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domtri33
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How much $$$ did/will this application season cost you? 10 Feb 2009, 14:11
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So as I was sitting here going over my credit card statement from my latest trip to Kellogg, I got to thinking that overall (considering GMAT prep, application fees, travel cost, etc) I probably got off pretty light. Then again, I only applied to two schools and one of them waived my application fee and was within 2 hours of my house. Curious how much this process is setting everyone else back?
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refurb
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How much $$$ did/will this application season cost you? 10 Feb 2009, 14:50
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I'm gonna guess ~$3000.

MGMAT course + GMAT fee = $1000
5 app fees = $1000
trip to Duke = $400
trip to Ross/Cornell = $500
trip to Tuck = $100
books = $100
gifts for recommenders = $200

If I end up getting an interview at Wharton, add another $400 or so.

Thanks for making me add it up!! :ouch

RF
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Rubashov1
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How much $$$ did/will this application season cost you? 10 Feb 2009, 14:56
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A little under $2000.
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nink
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How much $$$ did/will this application season cost you? 10 Feb 2009, 15:07
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All expenses - approx

1) MGMAT Prep 9 course: $1400
2) PowerScore 2 Bibles: $70
3) GMAT Exam: $250
4) Application Fees to 6 schools: $1200
5) Airplane Tkts/Hotel/Food for Interviews and Visits: $1750
6) Gifts for Recommenders: $100 each to 8 ppl = $800
7) NYC GClub Meeting: $40

Total: $5,510
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isa
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How much $$$ did/will this application season cost you? 10 Feb 2009, 15:51
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approximate:

veritas online course + books + GMAT fee = $1200
8 app fees = $1600
trip to Duke = $230
trip to Wharton = $20
trip to Tuck/MIT/HBS = $200
misc books = $100
gifts for recommenders = $200
trip to Chicago = $100

I also used hotel points/friends' couches for overnight stays and airline miles.

Total = $3650

:|
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How much $$$ did/will this application season cost you? 10 Feb 2009, 17:25
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Here is my best guess...

kaplan course (awful btw) - $1400
books - $300
application fees - $1215
duke visit - $350
chicago/kellogg visit - $550
recommender gifts - $300
gmat fee (twice) - $500

$4615 (sigh)
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Jerz
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How much $$$ did/will this application season cost you? 10 Feb 2009, 17:34
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I used plenty of hotel/airline points to save on expenses during my trips to schools. In total I'm at about $3500:

GMAT & Prep: $350 (I didn't use a course)
5 application fees: $1250
Trip to Kellogg (interview): $500
Trip to Booth (interview): $100
Trip to Duke (interview): $500
Trip to Kellogg (DAK): $560
Gifts for recommenders: $300
Two years at bschool: Priceless
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refurb
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How much $$$ did/will this application season cost you? 10 Feb 2009, 19:34
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isa

trip to Wharton = $20
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How'd you do that? That's less than the cost of a cab ride!

RF
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isa
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How much $$$ did/will this application season cost you? 10 Feb 2009, 19:44
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isa

trip to Wharton = $20

How'd you do that? That's less than the cost of a cab ride!

RF
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actually that's how much the cab ride from Wharton to the airport cost me!

I flew there using an airline voucher (getting stranded overnight in DTW meant they gave me a free ticket). Spent the night at my friend's place, he/his friends gave me a ride to campus the next day. Got free lunch from the HCM program peeps. Snuck into a presentation (with friend and his friends) from some company that had free coffee/snacks late-afternoon. fun!
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refurb
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How much $$$ did/will this application season cost you? 10 Feb 2009, 20:01
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isa

actually that's how much the cab ride from Wharton to the airport cost me!

I flew there using an airline voucher (getting stranded overnight in DTW meant they gave me a free ticket). Spent the night at my friend's place, he/his friends gave me a ride to campus the next day. Got free lunch from the HCM program peeps. Snuck into a presentation (with friend and his friends) from some company that had free coffee/snacks late-afternoon. fun!
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Shame on you! :wink:

RF
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abhyudaya
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How much $$$ did/will this application season cost you? Updated on: 12 Feb 2009, 09:05
Originally posted by abhyudaya on 11 Feb 2009, 07:19.
Last edited by abhyudaya on 12 Feb 2009, 09:05, edited 2 times in total.
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For me it was

GMAT & Prep: $250 (Relied on free information available online)
3 application fees: $620

Duke interview: $5
Darden interview (didn't go): $0
Kellogg interview: $5 (off-campus, yet to happen)
Gifts for recommmenders = $ 100

Total = $ 980
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Skitalets
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How much $$$ did/will this application season cost you? 11 Feb 2009, 10:02
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For me:

