How to apply to Bioengineering
Go to Stanford Graduate Admissions. Please carefully read all information and instructions.
Deadline
Applications will not be accepted after the December 1, 2015, deadline. All supporting documents must be postmarked by the application deadline at 11:59 pm. Our faculty will begin reviewing files immediately—applications without supporting materials will be considered incomplete. In order for your application to be competitive, ensure that all of your supporting materials will arrive no later than the application deadline.
Criteria
To be eligible for admission to graduate programs at Stanford, applicants must meet one of the following conditions:
- completion of a bachelor's degree from a U.S. college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association; or
- completion of an international degree that is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree from a college or university of recognized standing.
The competition for admission is keen, and is granted to students who exhibit an excellent academic record and strong research potential.
Students will be expected to enter with a series of core competencies in mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, computing and engineering. The backgrounds of students entering the program will be assessed by the examination of their undergraduate transcripts and research experiences. Specifically, we will require that students have completed mathematics through multivariable calculus and differential equations, completed a series of undergraduate biology courses (equivalent to BIO 41, 42, 43 series) and completed physics, chemistry and computer sciences courses required of all undergraduate majors in engineering. Click here for a list of pre-requisite courses; full course descriptions may be found in the Stanford Bulletin.
Funding
All students admitted to the PhD program are fully funded for five years; this covers all tuition plus a quarterly living stipend. For 2015, the living stipend was $9,200 per quarter. We encourage students to apply for fellowships; please visit the financial aid tab to read more about them. The Student Budget is a great resource for financial planning.
Application
Applications must be submitted using the online application form. Paper applications are no longer accepted. When you use the online application, your information enters our database directly, making the admissions process smoother and faster. A built-in monitor ensures that you do not forget to include important information, and you can save your progress. When your department downloads your application, you will know that it is legible and complete.
When completing the online application, please use your full legal name, correctly capitalized, and clearly denote any nicknames as such.
Application fee
The application fee is $125. Online application fee payment: Credit card (Visa or MasterCard) ONLY. Stanford University cannot accept checks or money orders.
Statement of purpose
Your statement of purpose should describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the Department of Bioengineering at Stanford. It would be helpful to include what you have done to prepare for this degree program. Please describe your research interests, past research experience, future career plans and other details of your background and interests that will allow us to evaluate your ability to thrive in our program. If you have interests that align with a specific faculty member, you may state this in your application. Your statement of purpose should not exceed two pages in length (single spaced).
Letters of recommendation
Three letters of recommendation are required; two letters must come from an academic source. If your background includes industrial experience, involvement in performing arts, athletics, public service or entrepreneurial activities, you may wish to include one reference who can comment on that part of your experience. Indicate on the recommendation form whether you are waiving your right to see the letter of recommendation. You can obtain the recommendation form OR you may use the provision in the online application to have your recommenders submit letters directly online.
Recommendations not submitted online must be sent to:
Bioengineering Graduate Admissions
Stanford University
443 Via Ortega
Shriram Center, Room 119
Stanford, California 94305-4125
If your recommenders wish to mail their recommendation to our department, they must be postmarked by the December 2, 2014. If you send letters to us, they must be sealed and signed on the back of the envelope by the recommender.
We suggest including the following note from Stanford University when you ask individuals for recommendations:
"Thank you for taking the time to write on behalf of this candidate who is applying to a graduate program in the Department of Bioengineering at Stanford. The most useful recommendations provide detailed descriptions supported by specific anecdotes illustrating the candidate's intellectual abilities and personal qualities. In addition to considering traditional indicators of academic performance (GPA, quality of undergraduate institution/program, GRE exam scores), we are very interested in the applicant's creative abilities, effectiveness in implementation, leadership skills and personal qualities. Letters of recommendation are a very important source of this information."
Transcripts
We require two official and sealed copies from all previous colleges or universities attended for one year or more full time. The institution should send you your transcripts in a sealed envelope. Transcripts received opened are not considered official. In addition to the paper transcripts, applicants are required to upload scanned unofficial transcripts as part of their application.
If your unofficial transcript is in a language other than English, please also upload a translation of your transcript.
If your previous institution issues official e-transcripts, those transcripts can be sent to bioengineering@stanford.edu. This e-transcript will function as your official transcript, and one e-transcript will satisfy Stanford’s requirement for two official transcripts.
Some institutions do not release transcripts directly to students. In such cases, we will accept transcripts sent directly from the institution.
Send official transcripts to:
Bioengineering Graduate Admissions
Stanford University
443 Via Ortega
Shriram Center, Room 119
Stanford, California 94305-4125
CV (resume)
A resume or curriculum vitae (CV) can be submitted as part of the online application. Please be sure to list all your publications (if any) here as well.
GRE results
Applicants are required to take the GRE aptitude test (verbal, quantitative and analytical). No GRE subject test is required. Scores must be reported to the Graduate Admissions office by the Educational Testing Service (photocopies of scores sent to you are not acceptable.) Our institution code for ETS is 4704. You do not need a department code. It is strongly recommended that the GREs be taken before the end of November for the scores to arrive in time for the consideration of your application. The department has no established absolute cutoff scores.
GRE general results must be from an examination taken within the last five years. For more information on GRE requirements, please see the "Are You Ready to Apply?" section at the Graduate Admissions website.
TOEFL results
TOEFL results must be from an examination taken within the past 18 months. The Stanford institution code for ETS reporting is 4704. You do not need a department code. For more information on TOEFL requirements, please see the "Are You Ready to Apply?" section at the Graduate Admissions website.
Application status inquiries
We are unable to answer inquiries about the status of any application. We will contact you if your application is incomplete; be sure to keep your e-mail address updated. Admission decisions will be made by:
Late March for the MS and PhD program
If you do not receive an e-mail from our office by the posted decision date, you may e-mail us at bioengineering@stanford.edu and include your first and last names as used on the application. Please do not call our office with this particular inquiry, as we are unable to provide any applicant information over the phone.
