Merit Scholarships

[surjski]

I've seen some random threads about this, but nothing concrete.... at what schools have people gotten merit scholarships so far? Has anyone heard from vandy or washu?

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[gdbaby]

I've seen some random threads about this, but nothing concrete.... at what schools have people gotten merit scholarships so far? Has anyone heard from vandy or washu?

U of Iowa

 

[Keg]

U Chicago and Vandy. Some say if you don't hear within a week at vandy you won't get it, but that's bunk - I was accepted in November and heard today.

 

[trouta]

Mayo offers merit scholarships linked to specific acceptances. Dont know if those have gone out yet.

 

[browniegirl86]

Re: WashU, nobody has heard either way that I'm aware of.

 

[deleted77919]

VCU has offered money (accepted Oct, scholarship offer this week). Makes decisions more interesting . . .

 

[surjski]

U Chicago and Vandy. Some say if you don't hear within a week at vandy you won't get it, but that's bunk - I was accepted in November and heard today.

Wow, congratulations!!! How'd you hear from vandy, by phone?

 

[johno83]

I think Keg and I both got notified about the same Vandy scholarship today. It is by phone call from the dean of the medical school. We actually interviewed the same day and got accepted the same day back in November. It's only fitting I guess that we get notified the same day (3/1).

Wow, congratulations!!! How'd you hear from vandy, by phone?

 

[Overlap12]

U Chicago and Vandy. Some say if you don't hear within a week at vandy you won't get it, but that's bunk - I was accepted in November and heard today.

Do you when University of Chicago gives out their merit scholarships? Do they come with the acceptance packet or later?

 

[dajimmers]

Do you when University of Chicago gives out their merit scholarships? Do they come with the acceptance packet or later?

They called me to tell me I was accepted, and told me about the scholarship at the same time. No idea if they do this for every scholarship, though.

 

[kasha]

einstein also

 

[Keg]

They called me to tell me I was accepted, and told me about the scholarship at the same time. No idea if they do this for every scholarship, though.

Same here

 

[JTHURMA]

I got a VCU merit this week, but I got another from Univ. of South Carolina at the beginning of Feb.

 

[chandelantern]

Mayo let me know about my scholarship when i was accepted (Dec) and other people with full tuition scholarships also found out right away. I'm not sure about the non-full tuition scholarships, they might find out later? (I *heard* mayo gives out 1/3 full tuition, 1/3 75% tuition, and 1/3 half tuition, so the most anyone is paying is 1/2 the tuition costs. this could be incorrect info though.)

I also received a $5k merit based scholarship and out-of-state tuition waiver for the U of MN when I was accepted. I'm pretty sure some schools wait a little longer and either send it out with your financial aid package or as they are sure the $$ is there.

 

[SailCrazy]

Michigan has given out some merit scholarships, and still has yet to give out many general scholarship awards, due in mid March.

 

[KevinZ]

Michigan has given out some merit scholarships, and still has yet to give out many general scholarship awards, due in mid March.

Do you know the difference between a merit and general scholarship? Is a general scholarship grant money that's packaged into financial aid based on need?

Thanks!

 

[somewhere2010]

i got a scholarship from GWU when i accepted in october. i don't know how it works in general though...

 

[MN81]

Is anybody else generally depressed by this thread?

 

[dajimmers]

Do you know the difference between a merit and general scholarship? Is a general scholarship grant money that's packaged into financial aid based on need?

Thanks!

I have no idea how scholarships work there. They gave out 10? full-tuition scholarships to certain candidates, I believe they were given at the time of acceptance. I just got an email saying I got a $1000/yr merit scholarship today. But the email also said I'm still eligible for the "general" scholarships given out in mid-March.

Well, there's a finaid chat on Tuesday, so I suppose these questions can be asked there!

 

[QofQuimica]

I've seen some random threads about this, but nothing concrete.... at what schools have people gotten merit scholarships so far? Has anyone heard from vandy or washu?

Just wanted to add U Miami to the list.

 

[DarkFark]

Pitt gave out 10 merit-based full rides in December.

 

[happydays]

I have no idea how scholarships work there. They gave out 10? full-tuition scholarships to certain candidates, I believe they were given at the time of acceptance. I just got an email saying I got a $1000/yr merit scholarship today. But the email also said I'm still eligible for the "general" scholarships given out in mid-March.

