Never be shy about applying for scholarships
At the University of Chicago, as with many schools, applicants need not submit any additional materials in order to be considered for merit scholarships. And many scholarship committees are looking for similar attributes in applicants—intelligence, creativity, ambition, academic and extracurricular accomplishments, etc.
At the University of Chicago, we look in particular for students who exhibit a strong intellectual curiosity in all their endeavors, who have embraced the spirit of inquiry that we believe defines our institution. We might find something outstanding in an applicant’s essay; it may be an interesting project a student has undertaken—we don’t have any specific formula we adhere to when selecting merit scholars.
And, of course, there are many local and demographic-specific scholarships available to supplement university aid. My best advice: never be shy about applying for the one-off scholarship. You never know which one you’ll get.