How to Save Money while Applying to Grad Schools in North America ( USA and Canada) as international students
Applying to grad school overseas can seem like a daunting task. From picking the right universities to taking (and possibly retaking) standardized exams, there’s just so much to do! In fact, the process is so overwhelming that you can easily end up adding a lot of unnecessary expenses. A little bit of planning can actually save you quite a bit of money. Whether money is tight for you or you just want to be as efficient as possible, here’s a few tips on how to save money while applying to grad school.
- Shortlist your choices early
When it comes to shortlisting universities, start as early as possible. As you look through places, note the ones that you like and the overall cost of applying to that program. This will include the application fee, transcript fee, fees for sending official scores (if needed), and any other expense that you might incur. Starting early will help you decide on your budget and plan better. For example, some grad schools allow you to apply for an application fee waiver. However, it takes a while for the committee to send out their decisions for the application fee waiver. If you’re applying to the program last minute, you won’t have time to apply for such waivers.
- Shortlist BEFORE you sit for your standardized exams
ETS allows you to send your scores to four universities at the end of both GRE and TOEFL exams for free. At the time of writing, sending additional scores cost $27 for GRE and $20 for TOEFL. So, if you select places where you are sure that you’re applying, then you’ll save about $188 ( the math being 27*4 + 20*4 ). When I applied for grad school, I hadn’t shortlisted universities by the time I sat for my exams and ended up randomly adding schools where I didn’t even apply in the end!
- Check if the place really needs official scores
Some universities accept the unofficial versions of standardized test scores and will only ask for the official version if you get accepted. These unofficial score records can be downloaded from your ETS account. Because most programs ask for the official versions, this one is very easy to miss! So, note it down early on.
- Some programs don’t require application fees
Some universities exempt citizens of some countries from paying the application fee. For example, the graduate programs of University of British Columbia does not take application fee from applicants in countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and a few more(check their website for more details on this, but this was the case till April 2020). Similarly, there are some programs that do not charge application fees at all. An example of would be the CS PhD program in University of Rochester in the USA. Look into such universities early and if you like their programs, applying to these will reduce your cost.
- Avoid certain areas and certain universities
As far as I have seen, universities in the West Coast have a much higher application fee than its East Coast counterparts. Similarly, certain public universities often cost less than private universities. It’s not always the case, of course, and you definitely shouldn’t dismiss a program without looking at it just because it’s West Coast or private, but this is the general trend that I’ve noticed while working on my applications. Either way, it is good to be selective.
Disclaimer: The information of specific universities and programs that I have provided here were valid at the time of writing in 2020, but might not hold true in the future. If you find any such discrepancy, don’t hesitate to let me know!