Well, there's a finaid chat on Tuesday, so I suppose these questions can be asked there!

It seems like they're giving that out to a lot of in-staters.

 

[drmota]

Is anybody else generally depressed by this thread?

haha. no doubt.
-mota

 

[Pemberley]

U Chicago and Vandy. Some say if you don't hear within a week at vandy you won't get it, but that's bunk - I was accepted in November and heard today.

Vanderbilt is near the top of my list, and I'm planning on applying there pretty early, if everything comes together. I saw from your mdapplicants (great stuff for those of us entering the process, btw, thanks for putting your info in) that you were accepted a few months ago to both Vandy and WashU and were applying to scholarships to both. Do they let you hang on to both acceptances while waiting to see who gives you money?

If I'm being offensively nosy, just tell me to butt out.

Thanks
-Pemberley

 

[dajimmers]

Do they let you hang on to both acceptances while waiting to see who gives you money?

Most (allopathic) medical schools let you hold multiple acceptances until May 15 before having to choose one. They want you to be able to attend second-look weekends and get financial aid packages before having to decide, and these things occur in the spring. Many schools do require you to pay a deposit, usually not more than $100, and it is often refundable as long as you decide before May 15.

 

[bobob]

So, has anyone had this experience: a school offers you a scholarship then asks you to commit much sooner than the May 15 date I hold so dear?

 

[Keg]

Vanderbilt is near the top of my list, and I'm planning on applying there pretty early, if everything comes together. I saw from your mdapplicants (great stuff for those of us entering the process, btw, thanks for putting your info in) that you were accepted a few months ago to both Vandy and WashU and were applying to scholarships to both. Do they let you hang on to both acceptances while waiting to see who gives you money?

If I'm being offensively nosy, just tell me to butt out.

Thanks
-Pemberley

dajammers hit it on the head - you (normally) have until May 15 to make a decision on where you're going to med school. Most people apply to a gazillion schools and then as time goes on withdraw from those that they would not attend based on their experience with the campus during and after the interviews. At this point, most people (I would think) are holding on to 2 - 4 schools to wait for finaid and for second looks, and then it's the mad scramble to figure out who to commit to by May 15. And don't be afraid of being offensively nosy - you're not, and your kind of question is much better than "HI I HAVE A 46U AND A 4.123GPA FROM HARVARD WITH GREAT ECS AND RECS AM I GOING TO GET IN LOL IVE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE AND I NEED AN EGO BOOST!!!!!!1!" Or that's my opinion, at least. Good luck with it all!

 

[sanford_w/o_son]

"HI I HAVE A 46U AND A 4.123GPA FROM HARVARD WITH GREAT ECS AND RECS AM I GOING TO GET IN LOL IVE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE AND I NEED AN EGO BOOST!!!!!!1!"

i don't believe you got an S on the WS with such grammar . . .

 

[Centinel]

i don't believe you got an S on the WS with such grammar . . .

I can't believe you can't spell Stanford correctly!!!1!

 

[top]

So, has anyone had this experience: a school offers you a scholarship then asks you to commit much sooner than the May 15 date I hold so dear?

YES!! I got a full scholarship from a random school and they asked me to commit to a binding decision by the next week. Bear in mind this was some time ago. I was simultaneously so honored and so upset. Since I applied really really late, I had only heard from one other school at that point (I applied to 11). In the end I turned it down. I hope it was the right decision.

 

[bobob]

YES!! I got a full scholarship from a random school and they asked me to commit to a binding decision by the next week. Bear in mind this was some time ago. I was simultaneously so honored and so upset. Since I applied really really late, I had only heard from one other school at that point (I applied to 11). In the end I turned it down. I hope it was the right decision.

It sounds like you have some other great options. And, if you had taken the scholarship and not even explored these possibilities, you might always wonder "could I have gone to X...would I have been happier/better off there?" Tough call though. Why do they do this to us!?

 

[top]

It sounds like you have some other great options. And, if you had taken the scholarship and not even explored these possibilities, you might always wonder "could I have gone to X...would I have been happier/better off there?" Tough call though. Why do they do this to us!?

I bet I sound like a crappy person to others trying their best to get in, but this decisively split my family. We haven't argued like that in a really long time. In the end it was my decision, but I know I have some family members that think I'm an idiot.

 

[amandil]

Ohio State also offers some merit-based scholarships...

 

[MollyMalone]

OK, this is probably a dumb question but I'm going to ask it anyway.

