What if I am not selected as a NCM finalist?

Hello!

I am a QuestBridge CPS, and I am strongly considering applying for the NCM program. The only thing that makes me a little worried is the timeline of being rejected from NCM.

NCM finalist notifications come out in mid-October. If I am not accepted, how does applying early for a school through the common application work? Would I have to create an entirely new application? Or can I essentially use by NCM application? If I can’t, I would like more than a couple of weeks to write my application, so I would probably start months in advance.

Basically, do I need to be completing a common application while I wait to hear finalist results from QuestBridge NCM, in case I am not accepted?

Thanks!

@rjscholar Yes, if you are not selected as a finalist, you will have to use either the CA or the Coalition App to apply EA or ED. Good news is that you will be able to reuse one of your QB essays (QB word limit 500 and CA 650 words). Several, not many, of the QB schools require the Common App and the QB app, Northwestern comes to mind. In addition to that, you will have to submit all the supplemental essays. Most schools require supplemental essays. If it says “recommended”, that means do it. Good news is that many of the QB partner schools will let you submit your QB application whether you are a finalist or not.

Start EARLY this summer on your essays and supplemental essays.There is almost no time between being selected as a finalist and submission of your applications through the match program. You can find most of the prompts for the supplemental essays online.

Good luck.