If you ever wonder what will carry your study abroad scholarship application over the top and win a coveted award, it usually starts with selecting a study abroad program that's a good academic fit and that you have researched enough to be able to describe how this program is that just-right fit.
But if you want to up your chances, you should consider geography.
Now, you might be think geography? How does that impact my odds? Consider the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. The Gilman is the single most generous scholarship in terms of total award dollars given to UC Merced students. Consider how your odds of landing the scholarship shift when correlated by region:
Now, these odds are the most recent available from today, and they are national in scope. What programs have been the most successful in helping UC Merced students land study abroad scholarships? Drum roll please! Here they are as of today:
| Rank | Country | Program |
| 1 | Argentina + Chile | Human Rights and Cultural Memory |
| 2 | Korea | Yonsei Univ. |
| 3= | Denmark | Univ. of Copenhagen |
| 3= | Korea | Seoul Summer |
| 3= | Sweden | Lund Univ. |
Of course, geography isn’t everything. Other factors that weigh heavily include term (e.g. summer vs. semester), academic fit, foreign language study, and more.
