I'm really worried about applying to the QuestBridge scholarship

Hello hello, so i think the most important thing and the most im worried about its that myself im an immigrant that moved to California in the middle of my junior year, basically i was born here but because my mom never had papers she couldn’t stay and she had a good job at the time in Mexico, so arriving here in this new system i didnt knew NOTHING about AP/IB classes, dual enrolment, and in my school they had something called “International Academy”, a program that helped kids that moved to the USA and had classes in spanish and also for them to learn english and had to opportunity of having classes with the english spoken kids, and in the week of being here i was put into normal classes because i had an initial fluent english, but my counselor (who I don’t like), and immediately put me in average classes with freshmens, sophmores, and some juniors. And now that im in senior year i tried to apply into some IB courses, that being biology and spanish, but my counselor instead put me two math classes (one that i already pass), two science classes (again, both of them already passing them last semester), two english classes, and in the end an dual enrolment non credit class for inmigrants kids to take the citizenship exam, because she believed it was the best way for me to take a governments class, so yeah, that for me the thing im most scared about.

Other than that, I have average stats for a questbridge applicant. I have a 3.9 GPA, im 34 in a 131 class (yes i know, its not that impressive), like i told before i dont have history of any IB/AP class but i do have a dual enrollment one because last semester I sign up for two classes (Health and Social Justice/African American History), and im currently in my theater cabinet and im pretty active in that way, being part in all of the theater productions my school has made since living here. But even all of that, I still think that my Mexican curriculum its kinda stronger, in my other school i won a scholarship in my school that made it easier for my family to pay (i was in a private school), i won an essay contest, i was part of multiple school clubs, and I was part of a local folkloric group that danced in festivals in the city and outside of the city.

Also i had WAY more advanced classes there, studying there to finish high school with a computational certificate specialized in PYTHON, i also had classes in marine biology taking advantage of my home city because we were famous with our marine education, and already having pre-calculus classes that i passed with really good grades, in my other school being known for being the girl with the best grades in my class.

But I DO have the need for this scholarship, i live in LA in a small department with two bedrooms, one i share with my mom and the other sleeps my aunt who is a 80 year old woman, my mom when she worked (right now she is unemployed) earned approximately 14,000, and now she is looking for a new job with our family in anything, because she doesn’t have paper and only has a work visa she doesn’t have the privilege to look for a job with her degree, (Accountancy), having to work for everything basically, her past job being a secretary. I don’t really have a school I want to get (i’m lying, its Barnard) but my wish to go to college its way bigger than everything else, i plan to study sociology (and if it is offered) statistics also, while at the same time being concentrated in improving my writing skills to maybe in the future becoming a writer, screenwriter, or playwright, that being my biggest dream but studying those majors to become a data analyst as a main job.

I want people to please tell me their honest opinions, because im really spending a ton of time in building in what i think it is an application that at least could help me being a finalist, and for those that may tell me to have a plan B, i already have it because i already know that not everything you want would be given to you, already planning to apply to a community college and also working in my UC application.

If you read all of this, I really appreciate you and I hope you get all of what you want.

Bye, bye people of the internet.

You seem to be the ideal candidate to apply to Questbridge. If Barnard College is your top choice, then you should rank it #1, of course. I would rank at least 7-10 schools in your application. You can rank up to a maximum of 15 of the 55 partner schools.

Your Plan B is a logical one: starting off at a community college, earn a 4.0 unweighted GPA (or really close to it) along with your A.A. degree, and then transferring to one of the UC campuses (Berkeley, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, etc.) to complete your bachelor’s degree.

2 Likes

Do you have an SAT/ACT test score?

Yes, I did them in July and I got a 1350

1 Like

Is your 3.9 GPA weighted or unweighted? If weighted, what is the unweighted for core courses only?

Can you list out your core courses? So, English, Science, Social Studies, Math? I assume you don’t have a foreign language in addition to ESL. What is your local CSU?

Your stats and rigor are lower than a typical QB applicant. That application is also a heavy lift which is due in about a month. Have you started it?

In terms of qualifying for and receiving financial aid from colleges, your mom will have to complete the financial aid forms. Is she willing to do that?

Why worry? The worst that can happen is you don’t get picked. But you can’t get picked if you don’t apply.

You can apply to other schools outside of Questbridge as well.

Here are colleges that meet need.

A 1350 SAT is in range - and not all submit. But they do want to see AP/IB coursework (if available)

1290-1460 or 27-33

Middle 50% SAT or ACT (if reported)

Use all 15 slots. Good luck.

Here’s Every College That Offers 100% Financial Aid · PrepScholar