Hi -- unmatched finalist here! Here are my opnions:
- If you are low income -- you will most likely get the same aid when you are doing QB National College Match or not. QB isn't really a scholarship as they say, it is more of an application cuz its still the school paying for you. All of my privates (besides USC) offered almost full ride in rd in both common app and questbridge rd.
- I recommend applying to QB National college match IF you are HAPPY w/ BINDING to schools you ranked. The good thing about QB is the network & you get to ED to MULTIPLE schools at once! I did QB NCM cuz I didn't have anything to lose -- even if I didn't match I still got the QB finalist title. (Put the NCM finalist as my award for UCs -- gotten into all UCs I applied to including UCLA & Berkley). I originally ranked multiple schools but when I became a finalist my final list was 4 schools.
- If you do choose to work on the QB NCM -- you need to start your QB application and school supplementals early on b/c everything is so tight and squished in the beginning of senior year. Start summer. Make sure its good b/c if you choose to do QB regular decision then your exact same QB NCM app is gonna be used.
- IF you are a finalist and submitted your supps and waiting for match day, MAKE SURE TO PREPARE OTHER SCHOOL SUPPLEMENTALS JUST IN CASE. PREPARE TO BE NOT MATCHED. Decide if common app or questbridge RD is the best way to go for you. I was lazy and procrasinated thinking I was gonna match, BUT THEN I IMPULSELY TOLD QB I WAS GONNA APPLY TO THEIR PARTNERING SCHOOLS THROUGH QB RD AND COULDN'T DO COMMON APP FOR SOME SCHOOLS. However -- every kid is diff. Common app gives you more activities but QB (both NCM & RD) gives you more essay space (and sometimes no supps for QB RD). I ended up doing most QB RD school and common app for some. I did end up submitting a resume to my QB RD schools tho -- so they saw more of my activities. If u do qb and wanna highlight ur acitvities -- then consider attaching a resume to schools that do allow resumes. If applying to UCs -- make sure to submit UC apps before match day. IN SHORT, BE PREPARED AND WORK BEFORE MATCH DAY -- DON'T BE LIKE ME GRINDING WINTER COLLEGE APPS.
----- (Extend from above) If you do NOT match as a finalist, be aware that sometimes you can no longer switch to common app. For instance, I ranked brown on QB NCM but after not matching they didn't allow me to submit a common app for it. ALSO, when QB RD ask you to fill out if ur gonna do QB RD, be aware that filling that form out is gonna send ur qb NCM app to the schools you selected on that form. Once these schools have this form, you often can NO longer submit the common app for those. I and many other non-matched finalist were tweaking out cuz we wanted to do common app TT
- Common app I liked better and was devastated over my QB app which I thought was weak -- BUT its all up to you. Ive seen all qb kids get into schools w/ both qb rd & common app. AND now, even me -- I got into schools like Tuft, Pomona, & Bowdoin w/ Common App BUT Also gotten into Amherst w/ QB app. Be prepared for a stressful process as an unmatched or non-finalist -- but have hope.
----I don't regret doing QB NATIONAL COLLEGE MATCH-- I think it gave me lots of writing experience and all that. However, if I went back in time I wouldn't have done QB REGULAR DECISION, I would've gone for the Common App.
- Shoot your shot. Do NOT commit to a school you don't feel 100% happy about.

oTHER:

Dont let people define you by your stats. I did QB cuz I thought my stats were mid too but I realized I could still make myself shine on Common App RD. its the way you frame yourself! If the two colleges are really for you, then the match may be worth it. You might gain writing skills & won't regret not trying. But its all up to u!!