Admissions - Application Information

Admission to Graduate Studies

• A completed application. 
• Official, final transcripts (copies are not acceptable).  International student documents must be sent directly from the Registrar's office of the university attended.  (Translations should accompany transcripts if origninal is not in English.)
• At least three letters of recommendation from college or university professors who know the applicant's work well.  Individuals who have been away from school for several years may submit recommendations from their employers. 
• Graduate Record Examination scores.  When sending GRE scores, the Institution code for the University of Chicago is 1832.  The Department code for Biological Sciences is 299.  Subject exam is optional.
  
• TOEFL scores if applicable.

Applications may be submitted at any time during the academic year; however, due to funding restrictions, students are usually only admitted for Autumn Quarter. For students intending to seek admission for Autumn Quarter, the official deadline for all application materials, including all supplemental documentation, is December 1 of the previous year.  Applications are reviewed by a faculty committee, and qualified applicants are invited to visit in February or March for interviews with the faculty.  This visit allows applicants to become better acquainted with our program.  Final decisions are usually completed by mid-March and formal letters of acceptance are sent from the Dean's office by early April. 

It is suggested that applicants make photocopies of materials submitted.  Credentials of non-matriculants and applicants not admitted are retained for one year; if the application has not been reactivated by the end of that period, all materials are removed from our files.  Applicants currently residing outside the US should send all application materials via air mail.

Special Programs

Minority Applicants

Questions?