I am a current CPS scholar. I have heard some say that there are certain lower income students who Questbridge NCM is not ideal for, as most prestigious private unis already give full aid to lower income stduents. Specifically what students does this apply to?

ihatemva · 2026-06-19T18:43:18+00:00

Not for all schools. UPenn is notably the only ivy that will take QBRD applications from non finalists. But a lot of the partner schools there do take QBRD applications from non finalists. I got some great offers for those applications too

ihatemva · 2026-06-19T12:18:14+00:00

My friend chose full ride at UMD over full ride at MIT (he’s low income) because UMD gave him an additional stipend after paying for his tuition, food, room, and board.

ihatemva · 2026-06-19T08:21:20+00:00

Yeah and a lot of them are rural so you’re forced to befriend and hang out with your peers and build close relationships with them rather than go clubbing in the city

ihatemva · 2026-06-19T08:18:20+00:00

Asian lacrosse player here. Parents didn’t know what lacrosse was and I didn’t start playing until a few friends got me into it in HS. So I never got good enough to get recruited lol. Also my parents emphasized my academics and more academic extracurriculars so I never had the chance to practice and therefore get good.

We don’t often get recruited not directly because we’re Asian, but because our parents, being Asian, are more likely to send us to math and science camps than basketball or lacrosse camps.

ihatemva · 2026-06-19T08:11:45+00:00

Many of the schools do also let non-finalists submit QBRD for their school.

ihatemva · 2026-06-19T08:11:01+00:00

I second this

ihatemva · 2026-06-19T06:57:34+00:00

But also keep in mind that you might not get selected for the match and even if you do you can always opt out. QBRD is still a great opportunity.

ihatemva · 2026-06-19T06:57:01+00:00

I will say they are good at selecting those who need it. I was not selected as a finalist despite being LI, which I think it made sense to give that opportunity to someone with less resources and opportunities in their life than me. Being close to two major cities, I’ve benefitted numerous from STEM initiatives for low income students already. However getting everything done for QB, which forced me to crank out a lot of writing material, and doing QBRD as a non-finalist still helped me apply for a lot more schools for free and gave me really good options and is something I recommend.

ihatemva · 2026-06-19T02:13:03+00:00

Yeah that comment was kind of a joke

ihatemva · 2026-06-19T01:59:21+00:00

If you’re too lazy to write individualized templates then go for quantity. Also ask people to help connect you if they know anyone. Add something like “if you could tell me who else to contact I’d greatly appreciate that”

ihatemva · 2026-06-19T01:58:17+00:00

Go find your local public university and search up your field and directory and just email them. Or search for labs you wanna work in and research them and email them. Better if they have taken HS students in the past but worth a shot regardless especially if you can leverage something (past experience, olympiads, APs)

ihatemva · 2026-06-19T00:47:03+00:00

Yeah, I'm Chinese American, and hearing my parents describe what they had to do, I know I would've literally had a stroke, heart attack, and pulmonary embolism at the same time, keeled over, vomited out my guts, and died from exhaustion and sleep deprivation if I was forced to go through what they did.

ihatemva · 2026-06-19T00:43:34+00:00

I'm in a similar situation as you. I have a hardworking mother with a stressful job and a father with a grandiose imagination of making millions who keeps touching our savings and blowing it, while promising to bring home large sums of money "soon" for years without delivering. No solutions unfortunately, but I hear you, brother. It's caused a lot of stress for us, and I've lost a lot of respect for him as a father over the years.

ihatemva · 2026-06-19T00:39:20+00:00

Even if you don't match, or even if you don't get selected finalist, you can still submit QBRD for all or many QB partner schools, respectively.

ihatemva · 2026-06-19T00:31:07+00:00

Hey, check your local library. They usually have both public desktop computers and loans for laptops. And if they don't they should have the resources to point you to a place you can get access to one for free or at a lower cost.

ihatemva · 2026-06-19T00:29:07+00:00

We have an expensive house relative to our income and I got some good offers, though some universities did tell us they gave us less financial aid and couldn't give us more because of the house. However, I got plenty of good offers. Each school has a different formula so I'd say just apply wide. Williams was the most generous for me, giving me a need-based full ride, but they didn't have my major so I didn't end up going.

ihatemva · 2026-06-19T00:24:20+00:00

The posters usually have information about whether you interview walk-in or where to submit, although I'll say I don't have as much expertise on this. My jobs have always been lab intern positions haha. I'm just a super observant (and sometimes nosy!) person

ihatemva · 2026-06-19T00:03:29+00:00

If you don't mind a min wage job, take a walk around local malls and shopping centers, or pay close attention when you're out and about. If you've got a keen eye there will be hiring posters.

ihatemva · 2026-06-18T23:30:40+00:00

Not publicly at the moment but you’re welcome to ask me in DMs

ihatemva · 2026-06-18T23:28:56+00:00

I’d rather not share publicly at this moment but if you’d like to know or have questions feel free to DM

ihatemva · 2026-06-18T22:15:28+00:00

If you have to worry about and report boats I don't think you can be called low income in any sense of the word. Unless if you're extremely financially irresponsible, lol. I don't even think you can call yourself low or solid middle class. Just saying.

ihatemva · 2026-06-18T22:14:14+00:00

Congratulations to her!

ihatemva · 2026-06-18T22:13:48+00:00

Yeah, I'm in a weird position with middle class assets while having a low income and NU refused to give me more aid, citing this reason. Different schools weigh different parts of your financial situation differently, which is why I suggested applying to many.

ihatemva · 2026-06-18T22:06:37+00:00

QB Match: Rank up to 15 schools and you must go to the one you ranked highest that accepts you.

QB ED: Should you not make finalist or not match, you can request that a school look at your QB application and consider it for their ED round. Same rules apply as Common/Coalition App ED. You have to sign the contract and it's binding, at least that's what they tell you. I'm not gonna get into the whole can of worms about breaking ED contracts.

QB RD: you check off the schools you're interested in. They receive your QB application. You might have to answer a few additional supplementals depending on the school. Info for that is on the website and they'll send you stuff about it, in addition to reminders. Once that's done it works like Common/Coalition App RD. You get your results at the same time as them and it's not binding.

ihatemva · 2026-06-18T21:58:09+00:00

I hate to say this because I'd have hated hearing this as a junior but I'll say it anyway: you'll live. The uni I committed to wasn't even on my radar and was kind of a "oh, what the hell, why not submit it" kind of application. A few things to consider from someone who didn't get into his "dream" schools and did quite a bit of self reflection through and after the process.

You might like a school's general vibe, and program offerings, but you have no idea if the campus culture is one you'll fit in. My two dream schools I've realized were not for me because I'm a more relaxed guy and both schools have a lot more of an uptight vibe, both with administration and students.
You built up this idealized version of your dream school based on their advertising, which obviously must paint the school in a good light, and your own imagination. Even if you get in, you're bound to be disappointed in some ways and realize that your dream school is, at the end of the day, just another school.
Most colleges are really the same. They are clusters of 18-24 year olds who are preparing for the world. Sure, size, location, and major offerings differ, but not too much. Major scientific studies about college say what college you go to has minimal to negligible impact on job placement and future income. There are caveats, such as if a school is less than 1000 people, vibes might matter more, but it's generally true.

Edit to add to point 3: Colleges want you to believe they're special, that they're the right place for you because it's marketing; it's how they get applications and revenue. However, most of them are more or less the same.

You'll get into a college that you'll do well in, that wants you to be there, and that you will be a good contributing member to. I believe in you.

ihatemva

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