Why you SHOULDN’T Apply to QuestBridge to Get a Full Ride Scholarship

Hey guys, welcome or welcome back to my channel!
This video is about QuestBridge, a platform that connects high achieving, low-income students to many resources and opportunities in the college application process. Although I was a Questbridge College Prep Scholar, this video is meant to show you the reasons why I decided not to apply through QuestBridge when I was a senior. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know in the comments. Enjoy!
Music: Mornings With You - SOMM

[@ilikebobateaaa]

There is a cap for students for each QB student anyways and after getting rejected in the match you still have the option to do regular admission

[@yunxilin7307]

I didn’t do the program when I was a junior but applied to the national scholar match and became a finalist. It gave me hope and a sort of confidence that made me believe I could actually get in those colleges but looking back now it doesn’t mean anything. I got rejected from all the schools I applied to and only got in my safety and currently decided to go to city college 💔💔💔

[@tramtran9108]

Did you not gain anything as a finalist? What about regular decision?

[@GalaxyNeptunia01]

Hey, Im a finalist too!

[@sukiannap]

I’d advise anyone applying to do more research and decide if applying is worth it for YOU. A lot of the points in this video were actually flawed but again whether or not you agree is completely up to

[@rifatemam6066]

My points are these: 1. Questbridge does NOT offer scholarship money. The money comes from the schools. And most of the schools would give you that money through financial aid if you applied without questbridge. 2. Questbridge decreases your chances because the university only offers a FIXED number of slots to Questbridge students(not direct access). ALSO If you apply early action as a low-income student, you actually stand out because most of the students who apply early are rich well-off students(athletes, legacies, etc).

[@nur.safa_]

This actually helped me. I thought Questbridge was my only way to afford college.

[@aidanjackson3242]

You can still get accepted into the school if you didn’t receive the full-ride.

[@rifatemam6066]

I completely agree. Also, The school gives you a full ride automatically if you qualified for questbridge.

[@aidanjackson3242]

@@rifatemam6066 what? I wish that’s how school worked. They don’t hand out scholarships like that.

[@rifatemam6066]

@@aidanjackson3242 the schools on the questbridge list already meet 100% demonstrated need. So if you qualified for questbridge (less than 65k) you would automatically get a full ride from the school through financial aid(without questbridge)

[@aidanjackson3242]

@@rifatemam6066 How did I not know this? This makes me so excited to apply now. (Does this include food?)

[@rifatemam6066]

@@aidanjackson3242 it includes food tuition everything and a FAT refund check :)

[@combot4128]

Everything in this videos is flawed. Apply to questbridge you can always apply to the same schools for regular decision.

[@rifatemam6066]

Lower chances regular decision

[@combot4128]

@@rifatemam6066 in retrospect: during ED round you’ll be up against students who are rich af and your “low income student” narrative will overcome that- and actually make you stand out more.

[@rifatemam6066]

@@combot4128 I completely agree. That's why I'm saying you shouldn't apply to quest ridge because you will stand out more. If you apply through quest bridge you will only be competing against low income students for a limited number of spots that the school offers to quest ridge students.

[@combot4128]

@@rifatemam6066 I think you’re seeing this too one dimensionally: if low income students don’t apply via questbridge then they can only apply to ONE school early; and rich students get in during early action/ REA.

[@rifatemam6066]

@@combot4128 it's true that they can only apply to ONE school restrictive early action(harvard yale Princeton Stanford) but there is no limit to how many early action schools a student can apply to without quest bridge. Also there's no point in applying to these schools through quest ridge because almost all of them will give you a FUlL RIDE without quest ridge(financial aid) and quest ridge is binding to all schools except one. In other words, Quest ridge can only hurt your chances.

[@bellaf9056]

Your numbers are wrong. You also don't even know the proper names of the programs. Questbridge allows you to apply to up to 15 ED colleges compare to just one.

[@najlitajin6873]

Hey! You said you're from Sudan, right? How did you apply when you weren't a US high schooler or a US resident at the time of applying? And did you get accepted as a college prep scholar even though you were an international Non-Us candidate?

