<p>I just learned that my D's school (small international school in UK) will charge £50 ($100) per college application starting next year, if you are applying to more than 5 schools. I guess I'm a little annoyed, since we are already paying astronomical fees in tuition! But maybe it's a common practice in US as well? I also feel this is directed specifically at kids applying to schools outside UK, because under UCAS you can apply to max. 5 universities, so the school is kind of saying, ok, we'll do the work for up to 5 applications, but after that, you need to pay up. Does anyone else have similar setup?</p>
<p>I can't wait to hear the answers. I'm assuming everyone will say no, but I've thought of that myself. Five seems like a low threshold, but any number greater than 10 might be a good starting point. I'm thinking the money could go toward the GC budget!</p>
<p>Absolutely not! But we are a private HS in NYC. Still, I have friends in the public school system, and while they are limited to the number of applications they are allowed to send, I really can't imagine that students have to pay for them. After all, applying to college is one reason why students go to school in the first place! And for private schools, which the OP indicates is her D's school, it may be the main reason we choose to send our kids and grit our teeth to pay the tuition. We expect the schools to help our kids get into the right colleges for them. ~$100 per application seems pretty outrageous.</p>
<p>ouch. Our school charges a fee (can't remember exactly how much, maybe $5?) for sending out transcripts, after about the first 3, I think.... However, last year, D needed a couple more transcripts sent last year for special scholarship applications after the college apps, and her GC handled it (free). In general, the office has a "process" of a form to be filled out, money to be attached (along with stamped, addressed envelope), but that's it. I didn't mind....there were probably 450ish seniors last year applying for colleges.
Now, if it was $100, that would hurt, and I'd be quite annoyed. Maybe if more schools did that in the U.S., there would be fewer students applying to 10-20 schools!!!</p>
<p>My d's school charged something like $2 per application. That included the transcript, the School Report, the school profile, the midyear report. We supplied the addressed envelopes; the school provided the postage. </p>
<p>I don't have a problem with the school recouping copying and postage costs. And I believe there was a waiver, probably for the same kids who get reduced or free lunches. Public schools have to stretch every penny, and small fees like this are a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of things. </p>
<p>Now if it were $100, well, that's a different story . . .</p>
<p>No charge at our school. We offered to do stamps and envelope for GC, but she said since they put the transcript in a folder they use their own envelopes. Easier for them. No limit on the number of applications they'll send out - at least not yet!</p>
<p>No charge and no limit at our public HS. We did provide stamped addressed envelopes for the teacher recs. I wouldn't have had a problem if the'd have charged a small fee above a certain # of apps, but $100 is harsh.</p>
<p>Our daughter attended a private high school. The first 8 applications were free. After that, there was an $8 per application charge. I will add that the guidance office handled all the paperwork, unless the application was made online. They collected and mailed the paper applications, essays, teacher recommendations, profiles, resumes, etc. They put it all into 1 big envelope, mailed it, and paid all the postage. They had a checklist for each student's application and everything and everybody checked off on it, from the student to the secretary who mailed it. Their turnaround was 48 hours from when the student handed them the checklist.
I would be a tad upset if I was asked to pay $100 per application if I was also paying tuition.</p>
<p>No charge, but they wouldn't collect much if they instituted that system. My wild guess is that no more than 20-30 students (out of 550 or so) apply to more than five colleges, and last year in my son's class only 4-5 applied to as many as 10, which was about the maximum. Those students tend to be clustered near the top of the class, and the school generally tries to support them. I would bet, though, that even if you looked at the top 10% of the class, academically, the average number of applications would be well below five. Only about half of the supercompetitive kids applied to more than two colleges.</p>
<p>S' small high school charges $5 per application but pretty much covers the priority mail postage.</p>
<p>Our public HS charges $2 per transcript, and gives them to us in sealed envelopes, for us to mail.</p>
<p>$100 is awful. I think 5 colleges is only "average" - and that some kids, in some situations (eg requiring financial aid) need a broader base than that.</p>
<p>We just have to pay for postage at our public HS.</p>
<p>$2 for transcripts (past the first two) and the student provides stamped envelopes. Otherwise no limit on applications (although not many students apply to schools requiring GC reports--we're in CA, where the state schools don't require School Reports and teachers' recommendations).</p>
<p>Our only charge is a small fee for on-line transcripts.</p>
<p>No charge at independent high school S's attend. With the tuition we pay, there's be a near riot at being charged $100 for applications in excess of 5. Really seems quite harsh.</p>
<p>Wow. We're only charged $3 per transcript, and our first 4 are free. Charging so much is insane!</p>
<p>No charge. Counselor is a gem. Unofficial transcript is free, she just prints it. However, official transcript goes through docufile which charges $5.</p>
<p>Public magnet child had first 4 transcripts free, then $3 each, no limit, if I remember correctly, and we provided stamped envelopes for recs.</p>
<p>Private HS children was $4, then $6 (four years later); no limit, no freebies, recs included in packet, school provided postage. School wanted all RD apps in by Thanksgiving!</p>
<p>At my HS, there was a fee of $5 to send transcripts. I believe you got the first for free. </p>
<p>Other than that, the only expense was for stamps/envelopes/paper/thank you notes for the teacher recs.</p>
<p>no charge at public HS in city.
we just supplied envelopes and postage.</p>
<p>and this was for nearly 600 kids virtually all of which went on to college (magnet school)</p>
<p>I guess in a city where 40% of students that start 9th grade don't graduate, they are all too happy to deal with college applications.</p>