<p>I just got a letter in the mail from QuestBridge that was personalized and signed by hand, and I'm wondering, what exactly is the program? I mean, I understand the jist of what they're saying, but can someone be as blunt as people and describe what exactly they're trying to do and what getting a letter from them means?</p>
<p>QuestBridge is a program that links bright, motivated low-income students with the educational and scholarship opportunities at the nation's best colleges. In 2004, over 100 students were admitted to top universities with QuestBridge assistance.</p>
<p>You may have been identified as being in this category. They are just letting you know tht they exist and if you wish you can apply to be a questbridge scholar (as it is an open invitation for many who fit the criteria)</p>
<p>Some of the schools that questbridge is now affiliated with include Amherst, Williams, trinity, Rice, bowdoin, Pomona, UNC-CH, Wellesley, </p>
<p>here you go..</p>
<p><a href="http://www.questbridge.org/%5B/url%5D">http://www.questbridge.org/</a></p>
<p>How "low" does your income have to be to qualify for Questbridge?</p>
<p>Yeah I got an email telling me I might "be a fit" to be a quest scholar or something like that.
Didn't know if it was anything significant.</p>
<p>i got an email too. I think i read somewhere on the website that your parents' combined income should be around 40,000.</p>
<p>I had actually heard of the program before, thanks to Sybbie, but I just got a letter from them saying the exact same thing as RC's. The problem is the deadline is in less than three weeks and they require two teacher recs! </p>
<p>Have any members here applied through College Match, and if so, what were your experiences?</p>
<p>so many essays/short answers... so little time!</p>
<p>is it worth applying to???</p>
<p>anyone know the "acceptance rate" - about how many apply, about how many people get accepted?</p>
<p>I got to the finalist stage of this and flew down for a day of interviews. Unfortunately my family was not poor enough or minority enough. Basically if you're white and aren't dirt poor, had some horrible tragedy happen, or immigrated, you're probably not going to get in. If you look at the profiles of past Quest scholars you'll see this is true and that almost 1/2 are immigrants. </p>
<p>All this may sound like I'm bitter, but I'm really not :), it's a <em>great</em> program, just really hard to get into if you're white, and still very competitive for everyone else. Once you're in, you're are watched over and assisted in many things for a long time. Stanford accepts practically every Quest Scholar that applies to it. </p>
<p>It is a LONG application, but is worth it for those who get accepted (which isn't many).</p>
<p>For those who don't exactly meet QuestBridge's criteria, TASP could be a better option.</p>
<p>OP: well worth all the time and effort. My d made it to the finalist stage for the college match program. It was a lot of work, but the people at Quest also offered great guidance. Although my D did not get a scholarship through the college match, she was offered many wonderful financial aid packages from college match schools, including one full-ride and 2 almost full rides. She was also flown out by one of the college match schools for a 4 day visit. She is very happily attending that school as a freshman now and is loving every minute. BTW, she is white and has not had any horrible tragedies in her life.</p>
<p>wait... is College Match something different? or the same thing</p>
<p>Does this QuestBridge look good on a BU application? What do I do there anyway?</p>
<p>bumpppppppp.</p>
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Does this QuestBridge look good on a BU application
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<p>I qould not put it on the BU application because it could work against you as school would think you are using them as a safety then reject you (tufts syndrome)</p>
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How "low" does your income have to be to qualify for Questbridge?
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<p>Last year, finalists had family incomes ranging from nearly $0 per year to $65,000. QuestBridge has no income cut offs and looks at many different factors when determining a student's level of financial need, including the total family income, the family size, and any extenuating circumstances, such as high medical costs.</p>
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wait... is College Match something different? or the same thing
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<p>2004 College Match Summary</p>
<p>Last year, QuestBridge matched 34 students with full, four-year scholarships to some of the nation?s most highly ranked colleges and universities. This year during the 2005 - 2006 season, we hope to match 100 students with full scholarships to college.</p>
<p>QuestBridge has recently partnered with four new colleges for the 2005 - 2006 College Match: Pomona College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Wellesley College, and Scripps College. For more information about our 10 College Match partner schools please see our University Partners page. </p>
<p>How The College Match Works</p>
<p>After you submit a College Match application, QuestBridge screens all applicants and selects finalists. We do not have a specific number of finalists we are looking for; all qualified students have a chance to become a finalist. We are, however, looking for a group of students with diverse interests, personalities, and backgrounds. </p>
<p>Finalists' applications are forwarded to our college partners for review. While the colleges are reviewing applications, all finalists research the college partners. At the end of this review period, colleges rank the students that they are interested in having attend their school. Similarly, all finalists rank the schools they would be interested in attending. </p>
<p>It is important to note that students only have to rank the colleges that they would definitely want to attend. This may be one school, four schools, or all ten of the schools. The more colleges you rank, the better your chance is of matching. </p>
<p>QuestBridge receives the rankings of both the students and matches students with their highest ranked college that also ranks them. Not all finalists will be matched. We wish that we could pair all our finalists with full scholarships, but our college partners offer a limited number of scholarship positions. When a match is made between a student and a college, that match is binding; the College Match is an Early Decision application process. However, you do not run the risk of entering into a binding decision with a school that you do not want to attend, since you only rank those schools to which you would definitely be interested in attending. The commitment does not become binding until mid-November when finalists submit ranking lists. </p>
<p>Students who do not get matched with a full four-year scholarship should continue to apply to colleges for regular decision. Some of our college partners will accept the QuestBridge application in lieu of their specific application or the common application. Applicants may need to submit the school-specific supplement to the Common App, so please be sure to check our college links to see what each school will accept.</p>
<p>"When a match is made between a student and a college, that match is binding; the College Match is an Early Decision application process. However, you do not run the risk of entering into a binding decision with a school that you do not want to attend, since you only rank those schools to which you would definitely be interested in attending. The commitment does not become binding until mid-November when finalists submit ranking lists."</p>
<p>If I became a finalist, would this be violating my application to Harvard EA, since I can't apply anywhere else EA/ED? They had Harvard on their list of colleges I would be interested in attending (but it was not starred so they are not yet affiliated with Harvard).</p>
<p>I would think that you would be violating your EA application agreement with Harvard since it is SCEA that does not allow ED or EA applications at other schools.</p>
<p>This is a very unusual situation, since Harvard in not one of the Questbridge colleges, I assume. I would call the Harvard admissions office and ask very specifically about this. You understand that, if you apply to Harvard EA, you cannot compare financial aid packages from other schools. That said, if your parents' income is less than (is it $40k/), there is no financial requirement at all from the family.</p>
<p>Thanks quiltguru, that's a good idea, I will call and ask.</p>
<p>(And my parents income happens to be less than 40k so there's no worry there).</p>
<p>Hi Quilt,
Tawny would be ble to compare aid packages because Harvard's EA is non-binding and she would have until may to give them her decision. The thing is that she would be giving up her option to apply ED/EA at any other school. </p>
<p>This is a potential problem because if she has a match school with Questbridge, they want her to apply to that school ED.On the one hand she gives up her chances to compare packages against other schools and is commited to attending. But through the match program she would probably get some big scholarship $$.</p>
<p>Tawny- with the college match program, you cannot apply to any other EA/ED school. If a match is made, it is binding. Treat it like you would any ED school.</p>