The cost of graduate school applications

  • This has become our largest and most active forum because the physics GRE is just one aspect of getting accepted into a graduate physics program.
  • There are applications, personal statements, letters of recommendation, visiting schools, anxiety of waiting for acceptances, deciding between schools, finding out where others are going, etc.

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pavement
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 10:03 pm

The cost of graduate school applications

Post by pavement » Wed Dec 10, 2008 1:47 am

hello friends

I'm slowly submitting all my applications, and decided to add up how much this is actually going to cost. it is ridiculous to see how much it actually is. at my estimate thus far

GRE Regular: $130
GRE Physics: $140

Say you're applying to 4 extra schools, thus a total of 8. to send each of the test to other four schools ETS bastards charge $20 extra per school. i mean, its just a bunch of numbers, that much to send it, really?
GRE 4 Extra: $80
PGRE 4 Extra: $80

Now say you're applying to eight schools, on avg they tend to be $70 each
Total Application Cost: $560

Transcript Order - Most schools require two each, so say
Transcript Costs: $50

Postage - Say it cost $5ish to send out 8 applications
Postal Costs: $40

This brings the total, to a whopping:
Graduate School Applications Costs: $1080/applicant

wow. intense eh.

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coreycwgriffin
Posts: 249
Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:28 am

Re: The cost of graduate school applications

Post by coreycwgriffin » Wed Dec 10, 2008 2:41 am

pavement wrote:Now say you're applying to eight schools, on avg they tend to be $70 each
Total Application Cost: $560
I think this is WAY too high. I'd say average is more like $50, at least for the schools I'm applying to. Plus, there are often loopholes that allow you to waive the fee.

abeboparebop
Posts: 112
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 11:26 am

Re: The cost of graduate school applications

Post by abeboparebop » Wed Dec 10, 2008 2:47 am

coreycwgriffin wrote:
pavement wrote:Now say you're applying to eight schools, on avg they tend to be $70 each
Total Application Cost: $560
I think this is WAY too high. I'd say average is more like $50, at least for the schools I'm applying to. Plus, there are often loopholes that allow you to waive the fee.
$560 is almost precisely my total for 8 schools.

robertson
Posts: 65
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2008 10:23 am

Re: The cost of graduate school applications

Post by robertson » Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:25 am

Add 150 bucks more if you are international and you need the toefl. Every letter that you send from Spain is 10 dollars and not 5. My official transcript costs 30 dollars. The official translation is 200 dollars. Every copy of the official transcript and the translation is 30 dollars. If you are applying to MIT you need the IELTS instead of the TOEFL, add 150 dollars. And yes, some private schools ask you to pay more than 100 dollars of application fee. I'm appyling to 8 universities and I have to pay at least 600 dollars more than you say :)
Cross fingers and make it worth it.

evilclaw2321
Posts: 118
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 5:51 pm

Re: The cost of graduate school applications

Post by evilclaw2321 » Wed Dec 10, 2008 11:48 am

well one comment when you send GRE scores you can send general and pgre together so if ur sending to 4 schools it would only be 80$ extra once not twice. but still outrageous. Mine will be even more, I'm appyling to 10 schools none of which were 4 of my free ones, only 1 has been free and 2 so far have been over 100$ fee. my schools charges 5$ for regular transcript 10$ if you need one rushed and much more if your sending international which of course im doing. Mine will be more like

Apps fees ~ 00$
GRE- 200$
Transcripts~150-200$
Postage and extras stuff~50$

maybe 1300 when im done....eek that is horrible. These places are heartless, and right before xmas too :cry:

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coreycwgriffin
Posts: 249
Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:28 am

Re: The cost of graduate school applications

Post by coreycwgriffin » Wed Dec 10, 2008 2:04 pm

Sucks for you guys. As it stands right now, I have paid (or will pay):

General and Physics GREs: $135 (fee reduction from my financial aid office because I'm poor -- 50% off)
Transcripts: Free
Applications:
-University of Minnesota: Free unless accepted
-Ohio State: Free if snail mailed
-Georgia Tech: Free for US citizen
-University of Rochester: Free for US citizen
-Stony Brook: $65
-Iowa State: Might not apply now, but application is $30

Additional GRE score reports: $40
Postage Fees: Maybe $5 total, since almost everything is online

Total: $275 as it stands. Might drop Iowa and apply to two more, different schools, which would add $100, tops.
Last edited by coreycwgriffin on Wed Dec 10, 2008 3:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Helio
Posts: 809
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 7:11 pm

Re: The cost of graduate school applications

Post by Helio » Wed Dec 10, 2008 2:54 pm

let me just say this i submitted UCLA, Stanford, NYU. Penn state, UT, yesterday and had to get my debit card unlocked because of "illegal activit" and maxed out my credit card for this month anymore questions?



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