How much did your app cycle cost you?

[lexswift]

I am trying to gauge how much I should put aside for applying. Applying is so expensive from application fees to hotels and interviews.

How much in total did you end up spending to apply and interview?

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[MaxPlancker]

Don't remind me

 

[y123]

It costs so much...
I didn't spend a penny on hotels though. I tried my best to stay with student hosts and friends.

 

[lexswift]

Don't remind me

It is very depressing. I remember when I applied for college I was too scared to look at the total at the end even though my parents were kind enough to pay for it at the time.

 

[LuluLovesMe]

With interviews about 5k total.

 

[freak7]

Estimates in my spreadsheet: 1148 Primaries, 2375 Secondaries.

 

[summergirl]

for a normal applicant probably 5k. It may be more or less depending on how many schools you apply to, how many interviews you go to, where the interview is etc.

 

[rilte4]

I fully intended to tally it up at the end of the process. Then, traveling/lodging/other interview-related costs happened. I'm afraid that if I find out the final number, I'll back out of going to medical school.

 

[Oh_Gee]

I am trying to gauge how much I should put aside for applying. Applying is so expensive from application fees to hotels and interviews.

How much in total did you end up spending to apply and interview?

check out hostelworld or airbnb to possible save $. hotels are expensive

 

[freak7]

check out hostelworld or airbnb to possible save $. hotels are expensive

... but what if I'm politically against those services because they're skyrocketing rent in my home city?

 

[starspells]

... but what if I'm politically against those services because they're skyrocketing rent in my home city?

Then don't use it and spend a lot of money on hotels if staying with student hosts isn't an option.

 

[Versadth]

Applying to 14 schools
State: Cali
Primaries and Secondaries =$2000-$3000
Editing PS services and interview coaching (~$1500)
Hotel costs and travel = $4,o00-7000?
School deposits $???

It's probably going to cost me $10,000+ :/

 

[starspells]

Editing PS services and interview coaching (~$1500)

Totally not necessary!

 

[kmc21]

primaries: $1,126
secondaries: $1,180
interview travel expenses: $872
school deposits: $200
total: ~$3400 when you account for other fees such as sending transcripts, uploading LORs

 

[Versadth]

Totally not necessary!

Lol no. If that's going to get me an advantage and get my into a better school, it's worth it. Last thing I want is to look back at the end of the application cycle and think "what if I did this or that"...would I have gotten into a better school?

 

[Astra]

My dignity

 

[starspells]

Lol no. If that's going to get me an advantage and get my into a better school, it's worth it. Last thing I want is to look back at the end of the application cycle and think "what if I did this or that"...would I have gotten into a better school?

I guess it's fine if you feel like it helped you. I just question how these people are anymore qualified than your professors, advisors, doctors you know or your school career center that may offer free mock interview prep?

 

[Versadth]

I guess it's fine if you feel like it helped you. I just question how these people are anymore qualified than your professors, advisors, doctors you know or your school career center that may offer free mock interview prep?

My thought is that it's better to get an opinion from someone who has successfully gone through the application cycle recently than a prof, advisor or doctors.

 

[Mansamusa]

I would not recommend anyone apply before they have access to $5,000 (be it credit card, cash, parents, etc), so that you aren't scrambling to come up with money in the middle of the cycle. It may not cost that much, but you want to just apply once so be prepared for everything.

I spent a lot. Not going to do the math, but probably over $7K. I worked a year to save ~$13,000 for applications, so I didn't worry about any costs. I went on 11 interviews, 5 of which required flying (I fly anywhere that is more than 6 hrs away by bus). One interview cost me over $700 because it was in the middle of nowhere....they waitlisted me and was the only school that rejected me post-II too -_- I also stayed for a few days in hotels every time I went to a cool new city.

Edit: if you get lucky, you can interview at your top choice at the beginning. My top choices were interviews #9 and 11. Could've saved a lot if they were earlier

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

I didn't keep a close track of everything but with going to 12 interviews (only one within driving distance) I'm guessing it was just over 10k

 

[bananafish94]

A few thousand dollars and a great deal of sanity


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[freak7]

Then don't use it and spend a lot of money on hotels if staying with student hosts isn't an option.

WAHOO

 

[starspells]

WAHOO

Airbnb is everything. So much cheaper than hotels...

 

[freak7]

Airbnb is everything. So much cheaper than hotels...

Yeah I get that, I don't really want to get into it though.

 

[Mansamusa]

People should probably also list their region and homebase setting (urban, suburbs near city, etc.).

I can't imagine how insane the cost would be for someone out west

 

[Versadth]

People should probably also list their region and homebase setting (urban, suburbs near city, etc.).

