How did this girl get into QuestBridge?

nynightowl
Mon, 06 May 2013 01:53:11 +0000

idic5 - I noticed your posts in a few QB threads and you seem (understandably) to want to figure out what factor(s) were determinative in your D not receiving the CPS. It seems there is no formula and the QB process is a genuinely holistic one in which they consider the individual students accomplishments, character, personal and financial challenges and unique life story. A girl I know well won the CPS award this year and her profile is similar to your D. She’s Causcasian with college grad parents but very low income, lower than yours. Stats: SAT 2270, W 4.6, junior class president, 2 varsity sports, NHS, 100+ hours comm service at hospital, studies 2 foreign languages at the college level, and plays 2 instruments. While this may not be unusual for a typical applicant to a selective college, it’s a huge accomplishment given her circumstances. Her family lost everything including home, car etc. some years ago and she has had to take care of invalid mother while father struggles with addiction. It’s a rough situation, the kids sometimes only eat lunch at school, no money for books or school supplies etc. and she has handled it with tremendous maturity and courage. She says her essay was terrible and she wrote it the last day. But I’m sure her recommendation was stellar as she is an impressive student. I think every CPS has a unique situation and a unique story to tell. If your D qualifies for QB and wants to pursue the College Match program in the fall, maybe she can spend this time this summer figuring out what her story actually is, who she is and why. If she lives in a household with a genuine 20K income, she probably has overcome numerous difficulties. She should figure out how to write about that in a personal compelling way. Good luck going forward…