Often times, we find ourselves getting so caught up in the price of college tuition that we forget about how much it costs to just apply to college. There is a lot of spending that goes into the whole college process: ACT/SAT tutoring, the actual ACT/SAT test, the cost of traveling to various colleges, and sending in the actual applications.
College itself already costs a fortune. One tutoring session costs an average of $150. If you multiply that by twelve weeks, which is how long one usually prepares for, total preparation costs $1,800. The standardized tests are also quite expensive with the SAT costing $52.50 and the ACT with writing $54.50. These are the prices of a student taking this test once, but the SAT and ACT are, more often than not, taken multiple times. Some colleges, such as Georgetown, require from one to four subject tests along with the SAT or ACT. One subject test costs $18 plus a registration fee of $26.
One reason some colleges have eliminated the SAT or ACT from their application assessment process is because they see these tests as economically unfair. Colleges such as Providence, Bowdoin, Holy Cross and Dickinson have gone test-optional. Wealthier students are able to prepare for these tests and therefore have an advantage when taking them. They also have the opportunity to take them multiple times, while less fortunate students may not have this option.
A main part of the college process is going to visit the college campuses to help you get a better feel for the school. The actual visit is free for all schools, but the total cost of the trip is varies in price, depending on where and how far you go. These costs include plane rides or gas for a car if you go road tripping, hotel rooms, metro farecards etc. Adding all of these together can reach up to an average of $3,500 according to Amy Scott from Market Place.
As if colleges did not already take enough money from you, they charge an average of $37.88 to send in an application. More selective schools often charge well above average; Stanford University charges $90, Columbia University and Duke University charge $85, and Dartmouth College charges $80. 