How Much Does Applying to Medical School Cost? (My Actual Expenses)

The MCAT, practice exams, review books, question packs, the primary application, secondary apps, Casper, MSAR, transcripts, AAMC PREview…these are some of the things you have to look forward to spending money on when you decide to become a doctor. Oh, and this is just to apply! You might have guessed that applying to med school is expensive, but how much does it actually cost?  

When I was filling out applications, I felt like I was putting my card information into some school or company’s website almost daily. I’m honestly surprised I didn’t have all 16 digits memorized by the end of it. But I never actually kept track of how much I was spending because, if I wanted a school to consider my application, there was no other option than to pay their fees.

These are actual costs I incurred to prepare a complete application listed in the order in which you can expect them to come up during your med school journey. There are ways to make the process less expensive, but you don’t want to make too many sacrifices that might end up jeopardizing your competitiveness and require you to spend even more money reapplying. Now let’s look at how much it actually costs to apply to med school.

The MCAT

The MCAT is one of the most important components of your application, and you’ll need your score before schools will consider you for interviews. I paid $320 to reserve my test date in 2021. Updated scheduling fees can be found here.  

You’ll want to get a set of books from either Kaplan or Princeton Review for content review. These usually run between $150-250 depending on where you buy them, but I was able to get a used set from Princeton Review for around $60 on eBay. Just make sure you get the latest edition and that they don’t have a bunch of markings from the last person who used them if you opt for this route.   

You’ll also want to gauge how prepared you are for the MCAT by taking full-length practice exams. I used the free practice exam from AAMC in addition to the free practice tests that came with the Princeton Review books. AAMC also offers paid practice exams if you need more trial runs.

Total spent on the MCAT:

Registration fee: $320

Books: $60

Practice Exams: $0

Total: $380

AAMC Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR)

I thought it was ridiculous when I first found out that I would have to pay just to see a list of schools along with their average GPAs and MCAT scores (and still do). My plan was to stick it to the man and research all the schools I thought I was interested in applying to but realized this was a daunting task when I sat down to actually do it. There are free resources out there that compile a lot of the same data that’s included in MSAR, but you run the risk of using inaccurate metrics and still having to sift through multiple websites. I’ll give credit where credit’s due—the information in MSAR is essential in making an informed decision about where to apply. So against my pre-med will, I paid the $27 for a one-year subscription. You can see the latest price increase here.  

Total spent to research med schools: $27 (MSAR)

AMCAS & TMDSAS Primary Applications

The primary application is the general app sent to all the schools you choose to apply to. It includes your grades, MCAT score, demographics, personal statement, extracurricular experiences, and a few other things. Most schools use AMCAS, and you’ll only use TMDSAS if you apply to Texas schools.

AMCAS charged $175 for the first school and $40 for each additional school when I applied in 2022 for the 2023 admissions cycle. Current AMCAS fees can be found here. TMDSAS on the other hand charges a flat $200 fee to send your application to any number of schools within their system. See current TMDSAS fees here. You’ll also have to submit official transcripts from each college you attended, which are usually $10 each.

Total spent on primary applications:

AMCAS:         $944

TMDSAS:       $200

Transcripts:   $20     

Total:             $1,164

Secondary Applications

Secondary applications are school specific and usually ask you to upload additional files and answer a few essay questions. Reading that last sentence back almost makes them sound comically easy, but don’t be fooled. Schools used to screen each application for certain metrics before sending out a secondary, but now most schools send secondaries to anyone who submits a primary app. These ranged from $50-130 each, with most being around $100.

Total spent on secondary apps: $1,678.25

AAMC PREview & Acuity Insights Assessments (Formerly Altus Suite/Casper)

The AAMC PREview and Acuity Insights Assessments (better known as Casper) are situational judgment and professionalism exams that test things like social intelligence, ethics, empathy, collaboration, and problem solving. These assessments are supposed to allow schools to assess your soft skills which otherwise wouldn’t come across through the primary and secondary applications. Most schools don’t require these tests, but most recommend or at least accept them (pro tip: you should take anything that’s listed as “optional” or “recommended” by a med school as being required!). Since some schools require these, you might as well take them. Especially if it’s an additional metric that can help you stand out.

Altus Suite charged a base fee of $85 plus $15 for each school if you wanted to send your score to more than eight schools. Current fees can be found here. AAMC PREview was $100 (updated cost here).

Total spent on situational judgment tests:

Altus Suite:            $130

AAMC PREview:     $100

Total:                    $230

How Much I Spent Applying to Medical School

In total, I spent $3,479.25 to apply during the 2023 application cycle. My interviews were virtual, but if yours will be in person, you can also expect to add the cost of airfare/gas, professional and business casual attire, accommodations, Ubers, and take out. AAMC also offers a Fee Assistance Program for those who are eligible.

Although nearly $3,500 is an exorbitant number overall, this is about how much you can expect to spend for one application cycle if you plan to cast a wide net by applying to multiple schools, excluding interview costs. Most importantly, I made the best financial decisions I could with the information I had at the time on top of being the first person in my family to pursue a career in medicine. When the numbers feel overwhelming, keep in mind that this is an investment in yourself! Remember that YOU are the asset, and people will pay a lot of money for your expertise in the future. It’s all worth it when you get that acceptance letter!

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