How much money did you spend on your graduate school applications?

[chaospaladin]

I spent $0 on my undergraduate applications due to fee waivers, but for graduate school applications, there are some programs that will not give me a fee waiver. I'm applying in Fall 2011 for PhD Chemistry. How much money did you spend on graduate school applications?

[Amalia222]

about $1000, if you include application fees, gre scores, transcripts, and postage.

[queller]

There is an older thread on the same topic :

I found the number a lot higher than I initially thought they would be. Though I must admit considering I am applying next year to schools it has certainly made me look at schools very carefully.

[ksin11]

Same, just over $1000, since it was for architecture I had to include a portfolio, which was about $200 for printing out 8 copies for 8 schools, if I could have done it over again I would have saved myself the $150 I spent on applying to Yale, regretted it a week after applying

[Herbie]

I spent between the $850-$1000 range, including the cost of GREs, mailing, printing, etc. I don't like thinking about it.

[Eigen]

I spent the cost of the GRE + 1 mailing (around $200). All the schools I applied to either had no app fee, or the department covered it once I'd been accepted.

[MinorGirl]

I spent roughly $400: cost of the GRE, applications for 4 schools, and postage.

[Amalia222]

it was expensive, but I want to add that it is SO worth it. Now that I am accepted, I know that I will be able to have a career and actual income after graduate school. Right now, I am so poor the government is paying me money at tax-time, out of pity. I live in Cali, and there is no work for teachers without a credential (another expensive process), and in the last year I've only been able to find part-time, low-paying jobs which were not enough for me to live on my own. The Ph.D. is my ticket out. So, 1000 bucks? worth it, worth it, worth it.

[froggerz9]

My undergrad department has a fund that reimbursed me for my GRE expenses...

Between score reports, transcripts, and applications for 7 schools (one school had a fee waiver), it was around $800

[nateakadino]

I applied to about 9 schools.

The things I spent money on were (1) sending GRE Scores (2) sending Transcripts and (3) filling out applications.

After I took the GRE, I sent 4 schools my scores (included with the test). I had to pay $23 each for the other 5 = $115

Transcripts were $8 per school (and some requested 2). (x 10) = $80

Each graduate school application, on average, was about $70. (x 9) = $630

There were other things I had to pay for, but this was the bulk of it.

Total Damage = $825

[soupcann314]

The cost of the GRE, and that's it. So about $100, if I recall correctly? The schools I applied to did not have application fees, and I like to keep things close to home -- I live in the same city where I went to undergrad and where I'll be going to grad school -- so I was able to pick up my transcripts and drop them off.

[jmacnomad]

I applied to 6 schools and think the total cost (transcripts, gre class/materials, gre test, application fees) was around 1500-1800. Ouch. If i don't end up in with funding, it's going to be miserable.

[amanda lauren]

I applied to 4 schools, and with the GRE, transcripts and postage I'd say about $500-600.

I actually have an old roommate (no longer a friend, very long story) who applied to 18 med schools. I can't even imagine how much she spent between the MCATs, transcripts, applications, postage, etc. The worst part is that she's heard back from 11 or 12 of them and hasn't gotten a single acceptance yet, so now she's considering taking a year off and working before applying to school as a physician's assistant next fall...which means even more money spent on applications.

[chaospaladin]

I applied to 4 schools, and with the GRE, transcripts and postage I'd say about $500-600.

I actually have an old roommate (no longer a friend, very long story) who applied to 18 med schools. I can't even imagine how much she spent between the MCATs, transcripts, applications, postage, etc. The worst part is that she's heard back from 11 or 12 of them and hasn't gotten a single acceptance yet, so now she's considering taking a year off and working before applying to school as a physician's assistant next fall...which means even more money spent on applications.

55% of medical school applicants get rejected from every single medical school they apply to so it is normal if your friend gets rejected from all 18 medical schools. If she is no longer a friend to you, it must mean that she did something bad. In your opinion, do you think it may have been a bad personality that got her rejected?

[PrettyVacant]

I only applied to one school and that set me back $90CAD.

[Matilda_Tone]

About $250 on applications, $80 on postage (I always use FedEx to be extra safe), and another $80 or so on transcripts.

Not great, but it would have been much worse if I had applied to more schools.

[great]

Applying for seven schools cost me about 1/8th of my annual income, and the trip for an interview cost another 1/16th of my annual income. It's been more than four months since submitting some applications, and I still don't know whether I'm accepted to five of the programs.

[chaospaladin]

I only applied to one school and that set me back $90CAD.

What does CAD mean?

[neuropsych76]

12 schools applied to. GRE taken twice. $980 total.

On an unrelated note, I don't know why someone would ask what others paid when they did not pay anything themselves. Seems a bit odd. Comparing free to any amount of money is a good deal...

[thesnout]

Applied to one school. $100 CAD application fee + $30 for printing portfolio and writing samples + $30 for the fastest mailing option.

[thesnout]

What does CAD mean?

Canadian dollars

[jynx]

Between applying to 14 schools and flying out for 3 interviews, my total cost was probably somewhere in the vicinity of $2500-$3000. Pricey, but ultimately worth it!

[neuropsychosocial]

What does CAD mean?

Canadian Dollar.

[michpc]

What does CAD mean?

Canadian dollars :-)

[rainbowworrier]

Hmmm, I've never taken the time to add it up, but let me see what I can figure out...

Cost of the GRE test fee, plus prep stuff around $200

Transcripts from undergrad 3 x $5 = $15

Transcripts from first masters 3 x $10 = $30

Transcripts from current program FREE (!)

Application fees ($40, $35, $50, $50 - I paid the fee for a progam, and then changed my mind - long story) $175

UPS ground/FEDEX fees to mail rec forms to profs so they would have ample time to complete before deadline $50

FEDEXing the remainder of an application to make the deadline $30

Flights for two interview visits $400ish

Rental car for one visit $80

Clothes shoes, etc for interviews (I've lost 30lbs since my last interview of any sort) $500

Four and a half days off of work for interviews free but boss hates me now.

So around $1500, ooof.

Granted I could have shaved a bit of that off had I planned a bit better. I sent paperwork to reccomenders via fedex because I wanted them to have ample time to fill out the forms, write letters, etc, and they still managed to get right up to the deadline on one of them.

Best advice regarding saving money on the application process? Tell yourself and everybody else involved that the deadlines are a month before they actually are, so you won't have to mail things the fast and expensive way.

As to the dropping (or adding) weight during the application process, I have no advice regarding that. And frankly, I'm not complaining. Usually stress causes me to eat more, but I guess not this go round. :-)