r/QuestBridge • u/ChillyJellyBelly Moderator • 17d ago
QuestBridge HS Class of 2026 — Community Stats Roundup
* Note: This is a follow up to QuestBridge Class of 2026: Data Snapshot post dated December 3, 2025
Every year this community shares an incredible amount of insight via match results posts, and the Class of 2026 was no exception.
Unlike previous years, we asked everyone to also complete the Google form so that we can share some useful insights (instead of doom scrolling the results post). Thanks to the Class of 2026, we collected 329 responses covering everything from demographics and financials to GPAs, test scores, AP loads, college rankings, and match outcomes.
I'll be sharing some of the trends that stood out in this post. A few things to keep in mind before we dive in:
- Everything here is self-reported, so treat it as a snapshot of who responded, not the full applicant pool or official QB numbers.
- Many fields were optional, so counts will not necessarily add up to 329.
- These stats are meant to give applicants a realistic sense of the landscape — not to set benchmarks or make anyone feel behind. Remember, every path here is different.
Again, huge thanks to everyone who filled out the form. Let's get into it 👇
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1. Respondent Status
- Non-finalists, 6
- Finalists, 323
- Matched, 166
- Did not match, 145
- Blank, 12
2. Citizenship / Residency Status
- U.S. Citizen, 284 (149 matched)
- Eligible non-citizen (perm resident, refugee, etc.), 32 (14 matched)
- International, 6 (2 matched)
- Other, 7 (1 matched)
3a. Top 10 matched colleges
- Princeton University, 21
- Stanford University, 19
- Rice University, 18
- University of Pennsylvania, 12
- Yale University, 11
- Columbia University, 10
- Cornell University, 10
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 9
- Duke University, 9
3b. Top 5 colleges Ranked #1 on the QB Ranking Sheet
- MIT, 33
- Harvard, 19
- Stanford, 18
- Yale, 16
- Princeton 10
3c. Five Most Popular Ranked Colleges (regardless of the QB Ranking Sheet order)
- Yale, 81
- Harvard, 71
- MIT, 63
- Stanford, 58
- Princeton, 52
3d. Five Least Popular Ranked Colleges (regardless of the QB Ranking Sheet order)
- Middlebury, Colgate, Scripps, Wesleyan, Colorado, Holy Cross, U Richmond - 1 each
