Disclaimer: students who went to college out of state tend to apply to WAY more schools than students who went to college in state. I’m from Florida and went to college in Alabama, so I applied to medical schools in both states, plus some random schools throughout the country. I also only applied to M.D. schools.
It is expensive. Ridiculously expensive. I was not completely naïve because I knew that applying would cost money. I just did not realize how much. Here is a breakdown of my expenses so that you can be more prepared than I was
MCAT: My registration for the test was $310 [at time of publishing, AAMC listed MCAT fee as $315]. You will need to make a decision regarding preparation for the test. I think everyone highly recommends paying for practice tests, question banks, and books. Outside of that, it is up to you to figure out if you need to pay for an online schedule creator or a prep course [which usually come with books, practice tests, and question banks].
Primary Applications: When I applied, I paid $160 for the first school and $38 for each additional school. I submitted 13 primary applications. [At time of publishing, AAMC listed their 2019 AMCAS fees as $170 for the first school and $40 for each additional school. The fees may be different for the upcoming 2021 application cycle]
Secondary Applications: The fee depends on the school. The schools I applied to ranged from $30 to $100. I spent a total of $710 submitting secondaries to nine schools.
Interviews: I had four interviews. Three were out of town, two of which I had to fly to attend. Luckily, my mom travels for work and was able to book one of my flights and hotels using her points. Additionally, all of the schools provided me lists of hotels that had "discounted" rates. I decided to get rental cars so I was able to be on my own time for interview day and explore the cities that I was visiting. Despite my mom’s travel points and the hotel discounts, traveling for three interviews ended up costing me just over $950.
If you add all of that up, you will see that I spent a TON of money. I know that it can be overwhelming, but planning and preparation can definitely help. I will be the first to admit that if I planned a bit more and made some different decisions, I could have saved money.
How can you save money throughout the application process?
Thoroughly research every school you are interested in. Do NOT spend the money to send a school a primary application if you have no intention of submitting a secondary application. I highly recommend using the MSAR tool from the AAMC. Research the cities that the schools are located in and maybe even places to live so you can get an idea of things to do for fun and the cost of living for that area! This is important because it could help you decide if the city isn't your style or if it is out of budget for your desired living expenses during medical school.
See if you qualify for any fee assistance/waiving programs. AMCAS accepts fee assistance/waiving programs for primary applications. Some schools accept fee waivers for secondary applications, but some do not. This might also help you decide which schools you want to apply to.
Hotels: check all of the travel websites for cheap hotels. I was traveling alone, was unsure of good/bad areas in the cities I traveled to, and I wanted a hotel close to the schools so I stuck to the lists of hotels that the schools gave me. I probably would have found cheaper hotels if I looked.
There’s really nothing you can do about flights since you aren’t given too much notice before your interview (2-4 weeks depending on the school). Be sure to check google, various travel websites, etc. I have heard that putting your browser on private can help you find the lowest prices. You can also ask family members to see if they have any credit card or travel rewards points they are willing to let you use.
Rental Cars: If you are a AAA member, you can get rental car discounts, which is especially helpful if you are under the age of 25. You could also save money if you are brave enough to use Uber or Lyft instead, but this could be risky and make you even more nervous on interview day.
How did all of this get paid for? A gracious family member paid for my MCAT registration fee. I paid for my MCAT prep and applications with student loans and earnings from my part-time job. Thankfully, I graduated in the fall and worked full time during the spring semester. All of my interviews were during the month of February and I am not exaggerating when I say that I worked every day that I was not traveling that month. It was rough, but I was able to pay for everything interview-related out of pocket.
The best thing you can do is prepare. If your parents are able to cover all of that, then that is great! However, if you are like me, please understand how costly this can all be and prepare, prepare, prepare! Let me know if you have any questions and I would be happy to answer!
-L