How to save for interviews; Mini-Guide

[Typical Average Student]

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I should be studying for my biomechanics exam tomorrow... but instead, I'm going to share with the community how I've been saving money for interviews at 2am in the morning...

Warning: this may seem outlandish to some but very practical to others especially if you are very limited on your funds like I am, and I would hate for y'all to take out loans just for travel! I do not recommend some of these things since it may not be safe depending on the area you're staying in (*cough* Detroit *cough*)
Disclaimer: I am not responsible for anything that happens to you.... this is simply what I've been doing and I've been saving hundreds.... Now. Let's get to the good stuff:

This is ideal for those who are still in school/taking classes/have a tight schedule, otherwise you should just explore the city if you have the time/money.

Flights:
- If the school is less than 5-6 hours away: I would just drive, otherwise use airlines.
- Purchasing on Tuesday afternoons ~41 days before your planned flight is what statistics say is the best time to purchase tickets. I usually go to Google.com and type in "[city] to [city] flights" and enter the desired dates and scope them out for a few weeks before purchasing, it's better than limiting your search to just one booking website, google searches all the data bases.
- Try to fly Spirit Airlines and buy the tickets at the airport! Spirit charges a $16.99/way fee when paying online, you can avoid this fee by paying at the airport. (A ticket that was originally $127 online, I bought it for $59 after tax at the airport!😱) Although they charge to ship bags... pack very, very lightly and if it fits under your seat (16 x 14 x 12 are the dimensions, I believe), it's free! I recommend a clean shirt, deodorant, socks, GPS, light snacks, and charger in a backpack.
- Other cheap airlines: United, US Airways, and Frontier (who also work like Spirit Airlines).


Transportation:
- Try to see if the school offers a shuttle (I used 28x on my Pittsburgh interview for $3.25/way).
- Try to carpool with other SDN interviewees!
- I've been using RelayRides (which is pretty much like AirBNB for cars), it's a lot cheaper than rental places and you don't have to worry about extra charges, underage fees, or any outrageous fees/taxes.
- Uber or Lfyt works as well but I heard you can't get an Uber from the airport (not sure if true or not).


Sleep:
- I've been sleeping at friend's houses/dorms, in my car, at the airport, or in rental cars.
- Since I don't have the money to stay overnight, I try to book evening or late night flights (which ever is cheaper) so I can just sleep for a few hours and head to my interview. (Though... my Pittsburgh experience was atrocious, I was totally not expecting the 44 degree weather, I only slept 4 hours before my interview and was so sleepy during the presentation 😴). Just find a cozy place to sleep with a lot of lights and people (I do not recommend this for female applicants as it may not be safe).

Food:
McDonalds. Burger King. Subway. Free breakfast/lunch during interviews. Airport food is price hiked nearly x3 so try to eat before going or find a cheap place to eat. (Since I found myself saving a lot of money from travel, I decided to spurge a little bit on food.)

Fun:
Ha.


I hope this mini-guide helped, y'all can put more things you suggest below!
Good luck with the cycle!

 

[ajj70]

Your cheapest flights will be from airlines that hub in your area if you don't have a discount airline near you. Just from your examples, United tends to have the more expensive flights from my airport. Also, Microtel hotels are usually a very good price and usually clean and safe if you don't want to sleep in your car. You can also see if there are state parks near where you are interviewing. They tend to have camp sites that are electric as well as bathroom facilities. Large truck stops are also a good place to sleep in a car and again, they usually have showers (for a small fee).

Get food at a grocery store to save even more money. Some extended stay type hotels, Residence Inn, etc. have morning and evening meals for free so consider that when pricing out hotels. If you pay $100 for the room but also get breakfast and dinner included, that is pretty reasonable.

In several areas, the hotels provide a free shuttle from the airport and often to other places within so many miles (Minneapolis is one area where that is common). Look into that option and you can probably get by without a rental car. Check with the school where you are interviewing too, they often have discounts for hotels nearby.

Sometimes you can find less expensive flights if you are willing to drive a bit farther to the airport. This isn't always an option but if you live where there a few airports within 2 hours, check them all. Also factor in the time it takes to fly. The 5-6 hour rule is pretty good if you have to drive to the airport, get there 1+ hours before the flight, have a layover somewhere, etc.

 

[EasTexan]

Ok now I'm really rooting for you, Texas bro. You slept in your car?? 4 hours sleep? I can't even.

 

[A Pre-dent]

.

 

[Scumbag_Steve]

.

 

[Frank22]

I'm not sure I understand the distaste for using student loans to help with the application cycle; it seems like for many of us, it is the only option, and with most of us graduating dental school with $300,000 or more in loans, what's the big deal about getting a few grand to help pay for applying?

 

[Scumbag_Steve]

/

 

[Frank22]

If you don't have any back up money saved then yes, I would totally agree with taking out loans for the application process. I should've clarified; my post was describing how to stretch savings to cover the costs. If you have any other options, avoiding loans would be best to not have to pay them back with interest, but if you don't, then they are the best option. It is common for people to take out loans to cover the costs of applying to/interviewing at specialty programs while they're in dental school and have likely exhausted any savings they had to begin with.

The thing I'm worried about is that I've seen some people say that it's not possible to get student loans to help for applying (that is, you just have to apply with what you have and that's it). That's worrisome because it could reduce my chances of getting in significantly :/. I don't know...

 

[Scumbag_Steve]

/

 

[Frank22]

I know that private loans, although their interest rates suck, will be able to cover that kind of thing. Also, think about getting a credit card for that and then paying it off. That would help your credit score.

Private loans are basically out of the question for me; I'm pretty sure I would need a well-paying, full-time job, whereas I'm only likely to have a $8-$10/hr job working part time :/...

 

[EasTexan]

Check out the Fee Assistance Program

May or may not help with travel and what-not, I haven't personally looked in to it.

 

[Frank22]

Check out the Fee Assistance Program

Thanks; I will be applying, but it will only cover $470.

 

[EasTexan]

Thanks; I will be applying, but it will only cover $470.

So, like 1/10 the expenses!

Better than nothing I guess.

 

[uhds]

Hello! Does anyone know anything about getting an airlines credit card to save money on travel?

 

[gabs89]

Hello! Does anyone know anything about getting an airlines credit card to save money on travel?

Your average credit card with cash back is going to offer you just as lucrative rewards compared to an airline card

 

[uhds]

Your average credit card with cash back is going to offer you just as lucrative rewards compared to an airline card

Thanks for the advice! 🙂

 

[BluntForceTrauma]

Your average credit card with cash back is going to offer you just as lucrative rewards compared to an airline card

Except for the possible bonus miles they may give you (e.g. Southwest gives 50000 bonus miles if you spend 2k in the first 2 months or so). I dunno if normal rewards cards give that kind of bonus.

 

[uhds]

Except for the possible bonus miles they may give you (e.g. Southwest gives 50000 bonus miles if you spend 2k in the first 2 months or so). I dunno if normal rewards cards give that kind of bonus.

Very interesting! Thank you for the input! 😀

 

[Syntav]

tip: don't use the campus street parking at Pitt... the meter limit is shorter than the interview day and will still cost you 12$.

Source: I got welcomed with a 40$ parking ticket after my interview.

 

[sookstall]

tip: don't use the campus street parking at Pitt... the meter limit is shorter than the interview day and will still cost you 12$.

Source: I got welcomed with a 40$ parking ticket after my interview.

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