Atelophobia

Prospective applicants to the QuestBridge College Prep Scholarship,

Hello! I am a College Prep Scholar and I am also a College Match Finalist. If you are a high-achieving low income student, I hope you seriously consider taking advantage of this amazing opportunity. As the deadline is 18 days away, you still have ample time to work on those essays.

To facilitate the application process, a few other QuestBridge scholars and I have decided to help by answering any questions you have about QuestBridge and peer editing your essays. I created a facebook group for this years College Prep applicants. If you feel that you would benefit from our help, feel free to join!

2012 QuestBridge College Prep Scholarship Applicants

Here is more information regarding the scholarship-- College Prep Scholarship Overview

araka7

will a GPA of 3.2 (with positive trend & AP classes) even be considered as high-acheiving? i am thinking about asking for a recommendation from a teacher but I don't even know if I would be considered as high-acheiving as all of you guys have 4.0 GPAs and the such

Atelophobia

GPA and academics are only one part of the criteria they use when they review each application. I think what is most important is your and your life circumstances. An upward trend in grades & AP classes will definitely show up as a positive-- these show your progress. There is NO GPA cuts whatsoever for this and a GPA of 3.2 is definitely not enough information for them to just your application aside. Just make sure you work hard on your essay and ask for a rec from your teacher ASAP.

Woahgosh

Thank you so much for this!

1) Do the transcripts NEED to be faxed?
2) How much importance do the teacher recs have? I asked my history teacher but she doesn't know me well; like for example, she doesn't know my GPA or my class rank or my extracurricular activities. I guess what I'm asking is: should the teacher rec talk about all that (gpa, class rank, extracurricular activities, sat score, etc)?
3) What college did you go to and did Questbridge help with that?

Thanks.

Graphene

As a QB finalist I hope I may be able answer some questions. excuse my essay/rant
@Woahgosh

1. I had my guidance counselor fax the transcripts. WITH the unique cover that they tell you to use. This cover has a specific bar code so it automatically gets filed as a transcript.
Only use this cover for what it was intended.

2. Teacher recs are important because they outline you as a person and can be a positive step in letting the QB people know who you are. What you can do is give your teacher a cheat sheet outlining things about you that are positive as an outline and maybe remind the teacher about you as a person. Once you give the teacher this cheat sheet they should be able to create something convincing. Please impress upon the teacher the importance of the Questbridge program and kind of suggest that they take a little bit of time with it.(speaking from experience) Remember that QB is going to ask you about all that stuff anyways-> (gpa, class rank, extracurricular activities, sat score) Maybe your teacher could take what they know about you and say how focused and active you are but after awhile it's just boasting and reaching a bit when you have your teacher start quoting "scriptures"(your gpa,class rank, ECs and SAT score)

3. So far I've gotten into Wesleyan( a QB partner school) I didn't rank Wesleyan because I honestly didn't know about it,that was a crime of my own ignorance. When I wasn't matched as a Finalist I regrouped and re-examined where I wanted to be and had my QB application forwarded to Wesleyan. As a QB finalist you have your application fee waived to any of the partner schools you choose to apply to.

Let me just say the whole process of Questbridge whips you into shape for college apps. It really does. While most people aren't even thinking about such things you're developing a really competitive college application that you can transfer to any other place you want to apply to. Don't get mad if you are not matched as a Finalist. What separates the 'men from the boys' is sticking it through and going RD round for the places you REALLY want to get into. I don't know what played a role in getting me accepted. I realize that Wes is competitive but I do think that my QB experience might have tipped the odds in my favor however controversial that sounds I am shamelessly a proponent of the process.

Woahgosh

Thank you for answering my questions! That information was so helpful and thank you.
If you don't mind, I just have one more quick question that I'm kind of scared about:

In the short answer section where you talk about 3 things that have shaped your life, what if I write about how my parents used to abuse me? I don't want my parents to get in trouble; will questbridge pry into my personal life and report this to the police or put me into foster care?
I also feel like a brat for writing about that (I've finally accepted that I was abused after talking with my therapist, but i still feel invalid to have those emotions) because I know there are kids in Africa who are starving or being shot or even in America, there are kids who are brutually abused in so many ways that what I went through is nothing.
I guess what I'm asking is: Am i allowed to write about it?

