A Brief Guide to Starting the National College Match Application

Leslie Alfaro
Jun 29, 2022
4 min read

What we will cover:

Overview of the Application Process
The Key to a Golden Application
Which section to start working on
How to begin writing the essays
Preparing for the supplemental essays
Are their hidden interviews?

Your chance to apply for a full-ride scholarship is finally here, rising seniors. You might be asking yourself several questions, such as "When should I start my application?" or "Are there any surprise interviews throughout the application process?" Luckily, this post aims to ease your nerves by answering your questions and set you on the path toward a future without student debt.

Process Overview

Note: These dates are from the Class of 2026

Late Aug. / Early Sept. - Application opens

Sept. 27 - Application is Due

Oct. 19 - Finalists are announced

Nov. 1- Supplemental Essays are Due

Dec. 1 - Match Day

The dates below were for the students applying via Regular Decision

Dec. 11 - Finalists submit a list of the schools they'll be applying

Early Jan. - Supplemental Essays are Due

Here's Questbridge's visual calender:

The Key to a Golden Application

So when should you start your application?

The answer is now. Summer is when you will have the most free time compared to when you enter school. Working during the summer may sound unappealing, but getting a head start will help you avoid burnout and rushing.

Which Section to Start Working On

Because the application is lengthy, you may decide to start with the first section and work your way down. However, I strongly recommend starting with the writing sections, which will take longer to finish than the others. Doing so will leave you with easy work, mainly filling out personal information, perfect for when you're drowning in homework halfway into the semester.

However, this is just my opinion. Speaking from experience, I've seen many students push their essays aside and begin working on them at the last minute. If you consider yourself a procrastinator and don't want to start now, start brainstorming what you could write for each essay. Thinking of what to write is single-handedly the most time-consuming aspect of the writing process, so completing this step will save you so much time: something you'll need once September starts.

How to begin writing the essays

After reading the essay prompts and their word count, you might feel frustrated and irritated because you don't know what to write. Here are some solutions to overcome your writer's block:

1. Think of some common theme(s) you'd like your writing to reflect.

Choosing themes you want to write about is a great start because you want your essays to support the type of person you're describing yourself. You could have multiple themes, but sticking to two or three will considerably strengthen your application and further persuade your reader that you are the person you set out to be.

2. Look at examples online.

The College Essay Guy has some great examples with in-depth analysis. You could also search other websites or even Youtube. However, I found that being able to read the text was much more helpful than hearing it. Test each one out and see which one works for you so you can focus on finding more of the like.

Link to The College Essay Guy's post:

https://www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/questbridge-essay-examples

3. Write a list of examples that best describe you.

Sometimes we often get carried away writing about ourselves without mentioning any experiences or events that support what we are saying. To combat this, write a list containing events you'd like to write about - preferably those revolving around the themes you chose - what resulted from it, and what you learned.

Not only will they serve as your "evidence," but the events you chose will help make your essay more enjoyable to read (for who doesn't like stories?) and might even present you with an idea on how to structure your masterpiece.

Note: I'll cover how to craft great essays and will be analyzing the writing of other Questbridge Scholars in future posts.

Preparing for the supplemental essays

It's mid-October, and you just got notified you were selected as a Questbridge Finalist. As much as you would like to go off and celebrate, it's better to postpone it to begin writing the supplemental essays. After all, this is the last mile you'll face in this long process of receiving a full-ride scholarship, so do your best to show the colleges how much you love them and desire to attend.

You'll have about 12 days to work on the supplementals for each college you ranked, which will all be due on November 1. It will be a stressful period, so try to spend your free time writing them. I know what I'm about to say might be controversial, but I'll say it anyway becuase it can save people from going crazy: if you feel like you need it, consider taking a day or two off from school. I'm guilty of doing so, but I'm glad I did because I finished two essays. Maybe you can do more than me with a free day.

Also, talk to your teachers about what you are doing so they can be more lenient with you and possibly give you extensions on your work!

Are their hidden interviews?

As you might know, Questbridge does not offer nor require interviews to become a Scholar. However, some colleges will have optional interviews with an alumni.

Don't be afraid to accept these interviews! They add further information about you to your application, such as things you weren't able to mention in your application. Although they can range from 15 minutes to an hour, they go by pretty fast. They are relatively brief and resemble a conversation. Just remember to review what you wrote in your essays and you'll be good to go.

I hope this brief overview provided helpful information and made you feel more confident. In the end, have fun with the process. Do yourself justice and craft essays that best showcase your talent and the hard work you put in these past four years.

Have any questions? Write them in the forum!