<p>Leaving out Colburn and Curtis which as others have pointed out are special cases, there is no simple answer to your question. I know for a fact that Juilliard is not good with financial aid, merit or financial, they might give some 100% scholarships but if they do it is more then likely quite rare, and while MSM reputedly is a bit better according to the grapevine, it too has limited resources. </p>
<p>I know of people who have gone to other conservatories who supposedly give 100% scholarships, a friend of my son’s is going to Peabody in the fall on a full scholarship, but I am led to understand that is rare at most of the top level conservatories.that at most you can geta package of aid and loans but they may not cover 100%, depending on the economics of the student. From what I have heard directly, to get merit scholarships you generally need either to be the next <fill in=“” the=“” blank=“” of=“” favorite=“” famous=“” player=“”> or in some cases, perhaps be a member of an under-represented group in classical music,and that is a long shot.</fill></p>
<p>One way to find out may be to send an e-mail to the financial aid office at the schools and ask if they ever give 100% scholarships where need and merit are concerned, at least it will give you an idea direct from the source. </p>
<p>I think it also raises a question about how good the friend is. Are they someone who can meet the admission requirements of the school but are otherwise ‘in the middle of the pack’ or are they someone who has already demonstrated incredible talent? I would hazard a guess that someone who can meet the standards but is not already a ‘supertalent’ would be less likely to see such a package then someone who is a ‘wow’.</p>