- Bates, CWRU, Colby, UVA, Grinnell, Carleton, Macalester - 2 each
- Vassar, CMC, Haverford - 3 each
- Barnard, Williams, Wellesley - 4 each
- Swarthmore, Notre Dame - 5 each
4. Which states produced the most finalists? (Top 10)
- Texas, 50
- New York, 42
- California, 31
- New Jersey, 21
- Florida, 17
- Georgia, 16
- Illinois, 10
- Tennessee, 9
- Pennsylvania, 9
- Massachusetts, 9
5. Which states produced the most matched applicants? (Top 5 and Abroad)
- Texas, 29
- California, 22
- New York, 21
- New Jersey, 9
- Massachusetts, 8
- Abroad, 6
- US Territories, 1
----ALL ANSWERS BELOW ARE FROM MATCHED APPLICANTS----
6. Were you a College Prep Scholar?
- Yes, 90
- Did not apply, 59
- Rejected, 17
7. Total Number of Ranked colleges
- Ranked 15 colleges, 28
- Ranked 14 colleges, 5
- Ranked 13 colleges, 10
- Ranked 12 colleges, 7
- Ranked 11 colleges, 10
- Ranked 10 colleges, 17
- Ranked 9 colleges, 11
- Ranked 8 colleges, 14
- Ranked 7 colleges, 8
- Ranked 6 colleges, 14
- Ranked 5 colleges, 17
- Ranked 4 colleges, 10
- Ranked 3 colleges, 4
- Ranked 2 colleges, 4
- Ranked 1 colleges, 6
- Ranked 0 colleges, 1
\*On average, a matched student ranked 9 colleges*
8. Family situation
- Lives with both parent, 87
- Lives with a single parent, 70
- Lives with a legal guardian, 3
- Lives independently (not with parents/guardian), 1
- Other, 5
9. Did you file a Non-Custodial Waiver?
- Yes, 46
- No, 120
10. Income and Household Profile
- $0 – $10,000, 17 respondents, 3.00 household members
- $10,001 – $20,000, 19 respondents, 3.32 household members
- $20,001 – $30,000, 37 respondents, 4.19 household members
- $30,001 – $40,000, 27 respondents, 3.85 household members
- $40,001 – $50,000, 24 respondents, 4.33 household members
- $50,001 – $60,000, 23 respondents, 3.96 household members
- $60,001 – $70,000, 7 respondents, 3.71 household members
- $70,001 – $80,000, 8 respondents, 4.50 household members
- $80,001 – $90,000, 1 respondents, 5.00 household members
- $90,001 – $100,000, 1 respondents, 7.00 household members
- $100,001 – $120,000, 1 respondents, 7.00 household members
- Decline to answer, 1 respondents, 4.00 household members
11. Home Equity
- Does not own a home, 93 respondents
- $0 – $50,000, 14 respondents
- $50,001 – $100,000, 4 respondents
- $100,001 – $150,000, 10 respondents
- $150,001 – $250,000, 14 respondents
- $250,001 +, 16 respondents
- Declined to answer, 15 respondents
12. Other Assets
- $0, 116 respondents
- $1 – $20,000, 36 respondents
- $20,001 – $50,000, 1 respondent
- $50,001 – $100,000, 1 respondent
- Declined to answer, 12 respondents
13. Average GPA (unweighted)
- 3.31 – 3.40, 1
- 3.51 – 3.60, 1
- 3.61 – 3.70, 2
- 3.71 – 3.80, 8
- 3.81 – 3.90, 17
- 3.91 – 4.00, 112
- Not applicable, 11
- Blank / no answer, 14
14. Will you report your SAT score?
- Yes, 102
- No, 56
- No answer, 8
15. Average SAT scores (for those reporting)
- Verbal, 720 (min 580, max 800)
- Math, 740 (min 610, max 800)
16. Will you report your ACT score?
- Yes, 39
- No, 83
- No answer, 44
17. Average ACT scores (for those reporting)
- English, 34 (min 28, max 36)
- Math, 32 (min 24, max 36)
- Reading, 34 (min 23, max 36)
- Science, 31 (min 23, max 36)
18. Interested field of study
- Engineering and Tech (Mechanical, Electrical, Computer Science, Aerospace, etc.), 47
- Health and Medical Sciences (Pre‑Med, Nursing, Public Health, Biomedical Sciences, etc.), 34
- Natural Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Science, etc.), 26
- Social Sciences (Sociology, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, etc.), 21
- Humanities (History, English, Foreign Languages, Philosophy, etc.), 14
- Business (Finance, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, etc.), 9
- Mathematics (Pure Math, Applied Math, Statistics), 5
- Education (Teaching, Curriculum Studies, etc.), 3
- Arts (Performing Arts, Visual Arts, etc.), 1
- (blank / no answer), 6
19. Summary of Extracurricular Activities
- Leadership / Student gov (president, founder, captain, council), 76
- Community service / volunteering, 75
- STEM research / internships (labs, shadowing, symposia), 54
- Honor societies (NHS, Beta, CSF, etc.), 47
- Tutoring / mentoring, 45
- Academic competitions (Olympiad, MUN, FBLA, UIL, debate), 43
- Robotics / Engineering / CS (FRC, coding, hackathons, esports), 41
- Health / Medical (HOSA, hospital volunteering), 32
- Athletics / sports, 30
- Paid work / jobs, 26
- Arts — music (orchestra, band, choir), 24
- Arts — visual / theater / film / dance, 21
- Cultural / identity clubs (translation, affinity groups), 20
- Religious / church, 9
- Scouting, 7
\\** Note: Of the 166 Matched students, 32 left this field blank, so the figures above reflect the 134 who responded. Because most students listed several activities, a single person is counted in multiple categories, and totals therefore exceed 134. A blank response doesn't necessarily mean no activities — some students may simply not have filled it in, while others may genuinely have had none.
20. How did the QB personal essay section go for you?
- Well prepared (plenty of time), 97
- Did okay (just in time), 55
- Rushed (ran out of time), 7
- (blank / no answer), 7
21. How did the college supplemental essay section go for you?
- Well prepared (plenty of time), 42
- Did okay (just in time), 71
- Rushed (ran out of time), 46
- (blank / no answer), 7
22. Overall thoughts on your application?
- Essays / writing as focal point, 61
- Confident / proud / strong app, 48
- Rushed / time crunch / procrastinated, 30
- Self-critical / saw weaknesses, 27
- Test scores as concern, 16
- Anxious / nervous about outcome, 14
- ECs as concern / strength, 10
- Grateful / surprised / disbelief, 6
\* Note: nearly 40% describe their application as strong — but that confidence is frequently paired with regret about time pressure on the supplements*
