2017-2018 Official Medical School Application Costs

[SpoiledMilk]

Thought it would be helpful to future applicants to start a running thread that succinctly illustrates the expenses associated with applying to medical school and participating in interviews. This is not an exhaustive list of all the expenses, however, it may provide pre-meds an idea of roughly how expensive it can be to apply to medical schools. Individual results will vary...

*I did not include MCAT(s) and associated costs, but if you want to include them, just add, bold, and underline…

**Copy and paste the bold/underlined portions.

AMCAS (Primary/Secondaries)
Schools = 16
Costs = $50 (FAP recipient)

AACOMAS (Primary/Secondaries)
Schools = 0
Costs = $0

TMDSAS (Primary/Secondaries)
Schools = 10
Costs = $200 (FAP applicable)

Travel/Accommodations (Planes, Trains, Automobiles, Buses, Hotels, Meals, Attire, Miscellaneous...)
Interviewed at = 7 Schools
Costs = $474.03

Total Costs
$724.03

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[SpoiledMilk]

Teach me your ways. How did you spend so little on 7 interviews? No air travel?

I drove to all my interviews. Couldn't afford plane travel.

 

[studiene]

AMCAS (Primary/Secondaries)
Schools = 10
Costs = $511 primary + $855 secondaries (10) = $1,366

AACOMAS (Primary/Secondaries)
Schools = 10
Costs = $690 primary + $565 secondaries (10) = $1,255

TMDSAS (Primary/Secondaries)
Schools = 0
Costs = 0

Travel/Accommodations (Planes, Trains, Automobiles, Buses, Hotels, Meals, Attire, Miscellaneous...)
Interviewed at = 3 schools
Costs = ≈$748

Total Costs
$3,369 just on applications ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[catmullclark]

AMCAS (Primary/Secondaries)
Schools 20
Costs = $1000 primary + $1995 secondaries (20) ≈ $2,995

Travel/Accommodations (Planes, Trains, Automobiles, Buses, Hotels, Meals, Attire, Miscellaneous...)
Interviewed at = 10 schools
Costs ≈ $1,835

Total Costs
≈ $4,830

Pretty illuminating. Driving is the cheapest, then comes buses, trains, and then planes. My tip is to get TSA Precheck before your application cycle as it makes airports a lot more manageable, and also consider getting a travel credit card like JetBlue, Chase Sapphire if you anticipate a lot of air travel.

 

[efle]

For those interested in this data for the full matriculant pool last year:

(median $1,000 on secondaries)

(median $600 on interviews)

 

[Lawpy]

Also check out this good resource: SDN – Medical School Application Cost Calculator - SDN Cost Calculator

 

[calivianya]

I had it totaled up somewhere, but I don't remember where - I do know that I was almost right at $6k on the dot for primary and secondary apps together - 27 MD primaries, 25 MD secondaries, 15 DO primaries, and 11 DO secondaries.

I've probably spent ~$4k on travel/interview expenses. I think I spent $400+ in food alone for my last trip (stayed Monday through Friday; ate at nice places several times). I don't always stayed in the cheapest places, and when I do fly to the interview, I try to stay at least three nights to really get a feel for the area... doesn't exactly make for money-saving behaviors.

 

[onyxbell]

I had it totaled up somewhere, but I don't remember where - I do know that I was almost right at $6k on the dot for primary and secondary apps together - 27 MD primaries, 25 MD secondaries, 15 DO primaries, and 11 DO secondaries.

I've probably spent ~$4k on travel/interview expenses. I think I spent $400+ in food alone for my last trip (stayed Monday through Friday; ate at nice places several times). I don't always stayed in the cheapest places, and when I do fly to the interview, I try to stay at least three nights to really get a feel for the area... doesn't exactly make for money-saving behaviors.

Rich working non-trad spotted. xD

 

[calivianya]

Rich working non-trad spotted. xD

More like working non-trad with really good credit... 0% interest for 15 months for the win! And then balance transfer to a new 0% interest card if I don't pay that off in time!

*crazy laugh*

 

[bananafish94]

I knew the total cost of applying at one point but after many years I've been able to successfully repress it from my mind. Suffice it to say that it was too damn much.

 

[DBC03]

I applied to ~35 schools (unbalanced MCAT/GPA mix), so that was ~$1500 for primaries and ~$3500 for secondaries. I attended 6 interviews, doubled up on 4 (2 over one weekend, 2 over a different week), stayed with students/friends/family for all but 1, drove to 4, bought a 1-way plane ticket to the location of two and drove back with a friend. So I spent maybe $300 total, including flight, hotel, and gas. So interviewing has been relatively cheap, but the applications were expensive. Glad I applied to that many - I interviewed with schools I never thought I would hear from. Working my rear off to pay down the 0% interest credit card I took out right before...


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