Applying to a PhD (Part 2 — Costs)

Applying to US programmes for Indian students

Note: My post here is largely meant for Indians who are considering applying to social sciences or interdisciplinary PhDs in the United States (with some relevance for Canada). Other aspirants may also find this post useful, but please be aware that I’ve written this post with the above audience in mind.

Please also note that this is based on my experience with the Application Process. I applied mostly to Planning, Public Policy, and Urban Studies PhD programmes. Other people may have had different experiences. Speak to a wide number of applicants to get different perspectives.

Disclaimer — I am not a professional financial advisor. Therefore, do not assume this post to be professional financial or investment advice. This is just learning from personal experience.

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AI Art, made using Dall-E. Prompt: “Black silhouette of a university student in front of a screen depicting costs of tuition, with the white silhouette of the university campus against a blue sky behind them.”

This is the second of my three posts about applying to a PhD. This post is largely about costs. Please note that these are the costs involved in applying to a US PhD, not the cost of the PhD programme itself.

I’ve listed the major costs of applying below. Please note that while some of them are needed only after admission, it’s best to begin planning for them around the same time you begin your application. Some of them can take months to arrange.

(My) major costs during the Application Process were:

1. Application Fees
2. GRE and TOEFL Costs
3. Transcript Costs
4. I-20 Costs (after admission, but prepare for this at least 6–7 months before admission results come in)
5. US Visa and SEVIS Fees (after admission)
6. Deposits (after admission, but prepare for this beforehand)
7. Flight Tickets (after admission)

I’ve written about each of these costs in more detail below.

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APPLICATION FEES

I’ve already mentioned these in my previous post, so I won’t talk too much about them here. However, keep in mind that application fees will probably be one of the largest components of your expenses. Each application will cost between $80 to $120, so the more universities you apply to, the higher your expenses will be.

That being said, I wouldn’t recommend applying to too few universities, unless your finances don’t give you any other choice (this is a strictly personal opinion — others may disagree with me, please ask around). As I mentioned in my previous post, rejection rates for PhD programmes are very high. If you’re making the effort to apply to 2–3 universities, you may as well apply to 6–7 instead, and increase your probabilities of acceptance. Your application costs will be high either way, but by applying to 6–7, your chances of getting in will be higher as well.

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GRE AND TOEFL COSTS

Let me get something out of the way. Since the pandemic, many US universities and departments have dropped the GRE requirement for PhD applicants. I don’t know if GRE will come back as a requirement in the future, but for now, most applications are GRE-free.

My (strictly personal) opinion is that if the majority of the universities in your list do not require the GRE, then do not write the GRE. Just drop the universities which do require them. There’s no value in spending Rs. 30,000 to write an exam that will only be required by 1–2 universities in your list (assuming you’re applying to 6–7 places).

I took the GRE and I consider it a mistake. There was one university (one of my top choices) which required the GRE. Since it was a top choice, I registered for the exam, spent three months preparing for it, got my scores, gave the application my best…and got rejected anyway. For a single university, this was a waste of Rs. 30,000, a sum I had spent almost a year saving up for. Maybe the GRE may come into use later on (some people say GRE scores help with scholarships, but I’m not sure about this). As of now, I consider it money ill-spent.

On the other hand, TOEFL may seem unnecessary, but if you’re applying to 6–7 places, it’s likely that they will all require you to have TOEFL scores. In my opinion, paying the money, writing TOEFL, and submitting your scores is a lot easier than writing to 6–7 different places, showing proofs that you’ve studied in English-speaking institutions, and asking each department for a TOEFL waiver (one of my best friends will disagree with this, but still :D). If you’ve studied in a good English-medium school or college in India, TOEFL doesn’t require more than a week of preparation, so it’s relatively effortless.

TOEFL is still expensive though, about Rs. 17,000. If you can’t afford it, you may still need to write and ask for waivers. Keep in mind that GRE and TOEFL are both run by the same organisation (Education Testing Service or ETS). They often give you discounts if you apply for both together. I got to write TOEFL for free because I paid for GRE (still, I don’t think the GRE was worth it).

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TRANSCRIPT COSTS

Note: Most US universities will not require you to submit official transcripts until you’ve been accepted into their programme. You can submit “unofficial transcripts” during your application and submit official ones after admission. What this means is that during the application process, they’re usually willing to accept a scan or PDF of your actual transcript, as long as it carries official letterheads, signatures, contact details, and seals. Check with the US university about this.

Nevertheless, for me, sending my official transcripts to the US was, without any debate, the worst part of my application experience. A big reason for this is that there was very little information available on what to do. So I made quite a few mistakes along the way before I set things right.