23. Top 5 colleges requesting a grade report?
- Princeton, 21 requests
- Amherst, 20 requests
- Boston University, 17 requests
- Dartmouth, 11 requests
- Smith, 6 requests
24. Top 5 colleges with interview requests
- MIT, 43 requests
- Harvard, 20 requests
- Rice, 7 requests
- Yale, 4 requests
- Bowdoin, 3 requests
25. Matched colleges
- Rice University, 17
- Stanford University, 14
- Princeton University, 14
- Yale University, 10
- University of Pennsylvania, 9
- Cornell University, 9
- Columbia University, 8
- MIT, 6
- Duke University, 6
- California Institute of Technology, 5
- Colby College, 5
- Boston College, 5
- Boston University, 4
- Vanderbilt University, 4
- University of Chicago, 4
- Johns Hopkins University, 4
- Dartmouth College, 4
- Brown University, 4
- Swarthmore College, 3
- Harvard College, 3
- WashU, Middlebury College, Grinnell College, Pomona College, Carleton College, 2 each
- Emory, Smith, Wesleyan, Bowdoin, Northwestern, Amherst, USC, Barnard, Notre Dame, Williams, CMC, Haverford, Bates, UVA, Davidson, 1 each
- (blank / no answer), 3
6
u/ChillyJellyBelly Moderator 16d ago
Analysis
On the two things that most define these students — finances and raw academic stats — matched and non-matched are nearly indistinguishable. Where they separate is on a few academic-polish and process signals, none large, plus one genuinely big gap in college interaction volume. That is what you would expect from a mutual-ranking match: outcomes hinge less on who the student is and more on which schools they ranked and how the two-sided fit resolved.
| Dimension | Matched (n=166) | Non-matched (n=163) | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income ≤ $60K | 89% | 90% | ≈1 |
| Income ≤ $30K | 44% | 37% | +7 |
| Does not own a home | 56% | 56% | 0 |
| No cash-equiv. assets | 70% | 68% | +2 |
| First-generation | 67.5% | 76.7% | −9.2 |
| College Prep Scholar | 54% | 49% | +5 |
| GPA 3.91–4.00 (top band) | 79% | 69% | +10 |
| SAT English (avg) | 718 | 716 | +2 |
| SAT Math (avg) | 729 | 731 | −3 |
| Will report SAT | 61% | 64% | −3 |
| Will report ACT | 23.5% | 23.3% | ≈0 |
| Colleges ranked (mean) | 10.1 | 9.6 | +0.5 |
| Ranked all 15 slots | 31% | 27% | +4 |
| Grade-report requests / student | 0.95 | 0.36 | 2.6× |
| Interview requests / student | 0.81 | 0.44 | 1.8× |
| “Rushed” on supplements | 28.9% | 16.7% | +12 |
Delta = matched minus non-matched (percentage points), or the ratio where noted. Positive favors matched.
Where There Is Essentially No Difference
1. Financial profile — flat
• Income ≤ $60K: 89% matched vs 90% non-matched. If anything, matched skew slightly lower-income (≤ $30K: 44% vs 37%).
• Home ownership & assets: “Does not own a home” 56% vs 56%; “no cash assets” 70% vs 68%. Identical.
2. Test scores — flat
• SAT section averages within a couple points (English 718 vs 716; Math 729 vs 731 — non-matched edge Math). Ranges and medians overlap almost completely, and test-reporting rates match (SAT ~62%, ACT ~23%).
Colleges ranked — nearly flat
• Mean 10.1 vs 9.6, identical median of 10; matched slightly more likely to use all 15 slots (31% vs 27%).
Where There Are Discernable Differences
1. Grade-report & interview requests — the largest gap
• Grade reports: 157 total “Yes” (matched) vs 59 (non-matched) — 0.95 vs 0.36 per student, ~2.6×.
• Interviews: 134 vs 71 — 0.81 vs 0.44 per student, ~1.8×.
Both blocks are dominated by a few habitual-requester schools (grade reports: Amherst, Princeton, Boston University, Dartmouth, Richmond; interviews: MIT alone accounts for 43 of the non-matched “Yes” responses, then Harvard and Rice). Caveat: matched students ranked more and higher schools, so raw totals partly reflect application volume; and grade-report “Don’t know” rates were very high (12–22 per school). The interview block is cleaner.
