Hi everyone, I would really appreciate advice on building a school list, especially prioritizing financial aid and scholarships.

I come from a rural border town (~3,000 people) where access to healthcare was extremely limited — the nearest hospital was hours away. Growing up, I was often sick and had to rely on care in Mexico due to cost and access. That experience is a huge part of why I want to go into medicine and focus on underserved/immigrant communities.

Background:

First-generation, low-income (family income ~30k)

Latino, gay, from a rural underserved community

Triple major at a T20 + currently completing a master’s

Associate’s + Bachelor’s + Master’s

Strong upward trend

Stats:

cGPA: 3.7

sGPA: 3.3

MCAT: 497 (considering retake but also applying)

Experiences:

~1,000 hours research (mix of clinical + policy/social science)

~250 clinical hours

~40 shadowing hours

~1,000 non-clinical volunteering (community + underserved focus)

Strong personal statement about growing up without access to care

Goals:

Work in underserved / immigrant communities

Interested in policy + advocacy long-term

VERY debt-averse → financial aid is my #1 priority