It is your last year of high school. Senior year. The year everyone looks forward to. It’s your last prom dance, last homecoming, relaxed classes, college acceptances, and many more exciting things. So what can bring down the excitement of a long awaited senior year? Money. Senior year is by far the most expensive year of your high school career, a sad reminder that things will only become more expensive as you advance further in life. What makes senior year so expensive? Surely not much, right? You’d be surprised.
Senior Meaghan Rouse said, “My family has probably spent almost $400 dollars on senior activities and school activities as a whole this year.”
On top of being a senior in high school, these students are also juggling jobs, college applications/acceptances, and much more. College applications, if fees are not waived for any specific reason, can add up to over $100 depending on how many schools you wish to apply to. Depending on a student’s desire to go out of state or in state, the prices can vary and can rack up to an outrageous total. For example, an application fee to Western Carolina University is $65, while a fee to apply to NC State University is $85.
“College applications were the biggest expense because some of the schools I applied to didn’t have the application fee waived,” said Rouse.
Many are not always prepared for the amount of money a student and their family have to put into the last year of high school. Financial situations do not always allow this much money to be placed in college applications, prom dresses, prom tickets, cap and gown for graduation, and more.
“The prices I have had to pay for senior year are definitely excessive. Considering people do not always know families’ financial situations, I feel like the price could be cut down,” said Rouse.
Some of the largest expenses of the year have been prom guest tickets, cap and gowns, parking passes and college applications. Overall, the price of senior year is high, and it is best to space out pricing and expenses wisely to compensate.