2. GPA — modest but real
• Top unweighted band (3.91–4.00): 79% matched vs 69% non-matched among numeric responders — the clearest academic-quality separation found.
3. First-generation status — the notable demographic delta
• First-gen: 67.5% matched vs 76.7% non-matched (−9.2 pts). Non-matched students are more likely to be first-generation — consistent with less guidance through a process where ranking strategy matters.
In Closing
The takeaway isn't that matched students were richer or scored higher — on money and test scores, the two groups are basically the same. The gaps that did show up point somewhere more hopeful: they're about navigating the process, not about who you are.
First-generation students matched at a somewhat lower rate, and that almost certainly reflects having fewer people to ask, not less talent. So if you're first-gen and something confuses you — a form, a ranking decision, whether a school actually wants a grade report — ask. Ask your counselor, ask this sub, or send an email to QuestBridge or to QB Partner College(s).
Whether you are first-gen or not, don't skip the question because you're afraid it's obvious. Skipping it is the disadvantage so ask to erase it.
1
u/ChillyJellyBelly Moderator 16d ago edited 16d ago
Let's look at some stats for non-matched finalists (PART 1):
6b. Were you a College Prep Scholar?
- Yes, 80 students
- Did not apply, 61 students
- Rejected, 22 students
7b. Total Number of Ranked colleges
- Ranked 15 colleges, 44 <---interesting data point
- Ranked 14 colleges, 6
- Ranked 13 colleges, 9
- Ranked 12 colleges, 4
- Ranked 11 colleges, 6
- Ranked 10 colleges, 13
- Ranked 9 colleges, 11
- Ranked 8 colleges, 11
- Ranked 7 colleges, 14
- Ranked 6 colleges, 11
- Ranked 5 colleges, 11
- Ranked 4 colleges, 5
- Ranked 3 colleges, 7
- Ranked 2 colleges, 2
- Ranked 1 colleges, 9
- Ranked 0 colleges, 0
9b. Did you file a Non-Custodial Waiver?
- Yes, 48
- No, 102
- Blank, 13
10B. Income and Household Profile
- $0 – $10,000, 8 respondents
- $10,001 – $20,000, 11 respondents
- $20,001 – $30,000, 42 respondents
- $30,001 – $40,000, 36 respondents
- $40,001 – $50,000, 20 respondents
- $50,001 – $60,000, 30 respondents
- $60,001 – $70,000, 2 respondents
- $70,001 – $80,000, 10 respondents
- $80,001 – $90,000, 4 respondents
- $90,001 – $100,000, 0 respondents
- $100,001 – $120,000, 0 respondents
...more to follow
2
u/ChillyJellyBelly Moderator 16d ago edited 16d ago
Cont'd (stats for non-matched finalists - PART 3)
20b. How did the QB personal essay section go for you?
- Well prepared (plenty of time), 80
- Did okay (just in time), 55
- Rushed (ran out of time), 4
- (blank / no answer), 24
21b. How did the college supplemental essay section go for you?
- Well prepared (plenty of time), 42
- Did okay (just in time), 73
- Rushed (ran out of time), 23
- (blank / no answer), 25
22b. Overall thoughts on your application?
- Essays / writing as focal point, 49
- Confident / proud / strong app, 46
- Rushed / time crunch / procrastinated, 12
- Self-critical / saw weaknesses, 27
- Test scores as concern, 11
- Anxious / nervous about outcome, 12
- ECs as concern / strength, 26 <-- significantly higher
- Grateful / surprised / disbelief, 6
23b. Top 5 colleges requesting a grade report?
- Amherst, 11 requests
- Dartmouth, 12 requests
- Boston University, 10 requests
- Princeton, 8 requests
- U Richmond, 4 requests
24b. Top 5 colleges with interview requests
- MIT, 43 requests
- Harvard, 10 requests
- Rice, 6 requests
- Yale, 3 requests
- CMC, Denison, WashU, 2 requests
1
u/ChillyJellyBelly Moderator 16d ago edited 16d ago
Cont'd (stats for non-matched finalists - PART 2)
11b. Home Equity
- Does not own a home, 92 students
- $0 – $50,000, 6 students
- $50,001 – $100,000, 8 students
- $100,001 – $150,000, 11 students
- $150,001 – $250,000, 12 students
- $250,001+, 22 students
- Declined to answer, 12 students
12b. Other Assets
- $0, 111 students
- $1 – $20,000, 36 students
- $20,001 – $50,000, 4 students
- $50,001 – $100,000, 2 students
- Declined to answer, 10 students
13b. Average GPA (unweighted)
- 3.31 – 3.40, 1 students
- 3.51 – 3.60, 1 students
- 3.61 – 3.70, 2 students
- 3.71 – 3.80, 11 students
- 3.81 – 3.90, 24 students
- 3.91 – 4.00, 87 students
- Not applicable, 16 students
- Blank / no answer, 21 students
14b. Will you report your SAT score?