However, I should add that how bad or how good the transcripts experience can be, depends entirely on your US and Indian universities, the systems they have in place, and what information is available. I know friends who also got into PhDs, who had no issues with transcripts at all. So check up with your US and Indian universities in advance, and find out about processes for sending transcripts across. It may save you a lot of trouble later on.

Cost-wise, I had five headings to consider:

1. The cost of getting transcripts issued from my undergraduate college.
2. The cost of getting transcripts issued from my post-graduate institution.
3. The cost of getting (1) and (2) signed by the Registrar of my University and sent to the US.
4. The cost of getting my signed transcripts verified by an authorised US intermediary (more on this below).
5. The cost of co-ordinating, logistics, travel, and stay while this was going on.

US universities have very specific requirements on how your transcripts should be sent to them. A general principle is that you, the applicant, cannot handle the final transcripts that go to the US. These must be sent to the US directly from the Registrar’s offices of the Indian universities you’ve studied under. This means you will have to follow whatever process your Indian university has for getting transcripts sent from the Registrar’s office. And please note, this is almost always the Registrar, not the Principal of your college, nor a Professor in your Indian university.

Some US universities have tighter requirements. Even after transcripts are sent out from the Registrar’s office, they may not accept transcripts directly. Instead, they may require an authorised private agency (like World Education Services) to verify that your Indian university is authentic, and that the documents your Registrar has sent out are genuine. Sometimes, you’ll have to pay for the costs of this verification as well. In some other circumstances, they may require the scores from your transcripts converted into equivalent US grades or GPAs. The authorised intermediary may do this as well, for a price.

Finally, if you’re like me, your Indian university may be based in a different city from where you’re living currently, and you may be required to travel to your Indian university to get everything done. I made quite a few blunders here. I realise now that I need to have travelled only once. But since there was little clear information, I made two trips to Mumbai from Bengaluru, and nearly booked a third.

Nevertheless, there was a point when I was co-ordinating between five institutions (my undergrad college, my postgraduate institution, my Indian University’s Registrar’s Office, the US intermediary, and my US university) across three cities (Bengaluru, Mumbai, and New York) and two countries (India and the US). It was maddening and expensive.

To be clear, everyone at these five institutions was helpful. There were no fights or arguments or unnecessary drama— it was only the process of co-ordination and the lack of clarity that was frustrating. So please make sure you are aware of the processes involved in sending your transcripts to the US before you begin spending on this.

For me, (4) and (5) above were the most expensive parts of the process, costing several thousand rupees. (1), (2) and (3) were reasonably okay cost-wise, though many of logistical costs in (5) came from lack of information about these three.

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I-20 COSTS (PROOFS OF FINANCIAL CAPACITY)

I-20 costs aren’t really direct costs, but they still require you to have a significant amount of money with you at the right time. So it’s necessary to plan for them well in advance, preferably around September/October the previous year (if not earlier).

What is I-20? A visa grants you entry into the United States, but what allows you to stay and study there is something called an I-20 form. It will carry your details and specify how long you’ve been admitted for.

This part is really important. Your I-20 form will be issued by your University’s Designated Student Officer or DSO (usually an authorised official at your University’s International Students’ Office). However, before the DSO grants you an I-20, they will usually ask you for proof that you can afford to stay in the US for the duration of the programme.

This means that at the time of accepting your offer, you will need to have proof of enough money to afford paying for the programme and staying in the US. This includes proof of scholarships, verified commitments from your sponsors (like your relatives), and of course, money you’ve saved in your bank account.

Income Tax statements or statements of stocks and mutual funds are not considered proof. What usually work are savings accounts or Fixed Deposit statements in your name (or your verified sponsor’s name), and official letters from scholarship-granting authorities. Note — if you’re submitting Fixed Deposits as proof, make sure the FDs are maturing before the start of your academic year.

Your I-20 can take up to a month or more to be issued, so make sure you submit your proofs and other requirements as soon as you accept the offer. Keep these ready and available by March-end. Make sure that your bank statements do not have large sums of money moving out within the last year. Your DSO needs proof that you’re financially stable and capable of affording the programme.

You cannot apply for a US Student Visa until your DSO sends you your I-20.

On a side note, do remember that your I-20 is as important as your US Visa, if not more so. You will be required to carry it with you when you board your flight, and you will be asked to submit it whenever you deal with any bureaucracies in the US.

The I-20 also has an expiry date — if your I-20 expires, a countdown for you to leave the country will begin. If your I-20 expires when you’re back home in India, you won’t be allowed back into the US, even if your visa is still valid.

WHAT THIS MEANS PRACTICALLY

For your I-20 application, keep aside proofs of enough funds for at least 14-18 months of living* in the United States, including the costs of paying for your programme. These do not entirely have to be your own savings, but it should be money formally dedicated to you (scholarships, funds by sponsors, etc.)

