In this post I wanted to share with you several ways to possibly minimize your costs when it comes to the entirety of applying to medical school. After taking the MCAT threes times, going through two AMCAS application cycles, and six medical school interview invites, my costs added up to a grand total of about $10,000. This is INSANE. Here’s what I learned along the way.

TIP 1 – Reduce your MCAT costs

When it comes to the MCAT you have one fixed expense that will never change, the cost of signing up for the exam which is $320. Every other expense surrounding your MCAT, you have influence over. You mainly have to reflect on study materials and books, as well as any prep courses or tutoring.

So, when it comes to study materials, try to buy them used at a much lower price. Go on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, your university groups, and check if anyone is selling their books. I was able to buy a full set of Princeton Review books for $80 instead of the usual $200. Then, when I had finished using the books, I sold them for $40 because I needed to get rid of them immediately before leaving the country. Don’t underestimate the power of second-hand materials!

A brief point to mention is the cost of taking a prep course. I believe there are enough free materials and information online that will allow you to build a study plan without a prep course or tutoring. Of course, not taking a prep course will minimize your costs by a lot because the course I took was well over $2000. Although I threw a lot of money in, it truly did help me, but I also had to work my butt off to be able to pay for it. So weigh out your pros and cons if you are considering a prep course. It’s a personal decision, you know yourself best.

TIP 2 – Choose your schools strategically

Remember that when you start your AMCAS application cycle you have to pay $160 to submit your primary application to one school plus $38 for each additional school. Then for secondary applications, you must also pay a submission fee determined by each school (typically ranges from $50 to $120). The main way to reduce your fees here is to choose your schools wisely.

It seems that nowadays most pre-meds will apply on average to 15 or more schools. For my first application cycle, I sent 19 primary apps and 15 secondaries. While for my second cycle I sent 12 primary apps and 10 secondaries. So the total cost of applications for cycle 1 was $2,344 and for cycle 2 it was $1,578. Just by reducing my schools by 7, I was able to minimize my cost by about $800.

Of course, it is ideal to apply to more schools in order to have a higher chance of getting accepted, but if you do not have the budget to do that, you must do your research and target schools that give you the best chance to be a successful applicant.

If I had to pick only 10 schools to apply to, there would be two main things I would consider. The first would be the rate of acceptance for in-state versus out-of-state students. I’m from Missouri, and let’s say I want to apply to the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico. If we do some quick research on their website, we can find statistics about their previous matriculating classes.

After knowing this information, I probably would not apply to this school because based on past years, the likelihood of being accepted as an out-of-state student is pretty low. So, always check this. Schools in Texas, for example, are known for their preference for in-state students.

The second way to pick your schools strategically is to make sure you fall within their GPA and MCAT requirements. You can use the MSAR online database to look up requirements for every school or you can target each school by their website. Try to apply to a range of schools, some that have criteria below your stats, some that fall within your stats, and a few that are above your stats. Of course, the safest bet is to only apply to schools where you meet their GPA and MCAT requirements.

You can see I applied to 12 schools and I noted the average MCAT score of their accepted students and then compared to my MCAT of 513. So I applied to 5 below my score, 4 on target with my score, and 3 above my score. I didn’t receive an interview invite for the three schools that were above my score. I received two interviews from schools below my score, and one interview that was right on target with my score that turned into acceptance.

Tip 3 – Reduce interview costs

When it comes to interviews you need to consider several costs and how you can minimize them. This will include transportation, housing, food, attire, and some other miscellaneous costs.

When it comes to transportation, if you can drive several hours to your interview instead of flying, that will definitely spare you some cash. If you ultimately need to fly, try doing your research on airline mileage programs or credit cards with travel benefits. I really wish I had started research on that way before my interview season. If you live on the East Coast but have several interviews on the West Coast (or vice versa), try to reach out to each school and coordinate so that you can do the interviews back to back and only fly once across the country.

When it comes to housing, I am not a fan of hotels because they are expensive. I typically go with Airbnb because they are cheaper and also have a kitchen, so that allows me to save more money by preparing my own meals rather than eating out. If you need an even cheaper option, then go for a private bedroom Airbnb rather than an entire apartment for yourself. Finally, some medical schools have programs where current med students will offer their housing to you for free. Definitely try to get in contact with current students and don’t be afraid to ask for help. The worst they can say is no.

The final thing we should consider is attire. If you already own a suit or professional attire, then, by all means, use that and don’t buy something brand new. If you don’t have the proper clothing yet, think of this as a future investment. You might end up spending $200-$300 on a suit or dress plus shoes and accessories, but you will use this in the future as a medical student, resident, and physician. So this is a worthy investment in my opinion.

But if you do want to save some cash here, then don’t be afraid to check second-hand or thrift stores. Sometimes, during holidays high-quality brands like H&M or Zara will have huge sales, so think about your attire in advance and you can get amazing deals! After Thanksgiving, I was able to get two full suit sets on sale from Zara for less than $200.

TIP 4 – Learn about the AAMC Fee Assistance Program

Before you even start thinking about taking the MCAT or starting an AMCAS application cycle, you must definitely learn about the AAMC Fee Assistance Program. This program assists those who, without financial assistance, would be unable to take the MCAT, apply to medical schools that use the AMCAS, and more.

There is a short application that takes into account your citizenship, your parental information, and your financial information. Don’t rule yourself out until you look into the details of eligibility and criteria. If you qualify for the program you will receive quite a few benefits!

• Access to The MCAT Official Prep products ($268.80 value)
• The MCAT fee will be reduced from $320 to $130
• Access to Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) online database ($36 value)
• Waiver for all AMCAS fees for one application submission with up to 20 medical school designations ($970 value)

**Additional note: Most medical schools will also waive your secondary application fee as well.

And just like that, you could manage to save around at minimum $1,500, which could be equivalent to working full-time for an entire month at a minimum wage job. We know this month could be much better spent on studying for the MCAT.

Tip 5 – Scout out pre-med scholarships

The last thing I will leave you with is scholarships. It is often hard to find pre-med scholarships or medical school scholarships but let me tell you. They are out there. You just have to go looking for them and find them.

First, start at your university. Reach out to the pre-med office, your pre-med advisor, or your pre-health club. Ask anyone and everyone if they know of scholarship opportunities for pre-med students. My university offered a pre-health club scholarship of about $500. That can cover your MCAT costs on its own.

If you have tried at your university level, then move on to the national level. Search online for any opportunities that you can find. Sometimes organizations will have specific scholarships for minorities, first-generation college students, or those interested in a specific field of medicine. Again, these scholarships exist, but you have to be willing to put in the work to find them and apply to them.

Here I leave you with two opportunities to keep in mind for the future. The Medical School Headquarters Premed Scholarship aims to support students who may lack funds. They hold an essay contest (5000 characters maximum) twice a year that is similar to secondary essay prompts that you may see in medical school applications. Who can apply? You need to be on your way to medical school, either in undergrad, a post-bac, on your way to more classes or applying to medical school.

The Med School Insiders Premed & Medical Student Scholarship aims to help those in financial need to have an equal opportunity. This annual scholarship will be awarding $1,000 to premedical and medical students who demonstrate financial need. The application includes an essay (500-word maximum), FAFSA report, and a short application form.

Final Thoughts

You can definitely reduce the costs of applying to medical school by educating yourself and being proactive. Learn about all the possibilities ahead of time and plan for them. You can start to predict your costs now so when the time comes you aren’t surprised by anything. If you want to start now, feel free to download my budget template and get ahead of the game!