App fees (incl. Lauder language exam): about $1000
GMAT and prep: $300
Tuck visit: $700 (with wife, rented car)
Wharton visit: $250
Duke visit: maybe $5 :-)
Gifts for recommenders: $25
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mindruna
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How much $$$ did/will this application season cost you? 11 Feb 2009, 10:13
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Gmat Test and Prep Books $300
Application Fees $925
Chicago Interview $350
Yale Interview $50
Kellogg Interview $250
Recommender Gifts $100
Admit Weekends $500

Total $2475
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domtri33
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How much $$$ did/will this application season cost you? 11 Feb 2009, 10:37
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Since I started this poll, I guess it's only fair if I contribute too.

GMAT Prep $1350
GMAT Fee $250
Kellogg App Fee $230
Darden App Fee Waived $0
Kellogg MMM Day/Interview $650
Darden Interview $20 (gas)
Kellogg DAK w/wife $750

Total $3250

May be a bit late for this year, but I think a sticky with tricks, tips, etc for cost saving during application season would be a great idea.
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GoBruin
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How much $$$ did/will this application season cost you? 11 Feb 2009, 11:30
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isa
refurb
isa

trip to Wharton = $20

How'd you do that? That's less than the cost of a cab ride!

RF

actually that's how much the cab ride from Wharton to the airport cost me!

I flew there using an airline voucher (getting stranded overnight in DTW meant they gave me a free ticket). Spent the night at my friend's place, he/his friends gave me a ride to campus the next day. Got free lunch from the HCM program peeps. Snuck into a presentation (with friend and his friends) from some company that had free coffee/snacks late-afternoon. fun!
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Wow, I know you said you were cheap... but man are you cheap.
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nink
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How much $$$ did/will this application season cost you? 11 Feb 2009, 11:35
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GoBruins

Wow, I know you said you were cheap... but man are you cheap.
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Look who's talking. You are riding a plastic pony to save money on gas....
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cereal255
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How much $$$ did/will this application season cost you? 11 Feb 2009, 11:41
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I was able to go fairly cheap this season since I'm staying in the same general region where I live.

GMAT 250.00
Prep Books 100.00
Tuck Visit 300.00
Cornell Visit x 2 80.00
Simon Visit 20.00
App Fees 420.00

Overall Cost 1,170.00

Not too bad at all, though I wish I wouldn't have blown so much money on Tuck given my results. Ah well, it was still a fun weekend.
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bostonsparky
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How much $$$ did/will this application season cost you? 11 Feb 2009, 11:47
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Time to weigh in since my title as group cheapskate appears to be threatened here.

My big thing for saving cost would be to buy/obtain used GMAT prep software from someone else. Lord knows there's been plenty of people who've already taken it. And it won't be scribbled on like a book.

I got a Kaplan prep CD from a friend (who only paid something like $20 for it in the first place) which had a diagnostic test and 4 real ones, plus 5 or 6 problem sets for each type of question (reading comp, arithmetic, geometry etc). I also found a bunch of free tests online, one was at like https://www.crack-gmat.com or something like that, and of course the 2 free official tests you get from mba.com.

So for me:
GMAT prep: $0
GMAT exam: $250
Additional Score Reports(3): $75
Official Transcripts(3): $15
RT Bus to MBA fair(duke/haas/wharton/ross/stern were all there): $40
Haas/Wharton/Columbia/Duke apps (fee waived due to being a PCV): $0
Kellogg app fee: $230
Sloan app fee: $230
Recommender gifts(2 $15 gift certs to Amazon): $30
Buses/taxis to meet up with Wharton/Columbia/Kellogg interviewers in my city: $10
Skype costs for my phone interview with Duke: $1.20

Total cost: $881.20 US (but considering my results so far, perhaps a campus visit could have really helped)

*disclaimer: With the current exchange rate that's more than my monthly salary here!
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nink
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How much $$$ did/will this application season cost you? 11 Feb 2009, 11:54
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bostonsparky

Recommender gifts(2 $15 gift certs to Amazon): $30
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You did that many apps and you only spent that much on recommender gifts????
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bostonsparky
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How much $$$ did/will this application season cost you? 11 Feb 2009, 12:05
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ninkorn
bostonsparky

Recommender gifts(2 $15 gift certs to Amazon): $30

You did that many apps and you only spent that much on recommender gifts????
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Both largely used the same recommendation for all 6(I told them I didn't mind as long as it was tailored to answer all of the school's individual questions). And considering I am an aid volunteer in latin america, $15 can probably buy for someone here what $50 would buy in NYC.
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