Let's say a school offers a merit scholarship to student X. Student X decides to attend a different school. Does the school then offer the scholarship to student Y?

 

[QofQuimica]

OK, this is probably a dumb question but I'm going to ask it anyway.

Let's say a school offers a merit scholarship to student X. Student X decides to attend a different school. Does the school then offer the scholarship to student Y?

Yes, at least some schools do this, and I can't imagine why they all wouldn't. I'm on the waitlist for a scholarship at one of mine because I was accepted after they had given out the original batch of scholarships.

 

[Keg]

OK, this is probably a dumb question but I'm going to ask it anyway.

Let's say a school offers a merit scholarship to student X. Student X decides to attend a different school. Does the school then offer the scholarship to student Y?

Well, I got a letter in the mail two days ago that said that they wanted me to respond to my Vanderbilt scholarship offer as soon as possible so that they could offer it to another student if I declined it. At least in Vandy's case, the statement of X => Y if X=0 seems to be valid. I don't know if that's universal, though (I'm sure it's not).

 

[Labslave]

Yes, at least some schools do this, and I can't imagine why they all wouldn't. I'm on the waitlist for a scholarship at one of mine because I was accepted after they had given out the original batch of scholarships.

Wow. I had never heard of waitlists for scholarships! That's crazy...

 

[QofQuimica]

Wow. I had never heard of waitlists for scholarships! That's crazy...

Yeah, it *is* kind of funny. They didn't call it a waitlist exactly; they told me that when some scholarships became available due to people withdrawing, that I was in the group that could get the reawarded scholarship. Sounds like a waitlist to me. Or maybe it's a scholarship hold.

Did we ever come up with an SDN consensus on what the difference was between being waitlisted versus being on hold? I have to say that being held sounds a lot nicer than being waitlisted.

 

[Labslave]

Yeah, it *is* kind of funny. They didn't call it a waitlist exactly; they told me that when some scholarships became available due to people withdrawing, that I was in the group that could get the reawarded scholarship. Sounds like a waitlist to me. Or maybe it's a scholarship hold.

Did we ever come up with an SDN consensus on what the difference was between being waitlisted versus being on hold? I have to say that being held sounds a lot nicer than being waitlisted.

Yeah, so basically they told you that you get the leftovers. How nice of them. I guess it's better than just getting a flat-out acceptance...

 

[Labslave]

Did we ever come up with an SDN consensus on what the difference was between being waitlisted versus being on hold? I have to say that being held sounds a lot nicer than being waitlisted.

Being put on hold sounds like they're giving you a hug for not being quite good enough. Being waitlisted is more like...er...not getting a hug and being told you're not quite good enough? Stupid labwork has robbed me of the VERY little creativity I normally have, although I do have the strongest thumbs in the world to show for all the pipetting!

 

[QofQuimica]

Yeah, so basically they told you that you get the leftovers. How nice of them. I guess it's better than just getting a flat-out acceptance...

Well, I got the impression that it was more because I applied so late and consequently got accepted late, not because they thought I'm unworthy. I hadn't even interviewed yet much less been accepted at the time they gave them out.

 

[QofQuimica]

Being put on hold sounds like they're giving you a hug for not being quite good enough. Being waitlisted is more like...er...not getting a hug and being told you're not quite good enough? Stupid labwork has robbed me of the VERY little creativity I normally have, although I do have the strongest thumbs in the world to show for all the pipetting!

I think I'd rather be hugged and told that I'm not good enough, instead of not being hugged and still being told I'm not good enough. At least I'd get hugged.

 

[SailCrazy]

i don't believe you got an S on the WS with such grammar . . .

I can't believe you can't spell Stanford correctly!!!1!

I may be missing something, but if you're referring to the spelling of sanford's username, I think it is a reference to the TV show (Sanford & Son... spelled correctly) not the university.
Oops!

 

[etown]

Sarcasm is a dying art form.

 

[SailCrazy]

Sarcasm is a dying art form.

Gotcha... it's been a long day!

 

[etown]

Gotcha... it's been a long day!

It happens. Especially when you don't have facial expressions/tone of voice to clue you in... You know, I'm thinking days will be a LOT shorter once this whole process is over!

 

[docmode]

They definitely will offer a merit scholarship to another, especially if it will pull in an undecided top-notch applicant. Often it makes the difference.