What are some of the Merit/need based/random aid that different schools offer (ie. Geffen, Knight-Henessey etc. )and their qualifications?

[907914]

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For instance, I know that UCLA gives like a third of their class the Geffen scholarship....But the only criteria I could find was "Merit based, given for excellence." Would someone who has a high MCAT but Low GPA still qualify for these sorts of aid programs?

Note* I did not find anything with the search function, which is weird because I feel like this would have been asked before

 

[Dr panda]

I believe it greatly depends on school, highly doubt there are one size fits all guide how to obtain good scholarship. Might be wrong.

 

[907914]

I believe it greatly depends on school, highly doubt there are one size fits all guide how to obtain good scholarship. Might be wrong.

Let me change the title to be clearer about my intent. Thanks for pointing out my error.

 

[965978]

You have to look up each school on your list.

USC, for example, offers a small number of full-tuition scholarships. But no one knows the criteria.

 

[Lucca]

To be considered for any "merit-based" scholarship at any medical school you essentially have to be the cream of the crop of applicants to that particular school. So, you have to be more desirable than most applicants to that school but how much better depends on how generous that school is with "merit-based" aid; e.g., UCLA gives the Geffen to about 1/3 of all matriculants so you probably need to be in the top half people actually competing for offers at UCLA (interviewees) to have a real shot.

It's very challenging to say what is acceptable in any general terms or not as "merit" is a deliberately loose term.

 

[907914]

To be considered for any "merit-based" scholarship at any medical school you essentially have to be the cream of the crop of applicants to that particular school. So, you have to be more desirable than most applicants to that school but how much better depends on how generous that school is with "merit-based" aid; e.g., UCLA gives the Geffen to about 1/3 of all matriculants so you probably need to be in the top half people actually competing for offers at UCLA (interviewees) to have a real shot.

It's very challenging to say what is acceptable in any general terms or not as "merit" is a deliberately loose term.

Very true on that last part. I guess I get tripped up on my GPA. I want to feel like I am competitive for merit aid, just keep doubting that cGPA. Everything else is 90th+% at most schools, but my cGPA is in between the 10th and 25th at most schools on my list.

 

[Lucca]

Very true on that last part. I guess I get tripped up on my GPA. I want to feel like I am competitive for merit aid, just keep doubting that cGPA. Everything else is 90th+% at most schools, but my cGPA is in between the 10th and 25th at most schools on my list.

You can't change it. Your stats are more than good enough that you should have plenty of options and if you've covered your bases you shouldn't need more than 1 cycle so there is literally nothing you can do. Take my advice fresh off this app yr: dont think about this at all, just ride the cycle out, hope for the best, and be thankful for the opportunities given to you.

 

[907914]

You can't change it. Your stats are more than good enough that you should have plenty of options and if you've covered your bases you shouldn't need more than 1 cycle so there is literally nothing you can do. Take my advice fresh off this app yr: dont think about this at all, just ride the cycle out, hope for the best, and be thankful for the opportunities given to you.

Here’s hoping.