<p>
</p>
<p>Checking cost can eliminate pointless applications. For example if a school’s net price calculator* produces an unaffordable net price, and the school does not have any large enough merit scholarships that the student may be able to get, it is not worth applying to that school.</p>
<p>Note that if the student needs the merit scholarship to make it affordable, the reach/match/safety assessment must be made on the chance of getting the merit scholarship, not merely admission.</p>
<p>*Use the school’s net price calculator rather than assuming that a given school is affordable or unaffordable.</p>