly high for Questbridge!).
Don’t get me wrong, I’m incredibly excited for and happy for those who matched! I already knew college admission was less merit and more a “holistic process”, but the awful feeling was not when I didn’t match, but when I saw the seniors going through this process for the first time feeling confused, failed by, and worthless - it gets mental and confidence-busting.
It starts to get very real to these first-time seniors who did not match and are wondering why they didn’t get in only to have them be told: It must’ve been your essays.
Final Thoughts: Numbers aren’t everything, yes, I know. But it was quite something to see the reactions from seniors - and I’d probably feel the same way had I been matched.
On the bright side, a verified Admissions Officer on Reddit for an unnamed elite university AND a Questbridge partner school said that the QB match was also a match for the colleges too, with them ranking students too (meaning they wanted the student) but the student didn’t match anywhere. This gave hope to a lot of un-matched Questbridge students as she assured that those students the colleges wanted would probably get in through ED/RD - meaning if a student did not match (and it was not their high EFC preventing them), regular decision is a real chance for sure.
Other than that, so far, I’m doing pretty good and don’t really think about all the above. I have a lot of LAC I’m extremely interested in, some STEM/Research schools I’m equally interested in, and a great backup school (UIUC). I hope I didn’t come off as arrogant or anything - I was just being straightforward and transparent with what I felt that day when decisions came out.
I’m going to repeat it - not for the OP but for others who are reading - this is another great example of how the top selectives are all about fit. OP can’t tear himself away from the laser focus on stats. Stats are only a small piece of what the top selectives are looking for. If the rest of your app doesn’t contain the very, very important other characteristics they are looking for, they will pass you over; sometimes for an applicant with a lower GPA or test scores. Unless you have a clue what each of those top colleges is looking for and make sure your app shows them those characteristics and that you fit, there’s a big risk you’re not going to stumble into showing them what they’re looking for.
For the colleges that are your top choices, spend time figuring out what they’re looking for (and if you do that, you’ll find none of them would list stats were they to make a statement spelling out exactly what they’re looking for) and make sure your app shows them you are It.
There is NO “steady stream” of lower performing kids sliding into tippy tops.
Rid yourself of that demoralizing view.
Reread what @milee30 wrote.
And it’s rare that kids with low stats even get what TT colleges are looking for. Not even top performers do, as a whole. They assume it’s high school standards.
I so believe kids need to do this digging, when it’s a TT. Some of it is obvious, some needs putting pieces together. Then you vet your own full record, see what’s evidence of these traits, and carefully “show” them in the app, throughout.
The kids with more Bs or a slightly off SAT who get in must nail the rest. And any of the colleges that occasionally tell admits by stats are not showing a drive to admit subpar kids. It’s rare.
Except some athlete recruits.
There is no elephant in the room. If you are referring to URM hooks, yes they exist and it’s no elephant. It’s right out there. Diversity is important to colleges. So a URM, recruited athlete, legacy development, QB have hooks. Relationships, geographics, challenging background, first generation in college tend to be tips, though at some schools stronger than other.
NW, Chicago, Wash U are going to be more of a challenge for you due to geographics. My friend’s DD with stats similar to yours, (Higher grades) from Chicagoland area, URM , did not get into those 3 schools but was accepted to two Ivies. And a number of highly selective LACs. And you know your GPA is a bit on the low side. Usually, it’s the test score that gets More of the break in SES challenge situations.
Interesting comment, cpt. Yes, scores can be a little lower, when the gpa is there.
But if we’re still talking about a 3.65, I don’t know if I said this before (to this OP.) They look at the transcript, see the pattern of rigor and what classes were less than A-. If it’s related to the hoped-for major, that’s when it’s a little stumble. (And not killer when it’s those odd required courses, like gym or drivers ed.)
But OP, you have persistence and resiliance. This is more than the family $ situation. It’s in you. I hope that comes through in the full app package.