Ivy League universities are among the most prestigious institutions of higher education in the world. But, for better or worse, they also have a bottom line. That’s why they charge relatively steep fees to students intent on submitting applications. This is not to say that they’re for-profit institutions — they most certainly are not — but they aren’t charities either. More and more students feel emboldened to throw themselves in the mix for admission each year, resulting in application pools that have grown by the tens of thousands in the last decade. It takes a significant amount of labor to sift through each application and separate the wheat from the chaff.

This labor doesn’t come for free. Ivy League schools employ teams of admissions officers to do the monotonous work of sifting through thousands of applications each year. All things considered, it’s pretty impressive that these teams are able to review the number of applications they review in the short timeframe they’re given. Some admissions officers are tasked with reading dozens or even hundreds of applications each day during the busier periods of the application cycle. How are they able to do so quickly and efficiently? There are two reasons. 

First off, the vast majority of applications don’t receive as thorough of a review once they’re assigned a lackluster Academic Index score (which takes into account, when available, a student’s GPA, class rank, and standardized test scores). Secondly (and perhaps most importantly), admissions officers are paid for their efforts. And where does this budget come from? You guessed it: hefty application fees! It’s all about the money.

Let’s take a look at application fees across the Ivy League and discuss the pros and cons of applying for a fee waiver.

Application Fees Across the Ivy League

Ivy League School	Application Fee
Brown University	$75
Columbia University	$85
Cornell University	$80
Dartmouth College	$85
Harvard University	$85
Princeton University	$75
University of Pennsylvania	$75
Yale University	$80

Across the Ivy League, the average cost of submitting an application is about $80. This average cost is pretty standard across the elite university sphere, i.e. the application fee at a given school is not necessarily a reflection of its institutional prestige. This price might not sound like too much of a cost to bear for students who know that Yale or Dartmouth is their dream school, and nowhere else will do, but for those ambitious high schoolers intent upon applying to over a dozen institutions, the costs can quickly rack up.

Fortunately, all Ivy League schools allow their applicants to apply for fee waivers. This request is typically made through the application portal or through the applicant’s school, and technically every applicant is eligible to apply. QuestBridge applicants don’t have to pay any fees at all. But is applying for a fee waiver advisable?

Who Qualifies for a Fee Waiver?

Common App Fee Waiver Qualifications

The Common Application very helpfully lists their criteria for fee waiver qualification on their website:

• You are enrolled in or eligible to participate in the federal free or reduced price lunch program (FRPL).*
• You have received or are eligible to receive an SAT or ACT fee waiver.
• Your annual family income falls within the income eligibility guidelines set by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
• Your family receives public assistance.
• You are enrolled in a federal, state, or local program that aids students from low-income families (e.g., GEAR UP, TRIO such as Upward Bound or others).
• You live in a federally subsidized public housing, a foster home or are homeless.
• You are a ward of the state or an orphan.
• You have received or are eligible to receive a Pell Grant.
• You can provide a supporting statement from a school official, college access counselor, financial aid officer, or community leader.

*You must enroll or be eligible for the FRPL. Students who attend schools where all students receive free lunch do not automatically qualify for a Common App fee waiver.

Coalition App Fee Waiver Qualifications

Now let’s take a look at these criteria for the Coalition for College application, also found on its website: 

• Qualifying for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program
• Receiving a College Board, ACT, and/or NACAC fee waiver
• Being eligible for a Pell Grant 
• Participating in TRIO programs
• Are veterans or active members of the U.S. Armed Forces
• Self-identify as the first in their family to attend college
• Receive public assistance
• Are enrolled in a federal, state, or local program that aids students from low-income families 
• Live in federally subsidized public housing, a foster home or are homeless.
• Are a ward of the state or an orphan 
• Receive need-based scholarships elsewhere
• Are being assisted by any college or university access program

The Pros and Cons of Applying for Application Fee Waivers

If the cost of applying to an Ivy League school is truly prohibitive for you and your family, you should absolutely take advantage of the fee waivers! For far too long, Ivy League schools have been inaccessible to all but the rich. These days, first-generation and low-income students are highly coveted by admissions officers because they contribute to the socioeconomic diversity of an incoming class. Low-income students should waive their application fees while resting assured that their admissions odds will not be adversely affected.

Middle class students, on the other hand, should exercise extreme caution when requesting fee waivers. Colleges know whether you can afford their application fee. After all, you must submit some of your family’s financial information as part of the application process for financial aid if indeed you require aid (which is why we at Ivy Coach have long touted that there is no such thing as a truly “need-blind” school). Even if they grant you the fee waiver, you’re doing a disservice to your admissions odds by withholding the fee when you could have otherwise paid it. Again, reading an application is labor! The least you can do is thank these schools for their time and consideration.