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

[battricia]

both highschool and college we had to buy our cap and gowns.

 

[mommytotwo]

We had to buy ours.

 

[bigbabyblues]

Yes, I graduated in 1994 and the receipt in my yearbook says we paid $45......

 

[tiggerlover]

I graduated 20 years ago, we were loaned our caps and gowns and had to return them after the ceremony. The only thing we could keep was the tassel. It is funny to see this posted tonight because we were discussing this at the bus stop this morning. One of the moms has a senior and she brought the Jostons sheet with her and I was surprised with the prices, I think the cheapest was $30 and the most expensive was maybe $83.

 

[clh2]

In our home, we have a collection of about 5 various sets - cap, gown and tassles - from high school and college for both of us and a set from DD's kindergarten! Not sure why I hold onto them. You never know, they may come in handy at some point.

They make great halloween costumes!

 

[Feralpeg]

At DD's school, I will pay $100. This gets her a cap and gown and 25 invitations.

 

[Kimberly]

Rented mine. Although I can see why schools would want you to buy them now, considering during our high school graduation, considering it was 95 degrees with 90 percent humidity on our graduation day (late June), so everyone was sweating like pigs.

Edit: Had to buy caps and gowns for graduating from Syracuse U. That was something I consider worth buying though.

 

[MerryPoppins]

Yes, and I am NOT happy about the cost. No offense to anyone here that may work at Jostens, but man, what a racket!!

Not only do we have to buy the cap and gown, but if we want graduation ceremony announcements, we have to buy them in "packages" that include thank you notes, return address labels, little gold seals with "Class of 2006" on them, etc. I wouldn't mind if the cost were reasonable, but the smallest package of announcements is $125.00. That's for 25 announcements. You cannot buy the announcements by themselves. I could buy very nice thank you note cards at the grocery store for much less!

Wow! DS is graduating this year and we're using Jostens, too. They have the expensive packages, but we're going the a la carte route. They aren't offering that to you?

Our costs are:
Cap and gown purchase $21.75
Announcements (25) 8.75 (and you can buy individual ones @ .35)
Name cards (50 plain) 18.80
Extra tassel for car 13.25
Total $62.55

We'll be paying more than that, because I want more than 25 announcements, but that gives you an idea. They pushed the packages, but DS said he wouldn't wear the shirts. And like you said, we don't need all the thank you notes and address stickers. I picked up graduation thank you notes this summer on sale. I didn't even like the foil name cards. I'd contact Jostens and see if you can't buy individual items, too.

 

[crz4mm2]

High school 1977 and we just borrowed them from the school (no rental fee at all!!!). We had to buy our 'cords' if we were in the top 10%.
College 1989,1990 we had to buy.
College for MSN and BSN I don't know as I didn't attend either ceremony....

DD just graduated in may from HS and we had to buy hers. As I recall it was pretty cheap though (around 20 bucks or so....).

 

[wdwgirl03]

Yup, we had to buy ours.

 

[PaulaSue]

I graduated in 88 and paid Nothing.

 

[MrsPete]

I graduated from high school in '84 -- we bought caps and gowns.
I graduated from college in '88 -- caps and gowns were free.

I have been teaching high school for 14 years, and my students have always bought caps and gowns. They pay $10 for the three piece set: cap, gown, tassel. The quality is very low -- almost disposable.

 

[MrsPete]

Wow! DS is graduating this year and we're using Jostens, too. They have the expensive packages, but we're going the a la carte route. They aren't offering that to you?

Our costs are:
Cap and gown purchase $21.75
Announcements (25) 8.75 (and you can buy individual ones @ .35)
Name cards (50 plain) 18.80
Extra tassel for car 13.25
Total $62.55

We use Jostens, and our kids pay only $10 for their cap and gown. Why the difference? Our county makes the various cap and gown companies BID for the right to sell to all five high schools in our county. They sell the cap and gown (the only REQUIRED item) as a "loss leader", and in exchange they are allowed to also sell invitations, scrapbooks, extra tassels, tee-shirts, etc. They make big-bucks on those extras, so they're willing to make nothing on the caps and gowns.

