Some people fearmonger that without cps, the ncm is almost impossible. Is this true?
No! While it is true that CPS acceptees have a higher chance of becoming a finalist, it is not limited to those students. If you are realistically competitive for QB academically speaking, and meet the income requirements, you should still apply to the NCM.
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Is it like biased towards them or because of their situations, I’ve seen people wiht like 1590 SAts and stuff get rejected frm both, and others with 1300s get in, it’s all so confusing
Are you talking about CPS participants? They do have a higher rate of becoming an NCM finalist. Probably a combo of being strong candidates, and going thru the program which, among other things, helps them best position their NCM app.
I get it, but that’s not dissimilar to holistic college admissions, correct? QB considers an applicant’s academics and achievements in context of their HS, their community, and their unique set of circumstances.
Again, if you think you are academically competitive and meet the income (and asset) guidelines then you should apply. The app is challenging and is due by the end of September, so requires a focused effort in the summer.
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Don’t worry about others. If you meet the QB criteria, you should apply QB.
No one knows why anyone gets in - and if you don’t, no one knows why you didn’t.
Good luck.
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No, it’s not true. If you are high achieving academically and are from a family with an income of below the 50th percentile for your region and for the number of people in your household, you should apply for Questbridge.
The only high school students who match the criteria for whom NCM is impossible are those who do do not apply for NCM. The criteria do not include “graduate of CPS”.
In 2025, there were 7,026 Finalists for NCM, while there were 3,657 who participated in CPS. So even if all of the CPS graduates advanced to finalist, almost half of the finalists did not come from that group.
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