Graphene

The Questbridge people aren't trying to tear apart families. I think you should be able to differentiate between describing a early life situation and a obvious cry for help. A lot of people who apply to QB have a "sad story" to tell.. Normal people in such situations find it somewhat easy to blame their situation for where they are. What sets people apart is their ability to pivot on that sad point and make a positive out of it.

So sure you can make an essay exclusively on how you were abused and it'll be an essay about just your abuse. Or you can make an essay on how your early life was amazingly difficult(i.e the abuse) but in this case you channelled that into something other than destructive behaviors. Like maintaining good grades, being active in school, volunteering a lot.

And btw QB isn't getting apps from kids in Africa,not to sound overly pragmatic on such a sensitive issue. It's your life story to tell and someone's listening.
If you still feel uncomfortable writing about something , by all means it is your right to not write about it.

Olipond

3.2 might well be fine, especially if 1) the classes you take are difficult, 2) you work many hours or have other time committments etc. Try to take the most difficult schedule possible, and try to do well on SAT/ACT/SATII.

lightseeker

Hi there Athelophobia, thanks for this trend, is very interesting.

My daughter has been nominated to attend the conference and applied for financial aid (grant) to help out with the travel expenses but was denied it.
We were given until tonight to decide if she is going to attend and we are having a hard time deciding because traveling from Texas to Standford University is a little expensive and we'll really struggle to pay for all the expenses. My question to you is: Did you attend the conference? Was it worth it for you? Would you recommend her to attend even if it is a struggle?
Your opinion will be greatly appreciated!

Atelophobia

Hello lightseeker! I hope my response isn't too late. I did attend the Stanford conference and I posted this on the facebook group regarding the benefits of the conference:

"If any of you have the time/transportation to make it to the conference, I would highly recommend that you do so. The benefits of going to the conference:

1) Meeting the admissions officers of all of QB's partner schools. These might be the same people reading your application and if you get in touch with them personally and continue to keep in touch with them, it could make a big difference once they decide on your application.

2) If you haven't yet, you will be able to tour some of the nation's top universities and get a better feel for college life.

3) You will have a chance to meet the QB team and staff, some of the nicest people in the world! This is also a great opportunity to learn more about QuestBridge and to familiarize yourself with the National College Match Program.

4) You will attend college admissions workshops: These are short presentations by college admissions officers regarding how to write strong essays, how to go about the admissions process, financial aid, etc. These presentations really helped clarify a lot of things for me as a low-income student. You get broken up into little groups of about 15ish students and visit these presentations. If you have a particular dream school already in mind, this could be your chance to establish personal contact with an admission officer and to ask him/her any question you have about the school.

5) You will meet lots of other amazing kids who come from similar backgrounds! I got close with a bunch of people at the conference and I am still close to them today (shout-out to Helen You!). I not only became really close friends with these 'Questies' but I really learned a lot from them.

6) Because you earned it! You worked hard on that application, if you can make it, GO!"

Regarding your personal situation, lightseeker, Texas is pretty far and I'm not sure how much tickets would cost at this point. I was also denied a travel grant but I was able to secure tickets for about $160, round-trip from Southern California through fund raising. I also went by myself and navigated to Stanford using public transportation from the airport. If you are unable to attend the conference, it is also absolutely fine. Going to the conference doesn't influence QB's decision as to whether you qualify as a College Match Finalist in the next round. I would say if it is a struggle, don't worry about it! I'm sure that there will be plenty more opportunities for your daughter Congrats on her College Prep Scholar Status!! I'm always happy to see other low-income students making the best of their situations and applying to opportunities like these.

Co11egeDreams

Hi

I'm applying for the scholarship but I have a bit of a problem. I don't know how to explain this in my application. My mom is an M.D. and I'm going to a private school. However, she hasn't been able to find work and my family pitches in for my tuition. My worry is that her degree and my schooling might cause any reader to not give me a second look. I'm well below the income requirement though.

How should I explain my situation?

MisterTorchic

Hi
If I use an essay for the prompt on Questbridge, does that mean I cannot use an essay with similar ideas on a college application?

PxAlaska

@MisterTorchic when I read some of the partner college's take on application essays, they actually suggest you re-use your QB essay.

In the College Prep Scholarships, they ask you to enter your course and your grades. I entered the unweighted grade. Should I enter the weighted grade?

elnamo

Can I still apply next year? (I'm a junior now)

PxAlaska

I believe next year you will be eligible for the NCM