Fork Over $100 (at least!)

It is February 14 (Happy Valentine's Day!) and that means we are just about halfway through the three month waiting period between applying to college (deadline January 1) and the most common notification date (April 1). While some colleges have earlier notification dates and some students' plans for next year are beginning to take shape, many students are still anxiously awaiting April 1. After going through the college application process, a process which took about three months for me (October-December), I have had time to reflect back on the process. While reflecting, I realized just how much my process had been affected by my class and ecoomic status.

For those of you who haven't applied to college yet or had children who have applied to college, the high cost of just applying in itself will shock you. Fees quickly add up, from the cost of sending a transcript (about $5- Docufide transcript service) to sending ACT or SAT scores (either $10 or $30 dependent on the date which you send them- read more about the ACT here) to the actual application fees themself (about $50, but can even reach $90 for Stanford). The cost of applying to college alone can frighten students (and parents off) from applying to college, which puts the students at a disadvantage. Some students qualify for waivers, but the students who are at the in-between, the class of students who don't qualify for the waiver but who can't afford to apply to colleges they want to, suffer. The students who can pay to apply (and attend) for higher education receive the diplomas, and can then pay for their kids when it is their turn to apply (and attend) college. It's the beginning of a vicious cycle of the rich get richer and smarter.

Another component of this cycle is the AP tests. Students who complete Advanced Placement classes (read about Advanced Placement tests here through the College Board), or feel prepared to sit for an Advanced Placement test on a certain subject, can take about a 2.5 hour test and if they receive a score their intended university recognizes (usually a 4 or a 5), they have the opportunity to earn credits towards their college graduation requirements, thus getting college credit without paying for that class or making room in their schedule to ensure graduating in 8 semesters. The catch, however, is each AP test is about $87 (again, waivers are offered if a student qualifies). Therefore, students who can afford the tests will take them and earn credits, thus saving money, but students who can't afford them or don't qualify for waivers will have to pay full price at college. Thus, the cycle continues.

Finally, the last aspect of this cycle is the private college counselor. This is the most extreme aspect, but definitely still present. A college counselor is only for the richest of classes, with some counselors charging $40,000/year of counseling, enough for a whole year of tuition and fees at some schools! Counselors assist students with essay writing, resumes, applications, interview prep and making the final decision (read a great article about it here). However, who can really afford this kind of prep? Are the students who do everything themselves, have their parents read their essays, and go into interviews based on their own knowledge at a disadvantage? The wealthiest of wealthy are the ones receiving all the preparation, guidance and assistance, and can therefore help their children receive all that as well when it comes to be that time. What do you think about this cycle? Are students at different, unfair advantages with one another?