Wow that’s AMAZING 
.
Well done 
With your record and that score, the sky’s the limit. 
(Make sure your GC explains what happened freshman year and highlights how quickly and thoroughly you learn as exemplified by the progress in that SAT math score.)
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Thank you! After today though, QB is a no-go. I got rejected from College Prep Scholars so I’m not going to risk it and try the match.
I was accepted into Matchlighters and ScholarMatch! I’m not sure if I can participate in both programs at the same time, but either one can help me build a college list. I’ll discuss the colleges you recommended with my counselor once I’m matched with one of the programs.
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Did they have your SAT? Is there a rule that says if you get turned down for the Scholars, you can’t match the next year?
Congratulations on Matchlighters and ScholarMatch!
QB prep and QB Match are separate programs with different criteria. They may have thought you didn’t need extra prep/support for your list, or may have held off till you had a new SAT score.
The match could work out, especially for LACs and Humanities - and the ROI is great since you’d get a full ride.
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Yes, my score came out after the application closed but they still had a form open where we could upload any updated test scores. I can still apply for the match, but my chances are lower, mainly because two other people from my school applied to CPS and got in, and they’re going to apply for the match too. CPS students are 5x more likely to become finalists for the match, so they’d probably choose them over me again, and I’m guessing they only select a limited number of students from each school too.
I might still apply for the Match, I just need to have applications on the Common App ready if I don’t become a finalist. But hopefully something will work out!
Don’t assume and you had such a changed. @MYOS1634 told you that you still can. And you could always check with QB. The question to me is - if you applied to a QB school without QB, would your odds be worse ? If so and you qualify income wise, why wouldn’t you ?
You have to thread a very small hole and with a gpa that will likely eliminate you from most meets need schools.
So if Qb at a school will enhance odds vs non Qb, take it. Your odds likely aren’t great to begin with but many defy odds.
The QB app is due much earlier than Common app and follows the same format so preparing for QB prepares you for CommonApp. If you’re not taken for the Match you can convert whichever college is your favorite into an ED app (and even into ED2 at your next college if ED1 doesn’t work out). No downside imho.
Since you want a small college, list all 12 LACs you like on the QB match list (include WashU if you like it beside the fact your brother is attending).
Make sure to list AA studies or Sociology or American studies as your major, and have classes senior year that match that (ie, show a social science orientation rather than STEM). Your SAT Math score shows you have the requisite math chops so no need to take Physics C to prove your stem ability, just take AP Physics 1 or 2 (rigorous and actually more useful if you do go the premed route) but DO take a higher level in foreign language (it’s an element used to estimate rigor, since basically AP Language is where it starts combining complex skills).
You got this.
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As I wrote several weeks ago (multiple posts on March 14), apply to Princeton University. Do not settle for less as an 800 SAT reading indicates that you should do very well in the most demanding academic setting. 740 on math is excellent as well.
Princeton’s need based financial aid is, arguably, the best in the nation.
In addition to a couple of match & safety schools, aim high and consider applying to Yale, Princeton, & Amherst College. I understand that your class rank is just top 25%, but you need to believe in yourself. Do not sell yourself short. Do your best to get into the top 20%.
An effective college essay theme might discuss how you expect to benefit from a change of environment; and why a change of environment is needed.
P.S. If it is okay with you, I’ll offer a list of suggested schools based on your interests, ability, and financial need.
Princeton, Yale, Amherst College, Stanford, Emory, Vanderbilt, & WashUStL. Of course, these are reach schools, but it is clear that you can handle the work at any of these schools. Do not be discouraged from applying. Ask each school for an application fee waiver.
Northwestern University is another elite, academically demanding, wealthy school to consider. (Easy to double or triple major. SESP (School of Education & Social Policy) might be of interest to you. Some majors strongly encourage students to double major. Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences is the liberal arts school. Once admitted to Northwestern, a student may transfer to any school of 6, but not Bienen Music as it is by audition only & not into acting as it is rare for a spot to open up.) Lots of former Princeton profs at Northwestern (not sure why).
