How are people on SDN paying for this cycle?

[Franzliszt1]

The advice I see most commonly is to apply broadly. Getting into med school is very challenging and it would be foolish to apply to fewer than say 14 schools. I know 14 is the "average" but I'm using SDN wisdom to set the stage for my question to the SDN community.

I will be relying entirely on extended family members for money needed to apply. If I want to apply to 21 schools I should need ~$1000 for primaries and ~$2000 for secondaries. Amount for interviews is less easy to guestimate. Since I don't have any money saved, this adds pressure to crafting my school list because I don't want to put unnecessary strain on my family. My immediate family is unfortunately unable to help me, so I must turn to my extended family.

If you wouldn't mind sharing, how do you plan on paying for this application cycle?

Would the military pay for my applications? Are loans available? Are we all banking on our families? Just want to reach out and find out what everyone else is thinking. Thanks for your time.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Mr.Monster]

I paid for mine from my own pocket. Best 3.5k I’ve ever spent.

 

[chaim123]

I paid for mine from my own pocket. Best 3.5k I’ve ever spent.

This is where my savings went. The beginning of the rest of my life.

 

[TheAppleJuice]

try being a re-applicant

 

[chaim123]

try being a re-applicant

Honestly - given the money, time, energy, and emotion that went into this cycle, I already told myself that if I didn't get in I would take a year or so off. No way would I go straight into reapplication. I'd build my app, earn some money, and recharge.

 

[maplecookie]

There is that fee waiver you can apply for to help with primary and secondary applications.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

There is that fee waiver you can apply for to help with primary and secondary applications.

That's if you qualify. Their guidelines for qualifications are so hard because you have to include your parents/guardians information no matter what.

Sent from my SM-G950U using SDN mobile

 

[maplecookie]

That's if you qualify. Their guidelines for qualifications are so hard because you have to include your parents/guardians information no matter what.

Sent from my SM-G950U using SDN mobile

I’m not familiar with its qualifications but I just mentioned it since OP never mentioned it in their original post and they didn’t really say anything about their parents to suggest they couldn’t get financial information from them just that they couldn’t help which I took to interpret that they didn’t have the funds though of course I may be mistaken

 

[elsocio-premed]

I will pay from my own pocket. I will have a Gap year so I will be working hard this Gap year to make up for the money I spend in applications.

 

[Hirro]

Working full-time and saving the funds in advance.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Combination of the government and out of pocket. Will be worth every penny.

 

[theKingLT]

Taking out loans to hopefully take out much bigger loans next year

 

[DrRiker]

The advice I see most commonly is to apply broadly. Getting into med school is very challenging and it would be foolish to apply to fewer than say 14 schools. I know 14 is the "average" but I'm using SDN wisdom to set the stage for my question to the SDN community.

I will be relying entirely on extended family members for money needed to apply. If I want to apply to 21 schools I should need ~$1000 for primaries and ~$2000 for secondaries. Amount for interviews is less easy to guestimate. Since I don't have any money saved, this adds pressure to crafting my school list because I don't want to put unnecessary strain on my family. My immediate family is unfortunately unable to help me, so I must turn to my extended family.

If you wouldn't mind sharing, how do you plan on paying for this application cycle?

Would the military pay for my applications? Are loans available? Are we all banking on our families? Just want to reach out and find out what everyone else is thinking. Thanks for your time.

I've opened a credit card and saved 9k. We'll see if that's enough to cover 30-40 schools plus interviews. Say $4000 to be safe.

 

[Wahkoon]

This is what the 2 gap years were for*

*in reality, they were saving money, paying off loans, MCAT, clinical experience, essays, outside, sleep, etc.

 

[AsianPersuasion]

It's an emotional, costly process. Stay strong y'all. The grass is greener on the other side. Laced with b*llSh*t but it's the best **** I've ever seen.

 

[RaspberrySlushy]

I saved for a year beforehand and was a little obsessive about budgeting to do so. I saved about $7500 because I knew I’d have to fly to all interviews except my local school because nothing else is close. That budget also included all my interview clothes (I had never worn a suit before so had to start from scratch), getting the suit dry cleaned between interviews, getting nails done before interviews, flights, lodging, transport to/from airports and schools, meals while traveling, etc. Came in about $600 under when all said and done and that felt like a bonus. I applied to 19 schools but then only did 17 of my secondaries. 6 interview trips plus one second look trip. Two deposits which have been refunded. I saved some $ by staying with people I knew or doing Airbnb and at one school stayed with a student host. That can definitely be a money saver.

If you anticipate having to fly a lot, and you’re responsible with credit cards, you might consider getting a card with airline miles or travel points. That can get you a free trip or two as well. I have a friend who did that for his cycle and then took a “free” trip to Italy before his M1 just on the bonuses. It’s definitely something where you have to read the fine print and make sure you’re working it and not the other way around.

 

[Siromas]

Fronted the cost of all the applications with a 0% APR credit card, and then lived like a hermit and picked up A LOT of overtime shifts to repay it back before the intro period ended.

Looking back, working so much actually made all that time I spent waiting to hear back pass by more quickly.

 

[Lucca]

Savings from jobs/internships, scholarship money.

 

[timephone]

FAP FAP FAP FAP FAP FAP FAP

(fee assistance program)

I recommend everyone apply, even if you think you won't qualify. Yes you have to enter in your parent's income info, but they have a preliminary form you can fill in and they will let you know if you likely meet the criteria (before going through the trouble of submitting tax returns etc.).

 

[teenyfish]

I'm in a gap year so I saved a decent chunk - $6k and will be putting anything else on a credit card (no interest for a year) so as not to completely drain my savings. Thankfully, I applied to a lot of schools within driving range so I'm hoping to not spend a ton on airfare, but will probably end up hoarding as much money as I can between now and the fall.

 

[Phiona]

Blowing a decent chunk of my savings to finally apply to a decent number of schools. Fortunately my mom offered to help out a bit this year, but going into this I expected to be paying it 100% on my own. May look into getting a credit card to rack up some miles if I can find one with a zero interest promotion.

 

[676188]

Money saved from my graduate assistantship + savings if necessary. If I have to reapply I'll get a full time job for my (2nd) gap year.

 

[Franzliszt1]

Thanks for all your input.

I can't enter the Fee Assistance Program because my dad is a sole proprietor and files in October. They are particular that they need last years data. Otherwise I would qualify.