2.1.1 Admitting Graduate Students to Matriculated Study: Policy

Applicants from colleges and universities of recognized standing who hold a U.S. bachelor’s degree or its equivalent, or are anticipating conferral of the degree prior to admission, are eligible to be considered for admission to matriculated graduate study at Stanford University. The number of applicants who can be admitted for work in a particular field of study at any time is limited by the facilities and programs of the school or department and by the number of matriculated students who continue their work in that field. Stanford University welcomes applicants who will add to the diversity (broadly defined) of its graduate student population (see GAP 2.5, Commitment to Graduate Student Diversity). 

Students who have completed two years of Classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles (CPGE) and two years of course work toward the Diplome d’Ingenieur degree in France are eligible to be considered for admission.

Applicants may only apply to one graduate program in an academic year, with the exception of those applying to the Biosciences Program where applicants may indicate up to three possible programs. This limit applies to those applying through the central graduate admissions process, i.e., it does not take into consideration whether applicants are also applying separately to the M.D. program, or to any program within the Medical, Law or Business Schools, whose applications are processed separately.

To be considered for matriculated graduate study at Stanford, an applicant must provide:

• a completed application submitted electronically
• the non-refundable application fee
• a statement of purpose describing the applicant’s reasons for applying and selection of the particular degree program
• three recommendations - at least one of the recommenders should be a member of the faculty at the last school attended by the applicant (recommenders submit these letters directly to Stanford; it is the responsibility of the applicant to see that they are sent) 
• two official transcripts from every postsecondary school attended by the applicant (the applicant should make necessary arrangements to have these sent directly from the attended school to the department to which they are applying)
• scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General Test must be reported directly to Stanford from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) for all applicants; in addition, the appropriate Subject Tests must be reported for the applicant, if required by the particular program
• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores are required of all applicants whose first language is not English. Exceptions are permitted for individuals who have earned a U.S. bachelor’s or master’s degree from a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association in the United States, or the equivalent of either degree from a non-U.S. college or university of recognized standing where all instruction is provided in English. This exception does not apply if the courses were completed in a country where English is spoken but not all instruction is provided in English (See GAP 2.2, Requirements for New International Students).
• additional application documents (e.g., writing samples, portfolios, etc.) as required by the department/program.

Stanford reserves the right to investigate the authenticity, accuracy, and authorship of materials submitted, information provided and assertions made in connection with the application, and to require from the applicant additional information and authorizations to allow additional information to be obtained.

Application materials, once submitted as part of the application, become the property of Stanford University. Copies are not provided to the applicant, nor forwarded to other institutions.

The Office of the Registrar is the functional owner of the administrative systems (PeopleSoft Student Administration and the electronic admission application and online evaluation system, CollegeNET) that support this process. Working with Stanford’s information technology infrastructure, they will maintain these applications for use by the campus community. 

Both the Office of the Registrar and the individual offices of graduate degree-granting programs are responsible for monitoring the data in the electronic application and in the PeopleSoft Student Administration data base. 

The admissions application process is described at the Graduate Admissions web site. 

Upon receipt, applications are available to the admitting department. In addition, individual applicants are responsible for providing the necessary transcripts, test scores and recommendations for use by department or program admissions personnel and committees. 

All decisions regarding admission and financial aid (other than loans) are made by the admitting department, subject to verification of university admission requirements such as completion of the bachelor’s degree, official test scores, visa certification funding, etc. by the Graduate Admissions Office.

The admitting department/program is responsible for communicating admissions decisions to applicants. In no event should an admitting department offer unconditional acceptance to an applicant until the Graduate Admissions Office has confirmed the verification of credentials, visa request (if applicable) and receipt of official test scores.

Applicants who are interested in combining a graduate degree with a professional degree (M.D., J.D., or M.B.A.) should contact those admissions offices directly to determine the appropriate application process. To enter a joint degree program, applicants must be admitted separately to both participating Stanford schools, departments or programs, as well as to the joint degree program (see GAP 4.9, Joint Degree Programs).

Stanford University will award joint degrees where the requirements of both programs have been met. In most cases, the applicant applies initially to only one program, applying to and adding the second program using the Graduate Authorization Petition after arrival at Stanford (see GAP 5.1, Changes and Additions of Degree Programs).

Stanford University will not normally waive the one-time graduate application fee. An exception is permitted for applicants who are citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. and who obtain a GRE Fee Reduction Certificate for the current academic year. The Educational Testing Service (ETS) offers a limited number of GRE Fee Reduction Certificates on a first-come, first-served, basis. Eligibility for the GRE Fee Reduction Certificate is established by the applicant’s financial aid office at his or her undergraduate institution. Information on the GRE Fee Reduction Program is available from the Educational Testing Services via their web site.

In order to request a Stanford graduate application fee waiver, the applicant must submit  the  online fee waiver application and upload a copy of the approved and completed GRE Fee Reduction Certificate. To be valid, the GRE Fee Reduction Certificate must be affixed with an official school stamp or seal and signed by the appropriate school official. If the application fee waiver request is approved, the applicant will be sent a code to enter in the payment section  of the application. Requests should be received at least 15 business days prior to the program application deadline. No refund will be given if the applicant applies for the fee waiver and pays the application fee instead of using the code.

Applicants who have been accepted for admission, and who wish to delay the start of their academic program for up to one year, may do so at the sole discretion of the admitting department. Applicants should communicate with the admitting department, and, if deferral is agreed upon, the admitting department will enter the deferred status into the PeopleSoft Student Administration data base. This must be done before the first day of the original admission starting term. 

Admitting programs may not approve deferral of admission for more than one year. If an applicant wishes to delay the start of the academic program for more than one year, the request, endorsed by the admitting program, should be sent to the Graduate Admissions Office. Approvals of such requests are rare.

If an admitted student contacts the admitting department to reverse an earlier acceptance, i.e., to turn down an offer of admission after it had been accepted, the admitting department should contact the Graduate Admissions Office who will process the cancellation of the student’s admission at Stanford.

If an admitted student does not arrive on campus and submit a timely study list for the first quarter of the academic program, the Enrollment Services Office will discontinue the student’s program plan in PeopleSoft Student Administration. Graduate Admissions will return the student file to the appropriate department.