Grad applications expensive lt can cost a small fortune to apply for grad school

(CUP)

STUDENTS SAY THE HIGH application fees for graduate schools are prohibiting them from pursuing their education.

But the dean of the University of Toronto’s School of Graduate Studies says the fees are unavoidable.

“I've never heard that it’s had any

impact on astudent’s range of choice,”

said Jon Cohen.

Applying to graduate and professional faculties can cost between $15 and $100 for each application. Students say the fees can limit their educational options by prohibiting them from applying to more than a few schools each year.

Larry Innes, a graduate student in environmental studies at the University of Toronto, was working as a volunteer with Canadian Crossroads in Africa when he attempted to get into medical school.

| only applied to one medical school, which cost me $230. That kind of money was enough to live on for a month,” said Innes.

Arts and Science graduate programs charge, on average, between $15 and

$50 each. It costs even more to apply to professional programs. The standard

schools. Steven Wald, a graduate student in economics, chose to apply to four

fee for Masters of Business universities. Administration “| figured that if | rograms_ is : didn’t get in those $100 a pop. Here's what it would cost four a | wouldn't Almost every you: get in anywhere.” i ee i ee OM heh ie Ifa student Queens’ 35 unavoidable. were to apply to Toronto 50 “It’s used to defray every law school UBC 40 the cost of handling in Canada, it Calgary 45 the application. would _ cost Dalhousie 25 We've tried to cost it ng ee ee ee psychology Alberta 50 Cohen said students would cost Western 28 generally apply to only $838. Even Manitoba 40 four or five graduate astrophysics TOTAL $366 programs, so the (offered at only impact of the cost is

10 universities) would cost $420.

Universities rarely waive application fees, so students strapped for cash sometimes find their choices limited. Some students say this affected their decision to apply to only three or four

minimal. “Generally a student is not going to apply to a dozen graduate schools.” Cohen also said that, compared to the cost of grad school, upwards of $2,800 not including the cost of living, application costs were minimal.

“When you take it as a part of the cost of going to graduate school, | don’t think it really has any impact at all.”

These costs are in addition to the amount a student may pay to train for graduate and professional entrance exams, like the LSAT law application test, and the GMAT.

Preparatory courses for these exams can cost well over $200.

Mike Mayo, head of admissions at U of T’s school of business administration, did not strongly support the preparatory courses.

“Whether people should take the course really depends on how they personally can best enhance their performance,” he said.

How much could applying to graduate school put you back? Well, say you're

‘a fourth-year history student, who

wishes to apply to ten of the anglophone Canadian schools rated in McLean’s magazine’s large university category (schools with doctoral programs).

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[xpress february first 1994 page 5

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