I can't imagine how insane the cost would be for someone out west

Good point +1

 

[anonymoose1640]

All I can say is thank goodness for the FAP. I applied to 35 schools so it came out to:
primaries: $740
secondaries: $15 (for the passport photo from CVS)
interview attire: $300 (suit/shirts/shoes/socks/iron/hair cut/etc.)
interviews: $5,000+ (only one hotel stay thank goodness but I splurged on ubers a lot)
second looks: $500
it was worth every penny to be able to pursue my dream though. I'll second what has been said above, do not apply unless you have at least $5,000 you're ready to spend.

 

[raiderette]

I applied to 21 schools, interviewed at 7. I drove to all but one place and utilized student hosts. Tallying my costs, I spent 3, 850.

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[BombsAway]

I wish I hadn't read this.

 

[y123]

If you live in the northeast where there are a lot of schools within driving distance, at least $5000.
If you are from a state (such as California) that requires flights to attend most OOS interviews, at least $10000.

 

[Mr Giggles]

I wish I hadn't read this.

IKR

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[The Knife & Gun Club]

I dropped about 2,000 on apps and 3,000 on interview costs.

It's amazing how much it varies though...I walked to my cheapest interview and dropped nearly a grand on the most expensive one.

Get a damn credit card with travel rewards

 

[idontwatchgreysanatomy]

Applying to 14 schools
State: Cali
Primaries and Secondaries =$2000-$3000
Editing PS services and interview coaching (~$1500)
Hotel costs and travel = $4,o00-7000?
School deposits $???

It's probably going to cost me $10,000+ :/

Since you like throwing money away, I'll PM you my address...

 

[f4reignbeauty]

California resident, and FAP recipient.

Primaries: $0
Secondaries: $0 (chose not to submit secondaries to the schools that did not honor my waiver)
Interview costs (travel + stay): ~$1400 (drove to nearby interviews, rode megabus when necessary, and used public transportation if the cities had a reliable system.)

 

[XxThaDoggxX]

When all was said and done, I would guess every bit of $4000, probably more.

 

[Oh_Gee]

... but what if I'm politically against those services because they're skyrocketing rent in my home city?

use your voting power

 

[Versadth]

California resident, and FAP recipient.

Primaries: $0
Secondaries: $0 (chose not to submit secondaries to the schools that did not honor my waiver)
Interview costs (travel + stay): ~$1400 (drove to nearby interviews, rode megabus when necessary, and used public transportation if the cities had a reliable system.)

Holy smokes, why is it $0?

 

[sharpstickie]

Primaries ~$400
Secondaries ~$550
Interviews ~$400

 

[Chromium Surfer]

Anyone have an estimate for an AZ resident who applied to ~20 schools with about 10 interviews and at least 5 being in the northeast?

 

[freak7]

use your voting power

I vote every ballot and go to my party caucuses.

 

[gyngyn]

Primaries ~$400
Secondaries ~$550
Interviews ~$400

Cheap!

 

[sharpstickie]

Cheap!

Applied to very few schools and interviewed only at my top choice and stayed with family friends for the night. I cancelled the other interviews after I got into my top choice.

 

[f4reignbeauty]

Holy smokes, why is it $0?

Fee waivers are a godsend!

 

[kwright26]

Last year I applied to 13 schools via AACOMAS.

Primary: $875
Secondaries: $475

I received one interview (KYCOM) and to travel from Kentucky to Florida on short notice cost $571 in airfare from Tampa, FL to Charleston, WV, $209 to rent a car for that distance, and $276 for two nights in a hotel, so for that interview alone it cost just over $1050.

Grand total for one application cycle was over $2400.

THAT SAID, I applied late in the cycle, so airfare and the hotel cost more because I only had 2 weeks notice to book everything for the interview. I did not uber or try to find accommodation with students in the area.

 

[Rinya]

I applied in 2014. I submitted 25 primaries, and ended up submitting about 15 secondaries. That plus interviews (living in probably the farthest state from literally anywhere), came out to roughly $6,000. I only had interviews at places where I had family or friends to stay with so only paid airfare basically, but still. Definitely worth it since I got into my top choice, but it was painful paying for everything at the time. Absolutely have at least $5,000 saved up, especially if you need to book a last minute flight for an interview. I was given an interview spot on the first day they ran interviews at one school, and received notification that I had an interview three days prior to the actual interview. Last minute plane flight costs are nasty.

 

[NoteBlock]

So far? Multiple broken piggy banks. Hopefully their sacrifices won't be meaningless.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

So far it's been about 2,000 for primaries and secondaries. With interviews already and potential multiple deposits (I'm applying DO) I'm probably looking at anywhere from 5 - 7,000. Thank goodness I've been preparing for this for a while, even still I might be eating ramen for a year until I get some medical school loans

 

[mistafab]

It cost me around 3-4k

 

[Dagrimsta1]

About 2600 for primaries and secondaries. Applying to 11 MD 7 DO. PROBABLY 300 more for a suit and interviews...

 

[benjamin94559]

i think like 6k including suits and planes and i never paid a dime for a hotel.