Application Requirements
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Application instructions and information about admissions requirements and procedures are available from the Graduate Admissions section of the Registrar's Office.
Application Checklist
A completed external application consists of the following:
- Application Form
- Application Fee
- Statement of Purpose
- Letters of Recommendation
- Transcripts
- Test Scores
- Ph.D. Admit Weekend
Application Form
See the Application section for instructions on completing the applications. Please submit all supporting material for your application in one application if possible. This will help ensure that all of your materials arrive by the deadline.
Grade Point Averages (GPA) Calculations
Maximum GPA at Stanford for most students is 4.3. It is best to use the GPA that is reflected in Axess as of the application deadline. Information on computing your GPA is available here.
For defining the GPA for classes taken outside of Stanford, use the maximum for the school as defined on the back of the transcript. If a cumulative GPA is not provided, please calculate one using the same general criteria outlined on the Registrar's website.
Application Fee
Visit Graduate Admissions for the current year's application fee, and fee waiver process.
Statement of Purpose
Your Statement of Purpose should identify personal and professional goals. It should also discuss your development to date and your intentions relative to graduate study and life beyond Stanford. The ICME Graduate Admissions Committee reads your Statement of Purpose with interest because, along with the Letters of Recommendation, it offers insight into who you are as an individual. Your Statement of Purpose should not exceed two pages in length (single spaced).
If you upload your statement with the online application, do not submit a second hard copy of it.
Letters of Recommendation
Three letters of recommendation are required; one letter must come from an academic source, although we recommend two. Please have your recommender write candidly about your qualifications, potential to carry on advanced study in the field specified, intellectual independence, capacity for analytical thinking, ability to organize and express ideas clearly, and potential for teaching. In describing such attributes as motivation, intellect, and maturity, specific examples are more useful than generalizations. Recommendations should be submitted online via "CollegeNET". Please see the "Recommendations" section of the online application for information.
Paper copies of recommendations cannot be accepted.
Transcripts
Scanned official transcripts are required to be uploaded as part of the application. Applicants are also required to mail two sets of official and original transcripts from all previous colleges or universities attended full time for one year or more are required.
Test Scores
For information on GRE/TOEFL registration, test centers and dates, please refer to the ETS website
GRE
All applicants must provide GRE General test scores from an examination taken within the past five years of the application deadline. Official score report should be sent to Graduate Admissions office directly from ETS. The Stanford score recipient number (also called "Institution Code") is R4704. Department code is not necessary. You must mail or fax ICME a photocopy of the ETS score report that was sent to you by the deadline.
Stanford retains score report information only for the applicants. If you requested ETS to send your score report to Stanford and you have not followed that up with an application to any program at Stanford ( not necessarily ICME), you will have to request ETS to resend the scores. All score reports for non-applicants are purged from the system each year.
Note: For those applicants who have taken the GRE General test and are expecting the score reports after the deadline for submitting the application and supporting documents, please note that without the score report your application will be considered incomplete. Please schedule to take the test at least 6-8 weeks before the application deadline.
It is highly recommended, although not required, for Ph.D. applicants to take the GRE Subject Test in Math, Physics or computer science.
TOFEL
TOEFL scores are required of all applicants whose first language is not English regardless of citizenship status.
Individuals who have completed a Bachelor's degree or a two-year Master's program in the U.S. or another English-speaking country are not required to submit TOEFL scores. If required, scores must be submitted from a test taken within the last 18 months of the application deadline.
TOEFL scores should be reported directly to Graduate Admissions from ETS. The Stanford score recipient number (also called "Institution Code") is 4704. Department code is not necessary. In addition, please mail or fax ICME a copy of the score report you received. For those of you taking the new format of TOEFL (iBT), and do not receive a printed copy of your score report, please send us a print out of the online score report.
Ph.D. Admit Weekend
The Ph.D. Admit Weekend is scheduled for February 14 & 15, 2013.