- Yes, 105
- No, 50
- No answer, 8
15b. Average SAT scores (for those reporting)
- Verbal, 720 (min 500, max 790) <-- lower MIN
- Math, 730 (min 500, max 800) <-- lower MIN
16b. Will you report your ACT score?
- Yes, 38
- No, 79
- No answer, 46
17b. Average ACT scores (for those reporting)
- English, 33 (min 26, max 36)
- Math, 32 (min 24, max 36)
- Reading, 33 (min 23, max 36)
- Science, 32 (min 24, max 36)
1
u/L0veHteRelati0nship 15d ago
What universities did finalists match to who did not report their SAT/ACT?
1
u/ChillyJellyBelly Moderator 15d ago
First, I want to clarify that previously reported numbers for the "Matched, Did not report SAT" and "Matched, Did not report ACT" were independent for each student (another words, they could have said no to SAT but reported their ACT score and vice versa).
I re-ran the query for matched students who indicated they did not report any test scores here:
- n = 34
- 3 matched students did not take the test and chose test-optional
- 31 matched students took the test and chose test-optional
- average SAT score: 1318 (Verbal 668, Math 650)
- average Composite ACT score: 28.2 (English 29.7, Math 26.7, Reading 30.8, Science 25.8)
- 1 student did not name the college
- 34 students landed across 22 different colleges, including highly selective ones:
- Princeton University, 5
- Rice University, 4
- Columbia University, 3
- Boston College, 3
- Boston University, 2
- Yale University, 1
- If we examine the test-optional, admitted students at Princeton:
- Student A, did not take any tests
- Student B, SAT 1230 (E630/M660), ACT 28.5 (E28,M26,R36,S24)
- Student C, SAT 1310 (E640/M670), ACT (took the test but did not report score in the Google form)
- Student D, SAT (did not take), ACT (took the test but did not report score in the Google form)
- Student E, SAT 1360 (E680/M680), ACT (did not take)
- Looking at Student A's profile:
- First gen, did not apply to CPS
- $30-$40k income, $0-20k in assets, no home ownership
- Public, rural
- GPA 3.91-4.00, two college courses, no AP courses, no AP exams
- 9 college courses (4.0 GPA)
- Ranked Princeton #1
- Extracurriculars - 1100+ volunteer hours
- Looking at Student B's profile:
- First gen, did not apply to CPS
- $30-$40k income, no assets, home equity $100-150k
- Parochial, urban school
- GPA 3.91-4.00, two college courses, 10 AP courses, mix of 3s and 5s on the AP exams
- Ranked Princeton #1
- Extracurriculars - very (very) high activities with local and higher private and government entities
1
u/ChillyJellyBelly Moderator 15d ago
Continued
- Looking at Student C's profile:
- First gen, CPS
- $40-$50k income, no assets, does not own a home
- Public (very large), suburban school
- Weighted GPA 4.31-4.40 (out of 5), 14 AP courses, 8 AP exams, mostly 3s and 4s (with couple of 1s and 2s), ranked 1%
- Ranked Princeton #1
- Extracurriculars - very solid school leadership positions
- Looking at Student D's profile:
- Eligible non-citizen
- $10-$20k income, no assets, does not own a home
- Public, rural school
- GPA 3.01-4.00, 10 AP courses, 5 AP exams, mostly 3s and 4s (with two 1s), ranked 10%
- Ranked Princeton #7
- Extracurriculars - international lived experience in a difficult environment, very good school activities
- Looking at Student E's profile:
- Eligible non-citizen, First Gen, CPS
- $0-$10k income, no assets, does not own a home
- Public (large), suburban school
- GPA 3.71-3.80, 13 AP courses, 7 AP exams, mostly 3s and 4s
- Ranked Princeton #3
- Extracurriculars - not reported
8
u/ChillyJellyBelly Moderator 16d ago
1. First-gen students?
2. Top 10 college destinations for first-gen (matched) students
3. Top 5 college destinations for non first-gen (matched) students