Because the interview helps schools to differentiate between many outstanding applicants, it is crucial to the process. Since the interview is so important, most schools require students to travel to their campus.

Connie M. Ng '00 shelled out the same amount in the initial application process as McClelland but says the enormity of the expense did not occur to her until she began to make flight reservations to visit schools from Baltimore to St. Louis to Chicago.

Unlike application fees which students could avoid if eligible for fee waivers, no one can opt out of the costs of traveling to interviews.

Ng says she has become a pro at finding cheap airfares and enduring long bus rides.

She tries to buy her tickets at least 14 days in advance, but some schools did not give her that much time after notifying her that she got an interview.

Sometimes she had stay for two nights or stay into Saturday. And, of course she took buses whenever she could.

Ng says the strategies she uses to make travel plans can bring other costs. Being out of town several days every week means she misses classes and gets behind on school work.