Among small schools (LACs), consider Amherst College, Davidson College in North Carolina (access to a large, beautiful lake along with solid academics), Grinnell College in Iowa is wealthy & should be generous, Washington & Lee University in Virginia is small & might result in a full ride scholarship. Pomona College in California.
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Thank you so much for the suggestions, especially the liberal arts colleges! I think those will make up the majority of my college list. I see that many of the LACs you suggested have fly-in programs, so I’m going to apply to those.
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Great !
Please consider some larger schools as well as LACs. Typically, there is a significant difference with respect to campus culture between large state (public) flagship schools and private National Universities such as Yale, Princeton, Northwestern, Emory, WashUStL, and many others. All of these elite private National Universities have aspects which make the undergraduate community feel more intimate than the undergraduate enrollment might suggest. (At large state flagships, honors colleges allow one to belong to a small community of intelligent,highly motivated, goal oriented peers.) Consider asking your brother at WashUStL about the school’s campus culture.
As you are aware, your primary obstacles are GPA, class rank, and, maybe, issue of strength of schedule/hardest classes. Hopefully you have supporters at your school who will write strong recommendations regarding your abilities, determination, personal growth/maturity level and other strong personal qualities.
You have the intelligence to do well and to thrive at almost any elite LAC or National University, but you need to give indications of a strong work ethic, desire/determination to succeed (such as the remarkable improvement accomplished on your SAT math score), indications of intellectual curiosity and creative intelligence. Schools like Yale & Princeton have the resources to invest in you if you demonstrate a seriousness of purpose. You have the brain power, now it needs to be applied to your coursework.
If I may, I would like to send you a link to a free course that is just a few hours long, but can open up your thoughts which can be incorporated in your essays and into your daily approach to work & to academics.
Because you wrote of a strong interest in sociology, I encourage you to read readily available online information regarding Stanford University’s Dean of the Graduate School of Business (Stanford GSB which is Stanford’s MBA program. She was a sociology major and specializes in Organizational Behavior. Sarah Soule is the first female Dean of Stanford GSB.)
Also, no need to retake a 1540 SAT composed of 740 math & 800 Reading for a future humanities major not focused on math. Your score is outstanding.
(Let me know if you’re up for a free 4 hour course.)
P.S. Although I suspect that you will do well in life regardless of the school that you attend, environment matters. Plus the super elite schools which I suggested all have the resources to support your college years. Yes, all are long-shots,but you need to believe in yourself and give yourself a chance since you have clearly demonstrated you have the necessary brainpower to be in a challenging academic environment.
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There is no risk in applying to the match! I was a prep scholar so we’re in different situations but even though I didn’t match as a finalist, I got in RD through Questbridge to Duke, Northwestern, Denison, Macalester, and others. The match also guarantees a full ride, which no other financial aid, no matter how generous, promises; my total costs from schools I was admitted to were all in the 5-10k range as someone with an SAI of 702+extreme medical expenses, so be wary of that and don’t turn down an opportunity for a full ride! Plus, if you become a finalist and don’t match, but then decide that your QB app wasn’t your best work, you can always just send your common app instead. I will also say, I’m not sure how many schools you are planning to apply to, but Common App has a 20-school limit but applying QB allows you to circumvent that (I applied to 35-40 schools so this was a big deal for me as it allowed me to shoot my shot everywhere 
). QB is such an amazing opportunity if you get it, and if you don’t, no harm done. There’s not much due till like November 1 anyways so you’ll have plenty of time to fix up your common app after completing QB (due Sep 30) if that’s something you’re worried about. Gl with your matched counselors and everything else!
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Hi AustenNut,
I was not around, but I just now came back to check things out and saw your message. Sorry I missed it back in March
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I totally understand! And @pineappleconure is just completing her junior year, so I suspect she would be very receptive to any suggestions you might have for her.
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