High cost of the process- what can be done?

[Petek]

am just finishing up the application process and waiting on a few decisions and I was thinking about how much this process costs. I know everybody raves about how a deposit is a lot to lose but its worth it in the end.... I am a believer as well that the way the current system is setup that is the best choice, but can the system be changed?
The high cost of the application process immediately excludes those don't come from money, don't have student loans to cash in, or just can't take on 5,000 dollars in debt for a chance to get to medical school. I think the process has grown too expensive and something needs to be done to allow a poor qualified applicant and a rich qualified applicant the same opportunities.

Here are some thoughts, please add more
1. Include the secondary fee's into the cost of tuition but limit the number of schools student can apply to to 12-15.
2. Setup a program where the medical schools go together and have buying power with airline tickets.
3. Either pay for a students hotel room on an interview or allow students to stay on campus with other students.
4. Run a shuttle from the interview back to the airport. That way the students would only be responsible for getting to the school that morning.
5. Lower the ACCOMAS/ AMCAS application fee's- someone is making bank here to be a middle man. I do all of the work to fill out the form, why do I need to pay someone 75 bucks to send it to a school.
6. Deposits.... Who has 1500 dollars they can afford to loose within 2 weeks of acceptance. I understand they want to make sure their class is filled, but milking student for their last few dollars after they have just gone though a very expensive application process is not the best way.


I would appreciate any more suggestions! I want to do something about this, at least let them know of the difficulties that students face affording the process. What would be the best way to go about informing the schools?

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[Stolenspatulas]

I think the process has grown too expensive and something needs to be done to allow a poor qualified applicant and a rich qualified applicant the same opportunities.

AMCAS already gives out Fee waivers, and individual schools participate as well (get rid of secondary fees).

im nots sure if this statement is true. sure someone poor has to save enough money for airfare, travelfood, etc.... but that may require max 1 year taken off to make a little spending money.

btw, im poor. 1000 post anyone?

 

[Severus]

AMCAS already gives out Fee waivers, and individual schools participate as well (get rid of secondary fees).

im nots sure if this statement is true. sure someone poor has to save enough money for airfare, travelfood, etc.... but that may require max 1 year taken off to make a little spending money.

btw, im poor. 1000 post anyone?

Post whoring feels good, doesn't it?

 

[NickRiviera]

Might as well tie these together...
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=368212

 

[NervousNed]

heres something i think could help, if you do not get offered an interview, you should only have to pay less, vs if you do get offered an interview, why should people who didnt get interviewed have to pay for the peoples interview day that did get interviewed? im not sure this is how it works, but id be very interested to know where each penny of that money we send them goes, does anyone have a link showing what they do with our secondary money?

 

[HumbleMD]

Who has a $1500 deposit? Is it refundable? I feel like most of the schools I applied to haven't required a deposit, or else they said it's refundable. Shouldn't they understand we're still deciding, and would love, to hear about fin. aid decisions, for example?

As far as secondry fees go, though, think about all the staff (including the many deans of admission). Their salary has to come from somewhere.

 

[VandyXGirl]

AMCAS already gives out Fee waivers, and individual schools participate as well (get rid of secondary fees).

im nots sure if this statement is true. sure someone poor has to save enough money for airfare, travelfood, etc.... but that may require max 1 year taken off to make a little spending money.

btw, im poor. 1000 post anyone?

Congrats on the 1000 posts! Quite the accomplishment
On how expensive the process is, I would agree that it is a bit outrageous at times but there are ways to cut back on costs.
*A lot of school already do offer programs for you to stay with students and if they don't, I'm sure you could call the admin office and ask if they could set you up. I didn't pay for a single hotel night on any of my 9 interviews. I stayed either with students at the school or with friends of mine from high school or college.

*Try and book your flights/travels in groups. If I got an interview at one school in a specific city, I would email the admissions coordinator from the other schools in that same city and tell them I would be in town. (ex. Dear X school, I will be in Y city for these days, would it be at all possible if an interview date were free on those dates that I could come in then? Flights are really expensive where I am flying from, etc) 2 out of the 3 times I asked, the schools were great, flexible, awesome, etc. and were able to fit my interview in that same weekend when I would already be up there. This definitely saved me a lot of money with airfare (though it did mean I had 5 interviews in one week!)

*I do think the primary app fees are a bit much. I understand why they charge per school (so that premeds won't submit their app to all 125 allo programs) but I do think $30 per school is a lot. What if they charged let's say $200 for your first 10 (I believe it was $170 just for you first school) and then maybe $20 per school (up until 15) and then maybe $40 per school (up until 20), etc? I think this would encourage students to try and keep their list down more, and would make the total somewhat less. Is this anymore reasonable?

*I also think more schools should make initial cuts before sending out secondaries, because it really isn't fair for them to take your money (in upwards of $130) if they know there is no chance you would get in. I really respect schools that already do this.

 

[notdeadyet]

im nots sure if this statement is true. sure someone poor has to save enough money for airfare, travelfood, etc.... but that may require max 1 year taken off to make a little spending money.

Exactly. Whether you use credit cards or elbow grease, everyone has to pay the same piper. For those who are truly disadvantaged, you've got the waiver.

Personally, I think waiving the secondary fee is an awful idea. This process is already incredibly bogged down and slow with some amazing candidates slipping through the cracks because of the large number of secondary applications. If Boston U is getting 11K apps this year with a $100 secondary fee, can you imagine how many it would get it if was free? They'd have to hand out interviews by lottery.