As November is creeping up, the senior class of 2017 is scrambling to submit applications to countless colleges. While the cost of college is definitely a factor when choosing potential schools, the cost of actually applying to these schools is often forgotten.

Lets do the Math:

According to a previous article published by Hannah Reed, seniors this year are applying to an average of 5.93 schools. A U.S. News & World Report from last year found that college applications cost an average of $37.88 per application (this is including those applications which have no application cost). So, assuming that these statistics are representative of our class, the average senior has spent $224.63 on application fees alone.

But wait, there’s more…

The majority of colleges currently require a minimum of one standardized test score with their application. This means that students are paying to take these tests on top of application fees. The SAT costs $54.50 (with essay), and the College Board charges $11.25 per school to send score reports. The ACT costs $56.50, with a $12 charge to send scores.

Let’s pretend that our hypothetical senior takes the SAT twice, and sends their scores to 6 colleges. When you register for the test, you are given the opportunity to send scores to four schools for free. This means that our senior will pay $22.50 sending their scores to their two additional schools. When added to the actual testing fee, the total SAT cost comes out to $77.

Popular Choices

The majority of the colleges that our seniors are applying to have a much higher application fee. Below are some frequently applied to colleges within AMHS and their application fees.

Clemson: $70

University of South Carolina: $65

Wofford: $35

University of Virginia: $70

University of North Carolina: $80

College of Charleston: $50

Tulane: No Cost!

Duke: $85

Harvard: $75

Texas A&M: $75

Washington University in St. Louis: $75

Total Costs

With only the SAT and applications fees, seniors this year are paying a whopping $301.63 just to apply to college. This application cost provides a taste for the crippling debt that many of our seniors will begin to experience next year at college.