 

[mtblujeans]

I graduated from high school in '84 -- we bought caps and gowns.
I graduated from college in '88 -- caps and gowns were free.

I have been teaching high school for 14 years, and my students have always bought caps and gowns. They pay $10 for the three piece set: cap, gown, tassel. The quality is very low -- almost disposable.

I remember having disposable gowns at my junior high graduation....centuries ago. I thought they had given up on making disposables.

 

[mtblujeans]

We use Jostens, and our kids pay only $10 for their cap and gown. Why the difference? Our county makes the various cap and gown companies BID for the right to sell to all five high schools in our county. They sell the cap and gown (the only REQUIRED item) as a "loss leader", and in exchange they are allowed to also sell invitations, scrapbooks, extra tassels, tee-shirts, etc. They make big-bucks on those extras, so they're willing to make nothing on the caps and gowns.

I don't know why the difference. We are a rural area and we will have hundreds graduate at a time, not thousands as some schools might have. I don't know if that makes a difference or not. I was looking at the paperwork again today and it is supposed to be turned in by tomorrow "in order to take advantage of the volumn pricing". It appears that the price may go up if we miss the ordering time/day at the school and send it in later. So, it is possible the price can even go up from what is listed....

 

[MerryPoppins]

I was looking at the paperwork again today and it is supposed to be turned in by tomorrow "in order to take advantage of the volumn pricing". It appears that the price may go up if we miss the ordering time/day at the school and send it in later. So, it is possible the price can even go up from what is listed....

I called our Jostens rep (the number was on the paperwork) to ask if I had to turn it in at school. She said there was actually no deadline. Of course you don't have the same prices we do to begin with, so it may be different for you.

Seems to me that a price for a cap and gown should run the same from state to state if it's the same company. That sort of stinks.

 

[MamaLema]

My kids are still small, so I still have a while to go, but you have to buy them here. I have 3 boys, so at least I'll get my money's worth.

 

[Sandy V.]

Wow! DS is graduating this year and we're using Jostens, too. They have the expensive packages, but we're going the a la carte route. They aren't offering that to you?

Our costs are:
Cap and gown purchase $21.75
Announcements (25) 8.75 (and you can buy individual ones @ .35)
Name cards (50 plain) 18.80
Extra tassel for car 13.25
Total $62.55

We'll be paying more than that, because I want more than 25 announcements, but that gives you an idea. They pushed the packages, but DS said he wouldn't wear the shirts. And like you said, we don't need all the thank you notes and address stickers. I picked up graduation thank you notes this summer on sale. I didn't even like the foil name cards. I'd contact Jostens and see if you can't buy individual items, too.

Unfortunately, they make you buy a "package" first (the smallest being the $120 one with 25 announcements, which is all we need) before you can buy anything ala carte.

I think I will contact Jostens directly to see what I can work out. Couldn't hurt.

I don't know why the packages offered around the country are so varied. We are a suburban high school in between Denver and Colorado Springs. Maybe they charge more here because they believe parents will write the checks without question!

 

[mtblujeans]

The paperwork I had said that it should be turned in to the school with a deposit the two days designed. I would have a week or so after that to mail it in but, beyond that date, the prices would change and the rate difference was not indicated.

I ordered a gown, cap, and tassel for $30.00. I don't quite understand the order form. Perhaps I was supposed to order a package before attempting to order just the 3 by themselves.... I am sure they will let me know if I did it wrong.

DS said his friends that graduated next year told him the gowns were so thin you could see through them so they do sound of a disposable quality. He said he had been told to get his class ring from Walmart instead of Jostens as it would be $100 cheaper and look almost the same. He does want a ring so he wants to go see what Walmart offers.

I know I can get a better deal from a local printer on any cards to send out as announcements....or I can attempt to print something up myself....we'll see...

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Use them for halloween costumes!

I bought mine from high school (88) and college (92), and rented it for law school (95).

Denae

Yep, I keep telling myself that as I have had for 16 years in my closet, (college 1989).