when do you pay the application fee?

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

Just trying to plan/budget in advance. Let's say the deadline is January 15 and I officially submit my finalized app on the 12th, but let's say I create an application account and begin submitting my documents (SOP, GRE, LORs from profs) in early December. Do I pay the fee when I first create the account in early December or not until January 13 when I officially submit it?

[TakeruK]

Most applications won't require you to pay the fee until you want to (finally, officially) submit it. That is, you won't be able to submit until you pay the fee, but you are allowed to do everything else. So, since a lot of my deadlines were at the same time and I didn't want to incur hundreds of dollars of debt on my credit card at once, I started paying the fees for one or two applications per week sometime in late November, to spread out the bills. I started paying the ones that were either due first or I was more sure about actually applying, because I am not sure you can get that fee refunded if you pay too early then change your mind!

Edited October 19, 2013 by TakeruK

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

Most applications won't require you to pay the fee until you want to (finally, officially) submit it. That is, you won't be able to submit until you pay the fee, but you are allowed to do everything else. So, since a lot of my deadlines were at the same time and I didn't want to incur hundreds of dollars of debt on my credit card at once, I started paying the fees for one or two applications per week sometime in late November, to spread out the bills. I started paying the ones that were either due first or I was more sure about actually applying, because I am not sure you can get that fee refunded if you pay too early then change your mind!

So they'll still send out the emails to all your LOR-writers for them to upload the LOR? That's the only part I was worried about. I was thinking they wouldn't send them out until you paid. 

[fuzzylogician]

So they'll still send out the emails to all your LOR-writers for them to upload the LOR? That's the only part I was worried about. I was thinking they wouldn't send them out until you paid. 

 

That too depends on the application. You can check and see if they let you send a prompt before you submit the app or not. Back when I applied, the only school that would not allow you to send the prompt before paying was Rutgers, and for UMass you had to send paper letters. I imagine some things are better now, but you just need to check the individual websites to see what they let you do. 

[antigone56]

I'd had the same question.   I've started applications already but so far haven't paid any fees. Ultimately, I want to spread the expense out between October, November, and December income, but won't do submits until November and December

 

Because I have some money now (my October money), I'm actually having my boyfriend hold $300 for me so that I don't spend it, and just get it from him (and put back in my bank account) when I'm ready to submit in November and December. 

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

I'd had the same question.   I've started applications already but so far haven't paid any fees. Ultimately, I want to spread the expense out between October, November, and December income, but won't do submits until November and December

 

Because I have some money now (my October money), I'm actually having my boyfriend hold $300 for me so that I don't spend it, and just get it from him (and put back in my bank account) when I'm ready to submit in November and December. 

That's probably the best idea. Just "hide" the money for a month or two until you need to pay the app fees. I have trouble with not spending money that I'm holding for later but is still in my account.