Should I do non-QB Regular Decision? - bad QB app

Paying for College Access Programs (Questbridge, Posse)
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In all honesty, my QB application isn’t the best I can put forth. I’m not confident about my essays much and in retrospect I feel that my QB application could have been a lot better. I feel like my QB app would be given a rating of around 7 or 8 out of 10 if 10 is the absolute best I can put forth. Even my common app essay is much better than my QB essay. I’m worried that if I send in my QB app to these top-tier schools through QB RD, I won’t get in. (I’m thinking of Princeton, Columbia, UPENN, Swarthmore, Amherst, Tufts, Wesleyan.)

A lot of the schools I would like to apply to through QB are colleges that are known for giving generous financial need-based aid regardless of QB affiliation. So even if I don’t apply through QB, I’m fairly confident that, with my current income bracket, I will have a decent financial backing offered by these colleges.

So here’s my question: is it a good idea to drop QB Regular Decision (I didn’t do QB early because I did ED to Cornell =__= )? Or are the chances for QB RD higher even if my short answers had some grammar mistakes and what not?

I’m trying to compare between (1) “meh” QB app (but w/financial benefits?? or something of some sort–if there is a slight advantage for QB RD applicants) + my best written supplement essays vs. (2) a good, confident common app + my best written supplement essays. I’m definitely going to be doing QB RD, but I’m just wondering if it might be better to do just regular common app RD for colleges like Princeton or Columbia or Swarthmore.

(Also, I made a mistake of marking that I took AP Comparative Gov /and/ AP US Gov on the QB app. I’m only taking AP US Gov. Will the colleges hold this against me if they see that my Collegeboard scores don’t have Comparative Gov??)

Thanks in advance…!

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It seems to me that you could apply via common app, complete the supplements if you haven’t already (maybe edit some of your QB essays), and make sure that the schools know (via common app awards section or whatever it’s called) that you are a QB finalist. That would seem to be the best of both worlds, in my opinion.

PS: I wouldn’t worry about the AP Gov thing at all but correct it if you choose to apply via the CA.

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I literally have the same exact question haha

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@OHMomof2 Thank you!

I’m wondering though - isn’t there a slightly higher chance of getting into schools when applying through QB RD rather than regular Common App RD with a mention of being a QB Finalist in the Honors section? I’ve heard that it is more favorable through QB especially since the relative competition within QB is less. It sounds slightly reasonable, since the QB process is slightly different (some don’t require their uni supplements, etc.) and the AOs probably look at all of the QB at the same time, but is anyone certainly aware of any kind of advantage? I’ve only heard, but I haven’t seen/heard a reliable enough source or a second opinion validating this statement.