Should I apply for QuestBridge Scholarship Prep in Feburary?

<p>I'm currently a Junior in HS. I haven't took the SAT or ACT yet. I'm taking the ACT on March 4th which is on my 17th birthday. I took the PLAN and PSAT test, but I did terrible because I didn't take it seriously and I didn't know about the incorrect answer penalty so I filled in all the bubbles. I took the APHUGE exam and got a 4. I'm taking 4 AP Classes this Year ( Language , Psych, Gov, and US His). My schooI only let you do a max of four in your Junior year but doesnt care how many Senior Year which Im planning to take Calculus ABBC, Bio, Stats, and Euro. I have a 4.47 weighted GPA and 3.68 unweighted GPA. Im 88/655 in my graduating class.I did a few community service hours and I'm only involved in two clubs. I want to volunteer on Kay Hagan's reelection campaign for 2014. I live in a single parent home with my mom and lil sister in a two bedroom apartment. Our income is about 30k and I recieve reduced lunch. I don't recieve any child support. My interests include Politics and learning about inequality of all sorts and why/ how it happens, and learning about human sexuality. I also have a sudden interest in Digital Media. (As you can see, I have no idea what I'm going to major in) I'm also a Math Rigor which is the only section I did well on in my PLAN and PSAT test ( Im pulling a 100% in Pre-Calc and I think it helps being an AA female since statistics show we are the worst in math). Do you think I should apply? Or I don't have enough ECs? I've been lurking on these forms a lot last night, and I notice that a lot of finalists for College Match, which I know is unrelated, are very involved within their school and community, have excellent standardized test scores, and come from way worse circumstances. Do you think I have a shot? Or am I just going waste time doing the application?
PS: I will also be a first-generation to attend an university</p>

<p>As a QuestBridge National College Match finalist myself, I encourage you to apply. My recommendations would be to increase your GPA (also remember next year, you won’t be able to take BOTH Calc AB and BC, it’s one or the other, so why not take Calc I at a nearby college and take BC at school next year). About the ECs, any volunteer opportunities and school clubs you’re in will do, as long as you’re passionate about them and you like them. And no, you do NOT need to be an officer for half the clubs you’re in… I got selected WITHOUT any officer positions. Just be yourself in the application and explain wherever you feel an explanation might be due. Just be sure to get a reliable teacher who knows you on a more personal level to write a more unique recommendation for you. (Warning: If they ask for your resume, there’s a chance your rec will just be a laundry list of achievements, so choose wisely!)</p>

<p>@henrys1996 Thanks for replying! My school actually allows you to take it both the same year. You just have to take the AP Calculus BC exam and you get the AB subscore. It’s year long w/ the same students and teacher all year ( the teacher who teaches it is actually pretty good I had her for Algebra 2). I’m not 100% sure it would be a year long course next year b/c it depends how many students want to take the year long course. But my school have about 2,500 people ( biggest HS in the state) and it’s planning to grow so I’m sure it will be available. For recs, I don’t have any teachers that I’m close to cause I’m the quiet girl in the classroom. I might do my AP Gov teacher because that’s the only class I talk in or maybe my APHUG or my Algebra 2 teacher because I KNOW they like me.</p>

<p>Ok, that seems fine… Although a few college classes wouldn’t hurt! Take the SAT, and take the lessons you learned from the PSAT and run with it. Again, applying for QB’s College Prep Scholarship won’t hurt and then when your senior year comes, apply for National College Match. Remember that even if you’re not a match or even a finalist for NCM, you can still apply to partner colleges through regular decision via QuestBridge. You seem to go down a very good path, so I really hope the rest of your junior (and your senior year) turns out excellent.</p>