Note that “scholarships” include any scholarships that the University itself has offered you, so if you get a full tuition scholarship or a 75% scholarship from the University itself, then you don’t need too much in your bank account or sponsor’s funds.

You will need to have these proofs ready at the time of accepting your university’s offer. So begin planning for your proofs at least 6–7 months before, if not longer. Your university will usually require you to accept an admission offer in April. So start preparing your proofs no later than September or October the previous year.

*or however long your DSO requires you to show funds for. If you’re uncertain about the exact funds you need proof for, write to the International Student Offices of the universities you’re planning to apply to. Ask them how much funds are international students in your programme typically required to demonstrate proofs for, to obtain an I-20.

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VISA and SEVIS Fee

Once you get your I-20, you’ll need to apply for a US Visa (usually an F1 visa). There are three kinds of costs you’ll need to plan for here. Two of these are:

(1) The fee for the US Visa itself
(2) The SEVIS Fee

At the time of your Visa interview/document submission, you will need to have paid for both the Visa and for SEVIS and have proofs of the same.

The third cost may vary depending on where you live. Remember that US consulates operate in only five Indian cities at the moment — Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad. If you live outside these cities, you will need to plan for costs of travel and accommodation for your visa interview. You may also need to account for the costs of using an authorised intermediary like VFS Global.

WHAT THIS MEANS PRACTICALLY

Check the US Visa and SEVIS sites for fee payment processes and make sure you’re aware of how much they cost. Budget for this early, as soon as you send your acceptance to your university.

Keep track of train/bus/flight costs to the US Consulate you’re applying to, as well as hotel charges. Keep in mind that many students will be applying for US Visas in June-August, so everything from available interview slots to available hotel rooms will be booked up quickly in this period.

If you need to use intermediaries like VFS Global, make sure you’re aware of how much they charge, early on. I didn’t need to — I carried out the visa process on my own, but someone else might have a greater need.

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DEPOSITS

In addition to the costs above, you will also need to have money in hand to put down deposits to lock certain things in place. I had to pay two significant deposits:

1. A deposit to confirm my acceptance of my admission offer to my university, in April.
2. A deposit to pay for my hostel accommodation, in May. For other people, this may be a rental deposit at an apartment, for which you may have more time (depending on location)

You will be required to send these deposits between April and August.

These deposit requirements will vary from university to university. Some of them may not require these deposits or have other kinds of deposit requirements. But they are likely to be significant amounts. Overall, I suggest saving at least Rs. 80,000 for deposits, or a lakh if you can afford it.

The good thing about these deposits is that you get your money back (or they will get deducted from other expenses in the future). Nevertheless, you will need to have this much money at hand to make the deposit at the right time.

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FLIGHT TICKETS

Last, but not least, budget for your flight tickets. The earlier you book, the cheaper they will be. Some airlines also have special offers for student travellers if you can show them your Student ID or your Student Visa.

My advice is to book your flight tickets as soon as you get your US Visa. Some people book it even earlier, but there’s a risk of losing your money if your visa process is delayed and you have to cancel your flights. If you’re booking before your visa arrives, look for refundable tickets, not non-refundable ones.

Typically, most students fly out to the US in late August, as the academic year begins on 1 September. By early June, ticket prices for late August had started touching a lakh or more. So I would really suggest booking as early as you can.

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FINAL NOTE FOR PART 2

This may all sound intimidating. However, please understand that my objective here is not to discourage you from applying, but to ensure that your application process is as predictable and smooth as possible. Knowing about these costs beforehand and planning for them in advance matters a lot. If you still feel these costs are too much, then take some time and rethink whether you want to apply this year.

If you do choose to apply in 2023 (for Academic Year 2024), then now (September 2023) is the time to look at your finances and begin preparing for these costs (if you haven’t done so already). Don’t wait until you start submitting forms to begin thinking about these things.

Most importantly, remember that even after you choose to start your applications, there will be moments during the process you’ll be tempted to give up the process, because the costs seem so intimidating. At these moments: Stop, Take a Deep Breath, and Walk Away for a Few Minutes. Remind yourself that you’ve made these calculations before and that you found ways to make the money and accounting work.

Come back with a cooler head and look at those finances again. If you’re still feeling intimidated, talk to someone with more financial expertise than you. A lot of the process of dealing with costs is psychological. This doesn’t mean it’s unimportant. Quite the contrary. It’s important that you’re psychologically capable of dealing with money leaving your account (as I mentioned in Post 1). Don’t forget — if you get into a good programme, in the long run, you’ll make that money back. Until then, it’s a question of managing cash flows.

Note about AI Art: I sometimes use AI art in my blogposts, strictly for content I put out for free, where I wouldn’t have hired an artist anyway. I use free AI platforms, or free options, and share prompts/sources so that anyone else can create AI art. Whenever I have time, I draw instead. I do not support the use of AI art when it displaces human artists.