Apply to the QuestBridge College Scholarship but did not match? Take a breath – hear from our amazing students who succeeded despite not matching!
What is your message of encouragement for students who are not QuestBridge Match Scholarship recipients?
Anna: First, breathe in and out. It’s okay to be sad. I know it feels like the end of the world not matching with a Questbridge partner, but know that this doesn’t mean you were rejected from a Questbridge partner or a full ride. It does not mean you did not meet the Questbridge requirements. Questbridge partners give great financial aid to first-generation low-income students to make college more affordable even without the Match. Don’t give up hope. Broaden your college horizons and apply to more schools that you genuinely want to go to and make your application stand out. Don’t take the acceptance rate personally!
Felix: If you don’t become a finalist, please don’t let this rejection define who you are; rather, think of this as another opportunity to apply for more scholarships and for you to revise your college application! Becoming a Finalist for the Questbridge National College Match is extremely competitive and everyone who applies is more than qualified to become one. Many students meet the requirements. This is what makes it very hard for QuestBridge to decide who becomes a finalist. QuestBridge has to consider many factors outside of your control. I know several people who have earned scholarships like QuestBridge (such as the Gates and the Jack Kent Cooke) but didn’t become finalists for the National College Match, and they all ended up attending top 25 universities! Many of them used the rejection as a way to reflect and revise their essays and applications, which helped them get full rides to prestigious universities.
What happened after you found out you didn't receive the QuestBridge scholarship?
Anna: No words can describe how sad I felt when I opened the decision portal on Match Day. What’s worse was I opened it during school and my mood was clear to see. I was so sad and cried at home. I wish I could’ve turned back time to see what I did wrong so that I could match with Questbridge. The next day, my mom cheered me up and took me to the mall where we got Chick-Fil-A and went shopping. I felt so much better and was determined that this was not the end for me.
Felix: On Match Day, when I found out that I didn’t match and receive the QuestBridge scholarship, I was absolutely devastated. I felt like a failure, especially since I spent so many hours working on my college applications, only to get rejected for the scholarship. I also became more worried that I wouldn’t get into any prestigious universities and would have to go into debt to go to college. However, when my top choice, Washington University in St. Louis, sent me an email encouraging me to apply to their Early Decision 2 round. I decided to take the chance and go for it. On the day of my decision, I nervously clicked on my status update, and was thrilled to find out that I had got in! After looking at my financial aid offer, I found out I had received a full ride! I was overcome with joy, relief, and gratitude. Knowing WashU was able to make a college education possible for me made me realize that as long as I put my best effort into everything I do, I would be able to find support wherever I go.
What advice would you give to a Finalist who is not Questbridge matched?
Anna: Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Take some time off and go treat yourself because you deserve it. You made it this far so don’t give up now. Start thinking about whether you want to apply to any Questbridge partners using their application or the Common Application. Brainstorm some prompts for those colleges to be prepared and have adequate time to edit and revise.
Felix: Don’t give up! You’ve already made it this far. You’re going to hear this over and over again- being rejected from the Match does not mean you will not get into a prestigious university, and it’s true! You’re already a finalist, which means you are more than 100% qualified to attend a prestigious university and that you are an extremely competitive applicant!
If you get rejected from the Match, take a moment to breathe– I know it’s hard. December was the most difficult month for me during my senior year of high school because I felt lost and defeated, yet I somehow needed to have the strength to continue finishing my regular decision applications, as well as applying for more scholarships. But I pulled through and now I’m attending my top choice on a full ride, and I know you will be able to accomplish this as well! Many schools will give you the option to apply to their Early Decision round if you don’t match. Take this opportunity and don’t let it go to waste! If you decide to apply early decision, you have a high chance of getting into a college on a full ride! Many schools only have a specific number of students to whom they can give the National College Match scholarship, but those schools also offer generous financial aid to students who qualify.
I would also strongly encourage non-matched finalists to apply to schools outside of QuestBridge through the Common or Coalition App. My advice would be to apply to at least 4-6 schools outside of QuestBridge that would give a decent amount of financial aid and have higher acceptance rates. If you are revising your essays after not matching to a school and find that they represent your story better, I suggest using the Common App to apply to the schools you’d apply through Regular Decision. However, you’re only allowed to do this if you didn’t apply to this school during the Match.
What are resources that helped you to complete the steps after you received the decision?
Anna: Matriculate was the ultimate resource that helped me after I received my decision. My Advising Fellow encouraged me to continue and I would not be where I am today if not for her. She helped me outline a timeline of what I should do since I was applying to more colleges which meant more applications to send in. Having an overview of what I should be doing helped me manage my time more wisely, especially with the case of an incoming senioritis…
Felix: After I received my Match decision, I took the time to talk with multiple people about my next steps. This included Matriculate, as well as my high school teachers and counselor, who submitted more recommendation letters to the additional colleges and scholarships I was applying to. However, the most important and influential resources that I used were my parents and sister. They helped me recover and gave me the support I needed to keep going after my rejection. They stayed up late many nights with me, especially my mother and sister, giving me feedback and ideas on what I could do to improve my essays for colleges and scholarships. They will always be role models and are the reason why I am where I am today.
How did Matriculate help you with this?
Anna: My Advising Fellow gave me words of encouragement and provided a timeline of what I should be doing since I was applying to more colleges. This helped me plan accordingly instead of rushing to complete application prompts for colleges.
Felix: After finding out I didn’t Match, I immediately reached out to my Matriculate Advising Fellow, and we discussed applying to more colleges and scholarships and using specific websites such as BigFuture from College Board and Bold.org. This helped me secure a full-ride to college, helping relieve any potential college debt I could have experienced. I am forever grateful for my Advising Fellow and the program’s endless knowledge of resources and support.
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MEET THE AUTHORS
Anna Pham
Anna Pham is from Texas and is currently attending the University of Notre Dame. At Matriculate she is a Recruitment Ambassador and a former high school fellow. In her free time, she likes to shop, travel, spend quality time with her friends and family, read, and nap (preferably when there are no finals and stacks of homework that need to be completed)!
Felix Guo
Felix is from Lawrence, Kansas and is an Advising Fellow and High School Fellow Recruitment Ambassador at Matriculate. He is currently studying biology and music at Washington University in St. Louis. In his free time, he loves playing the clarinet, going on runs, and gardening.