Leveraging aid with no scholarship, but multiple As

[ibl210]

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Is it possible to leverage multiple As into a scholarship/grant at my top choice school, despite having no scholarship offer from them or any other school yet (still waiting on a couple financial aid packages)? I currently have 5 MD A's, all at mid-tier schools ranked in the 45-65 region. There are small differences in COA between them, but my top choice is the cheapest one. Would it be feasible to get them to offer aid just by leveraging other slightly higher-ranked but still mid-tier As, or would this likely lead to nothing?

As a side note, would even asking this of my top choice be enough for them to rescind my A, or not if I phrase it respectfully? Thanks in advance!

 

[ibl210]

Thank you!!

 

[KnightDoc]

Thank you!!

Please read the post I made below in response to a similar question at a T10 school. No, you will never be rescinded for asking a question, but consider how your pitch sounds before making it. Just saying you have other As, no scholarship anywhere, but really want to pay less is not very compelling. You are lucky because you have multiple As, but how does that make it in the school's interest to take less money from you than it would get from your replacement if you go elsewhere?

Try not to get sucked in by what the stars on SDN post. The vast majority of med students do not receive scholarships, either need based or merit. This is why average debt levels are what they are. The good news is that doctors make good money, ultimately pay off their loans, and tend to live very comfortable lives.

I haven't been through it yet (with any luck, I will be in your position next year 🙂), but, from having observed the prior two cycles, T10s save their merit-based money for their rock stars, not merely anyone who has an A and wants to pay less than full price. If this were not the case, EVERYONE would be receiving merit money, and the schools clearly don't have the funding to do that (other than NYU).

From what I've seen, the key to being successful here is actually having a scholarship from a peer institution. Otherwise, what is your pitch? "Thanks for the A, but finances play a large part in my final decision, so can I please have money, even though I haven't demonstrated financial need and nobody else has given me any"?

You have to remember that unless you are a total rock star that multiple T10s are fighting over (as evidenced by the fact that one or more has offered you merit money), you have no leverage because you can literally be replaced, everywhere, by dozens if not hundreds of highly qualified candidates who would be thrilled to take your place, and for whom finances are NOT going to play a large role in their final decision.

JMHO. Hopefully, some folks who have actually gone through it, both successfully and unsuccessfully, will chime in and either confirm or deny.