Hi, I’m currently a junior at an extremely diverse and rigorous school in New Jersey. I’m tracking a 4.4 Weighted GPA and have a 33 ACT (34 Superscore) as well as good credentials otherwise. I want to go to Medical School and I’m trying to find a good school where I could get merit aid. Preferably Liberal Arts and smaller is better. Do you have any suggestions for schools that will possibly provide merit aid, have good med school acceptance %, and might fit my criteria? I have looked into schools like Elon, UMiami, Wake Forest, and Haverford…for example. Thanks!
Consider any of these schools, several of which may meet your criteria:
Knox
Muhlenberg
St. Olaf
Franklin & Marshall
Bucknell
Bates
Colgate
Grinnell
Hamilton
Carleton
Amherst
Pomona
A few of these colleges offer merit scholarships. Others offer excellent need-based assistance.
(From "The Experts’ Choice: Colleges with Great Pre-med Programs.)
There is a thread on CC called “Southern LACs” (use search function) that discusses some great small LACs. Several of these schools would be excellent for pre-med. You would likely receive merit aid at many of these schools.
In particular, I’d look at Centre, Sewanee, Rhodes, Furman
and Rollins in the Southeast. If you’re willing to consider schools in the Southwest, check out Hendrix, Trinity and Southwestern.
It might be too close to home for you but Muhlenberg College would seem to fit all of your criteria. Best of luck to you!
You might look into Fordham -Rose HIll, Lafayette, and Union College. Perhaps schools like TCNJ and SUNY Geneseo would work due to the lower tuition.
Not a LAC, but a great deal: @collegemom2kids has a kid (both kids? ) that took the full tuition scholarship deal from University of Alabama before heading to med school.
Eckerd is a small LAC with a 75% acceptance rate to medical school. They offer substantial merit and need based financial aid.
75% can mean after they weed. OP should be aware of stiff weeding. It’s not, in this example, 75% of all kids hoping for med school or going premed as freshmen.
Temple gives full tuition with a 3.8 gpa and 32 ACT.
I recommend Wofford in Spartanburg SC. Look into the Wofford Scholars program . The application must be completed in the spring of your Jr year. They offer very good merit. It’s a wonderful school .
No meaningful merit available at Carleton, Amherst or Pomona.
Geographic preference would certainly help winnow down the options. Generally speaking, LAC’s in the Midwest and South offer merit; schools in NE and West Coast do not. I know this is an oversimplification, but should help orient you to your merit options.
Good luck!
Most of the LACs in the Pacific Northwest, e.g. Willamette, U. of Puget Sound, Lewis & Clark and Whitman, offer merit, as well, and many are quite strong in the sciences. Not sure about things like med school acceptance rates.
Juanita College, PA - excellent med school admission rates. Small, generous with merit aid.
Dickinson College (Carlisle, PA).
Franklin & Marshall does not give merit.
Acceptance rates at schools are from those who applied. Of course, they are not xx% of those entering as freshman who desire to attend medical school. It follows the advice that is given on this forum for students to look at the percentage of students from a stated school that is accepted into grad and professional schools.