Cost of applying to only osteopathic

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

kfox926

Full Member
5+ Year Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2016
Messages
165
Reaction score
65
I was just wondering what it's costing some of you guys to apply to DO schools, I'm not going to apply to MD. I've found some numbers online but I wanted to get real life experiences to make sure they are accurate representations of what I need to save for.

Thank you!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
Primary applications x10 schools - $555
Secondary applications x6 schools - $400 (around that)
Cost of interview clothes - $350
Cost of attendance of interviews x2 - $200

Total cost about $1500 for me. I didn't attend any far interviews or put in a large number of applications. Feels bad I missed the application financial aid I was eligible for, but it's peanuts at the end of the day.
 
Ive easily exceeded 5k, however i applied to like 26 schools, attended most of my interviews, and submitted all but one secondary.

I think it can vary a lot depending on how many places you apply, if you get your #1 acceptance early and dont travel a crap ton for interviews, and how solid of deals you get while traveling. I totally got screwed doing car rentals as i had to pay an insanely high under 25 fee. In hindsight uber would be the way to go lol


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
Primary applications x10 schools - $555
Secondary applications x6 schools - $400 (around that)
Cost of interview clothes - $350
Cost of attendance of interviews x2 - $200

Total cost about $1500 for me. I didn't attend any far interviews or put in a large number of applications. Feels bad I missed the application financial aid I was eligible for, but it's peanuts at the end of the day.

I'm thinking that's about what I'll need. My top 10 schools are all east coast where I live so the biggest expensive I think I'll have is gas to drive to the interviews and lodging for the night prior, but it's not terrible to find super cheap rooms for just 1 person.
Thanks for your experience!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
Ive easily exceeded 5k, however i applied to like 26 schools, attended most of my interviews, and submitted all but one secondary.

I think it can vary a lot depending on how many places you apply, if you get your #1 acceptance early and dont travel a crap ton for interviews, and how solid of deals you get while traveling. I totally got screwed doing car rentals as i had to pay an insanely high under 25 fee. In hindsight uber would be the way to go lol


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

I think I'll apply to around 10-12 schools. So hopefully I won't spend near what you did. I'd have to take out more loans just to afford to apply to schools. Lol


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
I think I'll apply to around 10-12 schools. So hopefully I won't spend near what you did. I'd have to take out more loans just to afford to apply to schools. Lol


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
Yep, I'm currently in about 13,000 for med school admissions this cycle.

25 MD approximately 3200
10 DO approximately 3700 (includes two, 1000 deposits)
add in cost of transportation, MCAT, Clothes, hotels, etc
and we're at about 13000.
 
Did you all save for this or did you get some kind of help from someone or from a program or loans?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
I saved, but underestimated the cost of interviews so I worked some extra weekends shifts to make up the difference. I did get lucky and avoided the expensive deposits.
 
When you say the cost of interviews, you mean the clothes, travel expenses and lodging, right? There's not an additional fee to interview, I hope?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
Flights, hotels, and rental cars or other transportation. I never paid a dime for clothes outside of a new pair of dress socks.
 
When you say the cost of interviews, you mean the clothes, travel expenses and lodging, right? There's not an additional fee to interview, I hope?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
don't forget tipping your interviewers! Since this is as med school admissions, 23% is the current tipping rate.

This is the real multiplier though, especially if you have a single interviewer. But if you have multiple interviewers at a school, or MMI, the costs really add up.
 
Between primaries, secondaries, and traveling expenses... ~$5,000. Applied to 24 schools.

I got my first credit card when I started traveling, I had some family help, and I worked a ton during the summer/fall.

Also keep in mind that when you get an acceptance, you'll have to pay to secure your seat. For DO schools, that ranges from $1,000-$2000 (from what I've seen.)
 
So one things that makes me nervous about these deposits... Are some of the less established schools seem quick to accepting students. While the established schools do their interviews/acceptances later. Have any of you thrown away money by jumping at your first acceptance, and later get accepted to a better fit?

Edit: This comes from looking at the school specific threads... Which is very time consuming... This statement might be wrong!
 
So one things that makes me nervous about these deposits... Are some of the less established schools seem quick to accepting students. While the established schools do their interviews/acceptances later. Have any of you thrown away money by jumping at your first acceptance, and later get accepted to a better fit?

Edit: This comes from looking at the school specific threads... Which is very time consuming... This statement might be wrong!
i've thrown away 1000, put down another 1000 today that I'm possibly throwing away, and will have to submit a SECOND deposit at this school to matriculate...the first is to just hold the seat...
 
So one things that makes me nervous about these deposits... Are some of the less established schools seem quick to accepting students. While the established schools do their interviews/acceptances later. Have any of you thrown away money by jumping at your first acceptance, and later get accepted to a better fit?

Edit: This comes from looking at the school specific threads... Which is very time consuming... This statement might be wrong!
I interviewed at Marian on 10/07. Accepted on 10/26. Deposit was due by December 14th.

I interviewed at MSUCOM on 10/21. Accepted on 11/17. Deposit due by January 6th.

I ultimately decided on MSUCOM so I did not put down a deposit for Marian. However, it's totally possible to end up throwing away a deposit if the dates don't like up. One of the ways to avoid possibly forfeiting a deposit would be to schedule the interviews together as much as possible. While you can't often choose many different dates, submitting secondaries around the same relative times couldn't hurt. I got rejected from 2 other schools during the same time period as my acceptances.
 
Did you all save for this or did you get some kind of help from someone or from a program or loans?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
Saved. I haven't been a student for a few years so I'm not completely poor....yet.
 
350k. This is my 8th year applying to 35 schools. Currently I am probably heading into my 9th application cycle next year. Plz help fam.
 
So one things that makes me nervous about these deposits... Are some of the less established schools seem quick to accepting students. While the established schools do their interviews/acceptances later. Have any of you thrown away money by jumping at your first acceptance, and later get accepted to a better fit?

Edit: This comes from looking at the school specific threads... Which is very time consuming... This statement might be wrong!
Paid a $500 deposit, got accepted to another school. Paid $1000 for that school while I'm still waiting for two schools to get back to me that I'd attend over the school I just paid. I hate deposits
 
Paid a $500 deposit, got accepted to another school. Paid $1000 for that school while I'm still waiting for two schools to get back to me that I'd attend over the school I just paid. I hate deposits
same bro
 
Top