Opinion: Senior year is a costly high school rite of passage

Editor’s Note: This article was written for Mosaic Vision, an independent journalism training program for high school students who report and photograph stories under the guidance of professional journalists.

For seniors, their final year in high school is the culmination of what they have been working toward for their entire lives. But many students may not realize the joys of graduation come with a steep price.

As a college-bound senior, I’ve learned that prices can leap by the hundreds of dollars — from entrance exams to graduation pictures to prom expenses. Here are the costs I confronted and how they skyrocketed.

One of the highest costs of being a senior is applying to college. I applied to nine schools, and it cost me $630.

Depending on which school you apply to, it could cost anywhere from $60 to $90 just to submit an application. This doesn’t even factor in what comes later — your deposit once you get accepted, tuition and housing.

There is an option for a fee waiver to apply for University of California and California State University schools, but applicants must meet certain income criteria. For example, UC San Diego’s website states that a typical three- to four-person household must make under $39,300 a year to qualify.

The application fee did not affect my decision on what schools to apply to. However, I can understand how this may affect someone’s decision, especially for schools that do not have application waivers or have costly application fees. For those considering out-of-state colleges, the Western Undergraduate Exchange offers students in certain western states in-state tuition at public schools in reciprocating states.

Many colleges favor students taking Advanced Placement tests. Each test costs $80. I took two tests for a total of $160. The testing fee is waived if your household qualifies for federally subsidized school lunches, a maximum of $36,075 annually for a family of four — a threshold too low for many applicants to meet.

Then what about those other graduation-related costs such as senior portraits, the eternal testament to our youth and passage into adulthood?

My photo session cost me $40. But it didn’t stop there.

I paid $376 more for two picture poses that gave me 40 wallets, four 5x7s, four 4x5s, one 8×10. In all, I paid a total of $416. Of course, this all depends on how many photos you want.

Seniors also must pay for the cap and gown that they are required to wear to walk the stage. The cap, gown, and tassel, along with a diploma and tassel holder all came to around $70.

Then there’s the senior prom. At Silver Creek High School, our prom tickets currently range from $125 to $150 with the price rising every couple of days. The ticket includes transportation, dinner, unlimited arcade games, and laser tag.

Count on digging deeper into your wallet for a prom dress, which can range from $100 to $1,000 at stores or online. Now add another couple of hundred dollars to get your hair, nails, shows, and overall glam done.

For those wearing a tuxedo, you can rent one for $80 to $150 or purchase one for $100 to $1,000.

If you’re buying a corsage and boutonniere, they would range from $50 to $80. I assume prom will cost me around $300.

So for college applications, tests, prom and end-of-the-year activities, I project spending around $1,600.

The mounting expenses of your senior year can be a shock for students and their families.
I recommend sitting down with your parents and having a realistic and honest discussion about college early on. Outline what to expect financially and what are the best options for you and your family. It can help focus your list of colleges to apply to and foresee how much financial aid you should apply for.

As someone who relies on the money that I make working after classes, I have many decisions about how much money to spend. If most of my money is going toward college, budgeting what I am spending here and now is important.

But working as a senior comes with costs of its own. The biggest one is missing out on fun activities and events because of your job. It is also a lot of added stress and a big time commitment. Though sometimes it feels exhausting to work while being in school, I think that it was the best decision for me and definitely eases the worry about money for college.

Of course, all of these costs can be lowered by applying to fewer colleges or not buying as many pictures, or cutting out certain expenses. Before you spend, understand your budget.

Abigail Cordobes is a senior at Silver Creek High School in San Jose.