How much did applying to grad programs cost you?

[Maziana]

Now that (some) people are done applying... How much did the process cost you?

 

Me:

$400 in application fees (Applied to 9 schools; I got 2 fees waived)

about $72 in transcript fees

$150 in GRE score reports

$150 for psychology subject test

$185 for general GRE

 

That's $620ish for my recent non-ETS-related costs, but about $957 total! Ugh! I could've bought a new laptop with that, plus some nice Christmas gifts. Well, it should be worth it. 

 

Sorry if this topic has been brought up before - I tried to look and didn't find anything.

[socioholic]

aww man, $235 for GRE (changed dates), about $400 in app fees, $50 in transcripts, $685 total without adding any costs for my time...in the long run, definitely worth it to find out if i can make this thing happen.

[ratlab]

Application fees: 11 schools x $80 average = $880

GRE Scores: 11 x $25 = $275

Actually taking the GRE: Registration fee = $200

Subject GRE that I missed (-.-): 1 x $150 = $150

Transcript fees: 11 x $8 = $88

Misc. expenses: ~$50

 

Total: ~$1700

 

Expensive stuff.

Edited December 12, 2013 by ratlab

[SportPsych30]

I just view it all as an investment in myself, and investing in my future.. This optimistic view is subject to change depending on admissions decisions, haha.

[novacancy]

Application fees: $755

GRE Registration: $185

GRE Scores: $150

(GRE study materials): $150

Transcript fees (4 undergrad institutions......): $310

TOTAL: $1550

 

And I'm probably overlooking other expenses... So much groan.

[Monochrome Spring]

It cost me about $1,000. Applied to 5 schools and took advantage of free score reports.

[meowth]

3 schools and 4 programs so far.

 

GRE: $80 (reduced price to test the new score scale back in 2011)

GRE score reports: $25 x 2 (my alma mater already had the scores from 2011)

Transcripts: $12 x 3 (my alma mater didn't need one; another program required 2 because I had to send one to myself to scan it)

Application fees: $30 + $65 + $65

 

So, $326 so far. But I also decided not to apply to three programs due the 15th, partially because of the cost... would've been another $346 and I just had to spend $1,300 on dental work today, sigh. (But I ruled out applying for other reasons too, of course.)

 

If I apply to the four programs due January, that should be about $388, so $714 for 8 programs (and would've been $1,060 for 11 programs on my original list).

 

Less than the dentist at least.

[Loric]

At first I was going to say i didn't pay anywhere near that much.. having really cheap application and transcript fees.

 

Then I remembered my former grad school and having to pay $1500 for a refunded scholarship for credit hours from the semester I dropped out of. That sucked.

[LittleDarlings]

160 for all the apps

[Queen of Kale]

About $1,000.  I applied to 7 schools, none of my schools received the 'free' GRE scores (not to panic anyone, I took my GRE really, really early and there was over a year gap between scores and applications to match them to), and also I attended 3 undergrad institutions which all charges ~$10 per transcript sent.

 

Applying to grad school was the most extravagant spending free-for-all I have ever experienced.  Is that sad?

[Solnce]

It's getting close to $4000.

[Maziana]

It's getting close to $4000.

 

Really? How many programs are you applying to? If you don't mind me asking; that seems pretty high. But what do I know.

[gellert]

700 in app fees

200 in GRE reports

200 for GRE

150 in transcript fees (took classes at a few diff places + studied abroad)

 

--

 

1250

 

Plus the 1400 from my first round = 1650

 

fml

Edited December 13, 2013 by gellert

[Solnce]

Really? How many programs are you applying to? If you don't mind me asking; that seems pretty high. But what do I know.

It's not my first time I included all the costs: GRE, GRE subject, correspondence from my country to US (official transcripts), application fees, ordering transcripts from three schools. Also I had to pay $2100 similar to Loric. I included that too.  

[Leuco]

GRE= $185 x 2 = $370

Sending Scores = $25 x 7 = $175

 

Last year's apps = ~$300

This year's apps = ~$400

 

(luckily, my school doesn't charge for transcripts)

 

=~$1245

[tspier2]

I ended up spending $430 overall: $185 for the GRE, $220 for applications (four schools), and $25 for an additional GRE score recipient.

Edited December 14, 2013 by tspier2

[perfectionist]

Application fees for 9 schools: $400

GRE score reports: $125

GRE: $185

Transcripts: $45

= $755

 

There's probably something else I'm overlooking.

[johnreggae]

I spent around a thousand dollars for the entire process:

 

9 school applications (no fee waivers);

GREs;

Sending GREs to schools;

Having transcripts sent to schools (like fifteen bucks per crack);

Re-application to one school due to an applicaton getting sent to the wrong department.

 

The cost, however, of my dwindling sanity and rising stress is beyond quantification.

[gellert]

700 in app fees

200 in GRE reports

200 for GRE

150 in transcript fees (took classes at a few diff places + studied abroad)

 

--

 

1250

 

Plus the 1400 from my first round = 1650

 

fml

 

Ditched two schools and saved 205 dollars.  Yay me?

[moyru]

GRE: $185 x 2 - $370
Test prep: $144
App fees: $210

Total: $724

 

[pyrocide]

Oh my gawd. Just thinking about how much this endeavor has cost me...

 

4 PhD app fees: $345 (none waived)

GREs: General- $185, Subject- $150, Study Books- ~$100, Score submissions- $75= $510

Transcripts: $50  (had to send one express, my own fault)

 

Total: $905

 

It's less than many of you, but the cost of applying just blows my mind. I have no idea how some of you can apply to 10+ schools. I could only take the general GRE once due to budget constraints.. getting that up just a bit more would have been terribly helpful.

[thebigbang]

I pooled some money with my lab mates yesterday to buy some Mega Millions tickets last night. My hope was that it would offset my application costs ($600).

We won $6.

Fffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuu Mega Millions!

[Domino]

As of now... over $3,000   But that's because I've applied for 3 years in a row, and it's been about $1,000 a year.  Makes me sick to think about it...

[VioletAyame]

Ah and I thought I had it bad.

 

GRE + practice materials: 210

Score reports: 75

Books about grad schools & LORs: approx. 20

Transcripts: 45

And most of all app fees (7 total): 525

Total: 875

 

I do hope I only have to do this once.

[Adenine_Monarch]

OMG, I probably spent in excess of $1500 just considering it off the top of my head. Will have to sit down at some point when I have more time and calculate the actual figure....