Hi there! Current Vanderbilt student here! I am not very familiar with the process of medical school admissions, however, I do have some things to say about the financial aid issues you might be struggling with. For what it’s worth, I come from a middle-income background, and received a scholarship at Vanderbilt covering most of my tuition, making it possible for me to attend. I, like you, did not expect to get such a lump-some of money especially given my financial circumstances, however, I realized that this is a common trend amongst many top institutions. These schools have a lot of money to give, and you truly never know how much they will give you. I got into schools that gave me absolutely no financial aid, to schools that gave me almost full rides. It really just depends on the school. So I would say definitely apply to all the schools you want, because number one, you never know who is going to accept you, and number two, you never know how much money you might get!