Do you have to BUY the cap and gown for graduation?

[christinadei]

We had to buy them in 1998 when I graduated. I can't remember how much they were, but i'm thinking at least $60, maybe closer to $100. We got the cap, gown and 2 tassles.

 

[Bob Slydell]

I think the only time I had to buy a cap and gown was for my MBA graduation. The rest of them, IIRC, we rented.

 

[Sandy V.]

YES! I am looking at the Jostens packages! You have the exact same thing I am looking at!!

It's mind boggling, isn't it? We're getting the most basic of everything. Fortunately, our daughter doesn't want anything other than the essentials. She's our oldest, and we're new to all of this stuff.

 

[puffkin]

I was a class officer, class of 1998. We had to buy our gowns. Our class had enough money in the account that we were able to buy the cap and gowns for the entire senior class. I remember them being really cheap, something like $10 each because we bought in bulk. They weren't great quality, but they were fine for a 2 hour ceremony.

I remember the announcements being horribly expensive too, but nothing close to $125 (more like $50). Maybe you could go to a print shop and get your own made up? That might be a bit cheaper.

 

[mtblujeans]

It is mind boggling....I feel like my head is just spinning. I have older kids but they are 10+ years older than my boys in high school.....they got GED instead of graduating so I am not that familiar with all of this stuff. I took DS to get outdoor senior pictures taken yesterday and then came home to this packet he shoved in my face.

He is not a flashy guy but he is interested in getting a senior ring and (I think) it is because he wants to give it to a girlfriend. Other than the ring, he hasn't said too much. After I looked at this stuff he asked me what I thought of everything and I was torn between popping my cork and trying not to hurt his feelings about the cost of everything!

I realize this will only happen once in a child's life but....let's get real, here!

Last night I had a very serious thought about making my own announcements for him to go with whatever senior pictures we send out. But, I don't know if I am up for that challenge. I guess I do need to call the school and talk to someone over there about some questions I have and some of the suggestions posted here. AHHHHHHHH!

 

[Sandy V.]

After I looked at this stuff he asked me what I thought of everything and I was torn between popping my cork and trying not to hurt his feelings about the cost of everything!

I can relate. Many of the colleges DD is looking at are very expensive, so I told her that most of our $$ will be going toward that!!

 

[jennyl772003]

I had to buy my cap and gown in 1996. Can't remember how much it was, but I seem to remember it being pretty resonable. My mom was figuring my sis would be able to use it when she graduated (she ended up switching schools, so that didn't work out) and maybe my brother used it.

I remember getting the Josten's catalog. I think I may have bought some announcements and an extra tassel, but that was it. I got my class ring my Soph or Jr year. Never did senior pics, so overall my mom got off pretty easy.

 

[ktglads]

We had to buy ours for hs. I want to say they were like $25. Ours had the school crest and graduation year printed on them so there was really no sharing. Not only did you have to buy that, but then we also had to go out and buy white dresses since the gowns were white and it was mandatory. Double hit for money there

 

[ceiligh1]

I had to buy my gown for high school grad. back in 95. I think my parents still have it around somewhere. We used it to paint the house in, trim hair, anything that could get messy. But at least we were able to reuse it as my little sister was about 6 inches shorter than me and could not use it when she graduated. It was only about $15 for us though so that wasnt too bad.
For my college grad we rented the gowns but they were more envolved than for my high school.
I would try to avoid the Jostens packages if you could. You always end up with a lot of things you dont use. I still have about 50 "calling cards" that we bought with the announcements in a package. I held onto them because they were expensive and I didnt know if I would use them for college. I didnt and now I guess I can get rid of them.

 

[mtblujeans]

....My mom was figuring my sis would be able to use it when she graduated (she ended up switching schools, so that didn't work out) and maybe my brother used it.....

I supposed I could look at it that way, too. If they don't print the year on the gown, youngest DS could probably use it for his graduation.

 

[mtblujeans]

I can relate. Many of the colleges DD is looking at are very expensive, so I told her that most of our $$ will be going toward that!!

I guess that's most of it....facing graduation and college I must be bordering on "panic mode"!

 

[Just2554]

Wow, I can't believe so many people have to buy/rent caps and gowns! When I graduated in June, the school gave them to us for free and we got to keep them.

 

[VampHeartless]

I can't remember if I bought one or rented it...if I bought it, I sure as heck don't know where I left it.

 

[mtblujeans]

I can't remember if I bought one or rented it...if I bought it, I sure as heck don't know where I left it.

Must have been a wild graduation party!!

 

[mtblujeans]

Wow, I can't believe so many people have to buy/rent caps and gowns! When I graduated in June, the school gave them to us for free and we got to keep them.

I am curious, now, in that schools around the country seem to be doing things so differently. I wonder how a high school could afford to pay for their students gowns!? And what student dues are?

 

[MinnieM3]

We have to buy them. What's really frustrating is when you have a child a few years younger and you have to buy the exact same gown again! Argh!

 

[EthansMom]

For high school, we had to buy our cap and gown, but so many of us students thought it was rediculous to pay so much money for a flimsy cap and gown that we would wear once that the entire class donated their caps and gowns to the next graduating class. The school agreed to store them until they were needed the next year.

 

[Just2554]

I am curious, now, in that schools around the country seem to be doing things so differently. I wonder how a high school could afford to pay for their students gowns!? And what student dues are?

Well, my high school was extremely cheap if you look at the big picture. They didn't give us a whole lot of extras or just a whole lot in general, but they had a huge budget. So any money not spent on the football team was saved and buying caps and gowns was one of the few things they did do.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by student dues though.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

We had to buy ours.

 

[twojo21]

when i graduated back in 2000 i had to buy my cap & gown, so did my little brother this past summer.