[@BBBBBRYANT_]

At first I ignored this video when I was working on my Questbridge app, but now, as a non-finalist, I fully understand every point you made in here. Future advise for future Questbridge applicants: Don't waste your time like I did, focus on common app first and foremost. You'll be competing against people who have cured cancer, trust me, that 3.5 GPA isn't impressive to them. It's a bit sketchy too, Questbridge does not even hand the scholarship... and they have the audacity to ask for donations. Their entire job is to reject civilians and accept Supermans. And even if you make it as a finalist, you'll have like a week to do your supplements, fafsa, and css profile just for you to not get matched and waste money (specifically with the CSS profile). Anyways, people, do your research, do not blindly apply to Questbridge.

[@GalaxyNeptunia01]

Yeah, but there is nothing wrong with applying to the match. If it doesn't go well, we can just apply Regular Decision and have 100% of needs met. By applying to the match, you have a chance at the relief of knowing where you are going early.

[@phoneheaded]

These points are fundamentally flawed. Questbridge does not offer scholarship money directly, but it simplifies the financial aid process, and often QB matches get better financial aid packages than similar non-QB students at partner schools. I matched with a T10, and I receive a tuition refund. QB admission is more competitive at most schools, but not all schools only accept a fixed amount of QB students. Schools like Barnard and USC are the exception, and most partner schools increase their number of matches every year. This year saw some schools jump up in the number of matches, such as the school I matched with, Duke, which matched with ~100 students this year as opposed to ~50 last year. The QB app is also a lot stronger for students who have fewer ECs or who are stronger writers. It's telling that most people who dismiss or complain about QB only ranked a few schools or didn't put any effort into their apps. A few months of stress is worth the 400,000+ scholarship and world class education.

[@wesmarshall5426]

100% accurate on everything stated. Nice work.

[@GinamarieBocchino]

well if you become a questbridge finalist, you have a 30% (around) of getting into one of the colleges on the list. I think that is pretty good odds. Also, if you get rejected before finalist round, you still have the option to apply early decision

[@melester2728]

Couldn’t I apply early through quest ridge to schools like Stanford that are non-binding and use the common app for the RD later on if I don’t match?

[@zenaphillip1927]

so would you suggest applying to the college prep scholars program as a junior, then applying to colleges without questbridge as a senior?

[@fitnessmommy1458]

Your music is too loud and very distracting!!!

[@rifatemam6066]

I completely agree! I’ll definitely keep that in mind for future videos

[@wesmarshall5426]

My son was a Questbridge match yesterday to his choice college. He did all the work with Questbridge by himself as a 17 year old and was successful. Full Ride to Yale. So I don’t agree with your advice. Sorry.

[@SuperElias1]

Yes sir ‼️

[@rifatemam6066]

Yesssssir brooooo you motivated me

[@SuperElias1]

@@rifatemam6066 nah I look up to you

[@moisessabidogarcia4914]

Speaking straight facts man!

[@rifatemam6066]

Thank you brooooooooooo 😍😍😍😍😍

[@chentcort9863]

just cause you couldn't get in and were blessed with resources doesn't mean you have to shut down a program meant to help low income and low resource students

[@rifatemam6066]

@@chentcort9863 It sounds like you're angry. I didn't apply btw but this is just what I learned from ADMISSION OFFICERS. And I don't have enough power to shut down a program bro but that would be interesting fs.

[@licigutz5818]

Very very wise. I wish I would have seen this before the headache and heartbreak with my son 😢

[@crazychimp1039]

I got accepted and I am doing early decision. Should I finish my application?

[@ANGELICA-ob4bx]

Yes bro do your best.

[@crazychimp1039]

@@ANGELICA-ob4bx thanks mate

[@hannansalah1677]

❤️

[@rifatemam6066]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@ramimisherghi1340]

Great Video 😫

[@rifatemam6066]

Thank you 😘😘😘😘😘😘

[@manharshmohan1417]

I love Rifat Emam!!

[@rifatemam6066]

Always and forever 😍😍😍😘😘😘😍😘😍😘😍😘😍😘😘😍😘😍😘😍😍😍😘😍

[@IsoAnees]

Same i’m his biggest fan

[@gogimoha2066]

😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@rifatemam6066]

Thank youuuuu😘😘😘😘😘😘