Ok here's the deal; I'm broke. Ok now that I got that out of the way, here's my qustion. I'm going to be applying this year to a set of MSTP programs near where I live (Delaware) and a set of MSTP programs not so near where I live. I'd like to apply to UCSF because of their Neuroscience program, but it says right on their MSTP page "WE DO NOT PAY INTERVIEW EXPENSES". So is there any way I can ask a program like this to pay my way? Or are they going to just say no? Of course I'd want to ask before I put in my primary application (why waste money?), but I'm on the fence on whether I should do that or not.

If anyone has a list of schools that will/will not pay interview expenses, please feel free to post them.

WashU pays ALL (they'll even fedex you your plane tickets and lodge you in the Chase Plaza <img border="0" alt="[Lovey]" title="" src="graemlins/lovey.gif" /> )

Duke pays up to $300 in travel expenses and they pay for accomodation.

UChicago pays all (they also make your travel arrangements for you and put you up in a swanky hotel)

Harvard doesn't pay anything, but they'll put you up with a student host.

Wow...you're really asking a lot. Take out some loans and feel immensely grateful if UCSF decides to grace you with a secondary. And if you are adamant about having the school pay, stick to the Midwest.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by none:
<strong>Wow...you're really asking a lot. Take out some loans and feel immensely grateful if UCSF decides to grace you with a secondary. And if you are adamant about having the school pay, stick to the Midwest.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I didn't realize that I was being unreasonable. If that's the general attitude I will stick to midwest and east coast schools that I am reasonably close to.

I agree. All the UC schools will make you pay. However, I think it's to confrontative to just ask them to pay up. I had a friend that tried to do that with UCLA and they didn't like it.

UCSF is an awesome school. If you can pay for the interview go. If not I would suggest taking a small loan. Else...like Original said -- stick with the Mid-West and East Coast schools near you.

Mayo paid our tickets and put is up at the Radisson Plaza hotel.

I live near Sinai so I didn't need travel expenses (but they don't pay anyway). Nonetheless they put us up in decent hotel on the west side of Manhattan.

NYU put us up in a NASTY hostel!!
I actually went and stayed with a friend cuz that hostel just plain SUCKED!! :D

The UC schools and Stanford absolutely do not pay. I doubt there is any way you could get them to either. The places I know about that pay are:

U of Michigan
U of Iowa (they put us up in the Sheraton and took us out to some nice restaurants...very cool)
U of Wisconsin
U of Utah
Northwestern (they don't pay airfare, but they do pay for hotel and meals)

UCLA, UCSF, Stanford, and UC Irvine do not pay, however. UCLA will pay for a revisit if you are accepted.

Good luck,

Adam

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by JJ4:
<strong>
Else...like Original said -- stick with the Mid-West and East Coast schools near you.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I never said that :)

Indeed. Sorry Original -- I meant "none" :D

In any case Neuronix -- regardless of whether you wanna pay or not I say apply to all the schools that most interest you and then go to the interviews that you want based on what you get.

Dang Original -- so picky... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> :D

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by JJ4:
<strong>Dang Original -- so picky... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> :D </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">My bad. I'm just trying to give you a hard time :D

I appriciate the advice everyone. It's just that there's a bunch of schools that interest me (20?) and I'm trying to narrow it down to about 10 - 12. Fun.

Neuronix-

The debt thing is just going to get worse. I seem to recall that Baylor 21 said that his credit card balance went from around $1,000 to $12k due to the costs of applying and interviewing. You might want to apply as early as possible to schools that interview and decide early, like Cornell and Wash U; Cornell decides in early December and Wash U decides a week after you inteview. If you get into those schools, you can drop other, less attractive schools from your list and save money on secondary fees and travel.