Frequently Asked Questions

Applicants who need assistance with the application fee are encouraged to apply for a fee waiver. Information on fee waivers is available on the Graduate Admissions website.

GRE scores are valid for approximately five years from the date taken. TOEFL scores submitted to Stanford must be from a test taken within the last 24 months. No scores are valid beyond the date ETS will send or resend them to schools. GRE exams are optional.

Stanford’s institution code is 4704. There is no department code.

Yes, you can use the career center or letter service from your university.

Applicants who have earned a U.S. bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree are not required to submit a TOEFL score. You are also not required to submit a TOEFL score if you have an international equivalent of the aforementioned degrees from a university where all instruction was conducted in English. 

You may request a waiver in the online application if you (will) have a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a recognized institution in a country other than Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom in which English was the language of instruction.

You will be asked to provide the following:

• Upload an official statement certifying that your program was taught exclusively in English
• You may also link to your institution’s official website stating the language of instruction

Your waiver request will be routed to Graduate Admissions after you submit your application and pay the application fee. Allow up to 15 business days after submitting your application for a response. This will not delay the receipt of your application by your graduate program.

No, you can only apply to one degree program per academic year.

There are no minimum scores required for applying to the chemistry Ph.D. program; however, we do want to see a minimum of 108 on the TOEFL. The admissions committee evaluates each applicant’s potential for success based on all materials in the file, recommendation letters, test scores, transcripts, and personal statements. GRE exam is optional. It's best to get letters from referees who have observed your research promise.

For the TOEFL, the University minimum score is 90, but the Chemistry Department's minimum is 108.

For the IELTS, the University minimum is 7, but the Chemistry Department's minimum is 8. 

Your application status will be updated online periodically as we receive your application materials so please check the online application status for updates. If you have submitted your materials, but the status still remains unchanged, you can send an email to chem.admissions [at] stanford.edu (subject: Admissions%20Documents) (chem[dot]admissions[at]stanford[dot]edu). 

Please allow two weeks processing time once your transcripts are sent for your status to be updated. 

All applicants with incomplete applications will receive an email about their missing documents by the end of the second week in January.

The Chemistry Department and the entire University will be closed between December 21st, 3 PM PST and January 3rd. During this time there will be no one available to answer questions regarding your application. We encourage you to apply well before the deadline should any questions arise regarding your application or supporting documents.

Yes, you must submit a complete application and pay the application fee. We do keep transcripts, recommendation letters and other application materials on file from the previous year. You can contact us if you want material from your previous application to be included when you reapply.

Describe your research projects/skills/experience and specifically your research interests at Stanford; provide details and research group names. Be direct. 

Yes, but only after receiving an offer of admission. We will review your application with your uploaded unofficial transcripts. 

Once you accept the offer of admission, you will need to have your official transcripts and degree documents sent to Graduate Admissions. Information can be found on their website, as well as on you application status page.

*We require official documents from all post-secondary institutions where you were enrolled in a degree program for at least one academic year.

*English proficiency test scores (TOEFL/IELTS) are not required for:

• U.S. citizens and permanent residents
• Applicants who self-declare their first language is English
• Applicants who earned a U.S. (or international equivalent of a) bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from a university where all instruction was conducted in English
• Applicants with two or more consecutive years of professional or educational experience in English, in the past 10 years

*Applicants who self-report that they meet any of the criteria listed under item #1 above at time of application are not required to submit English proficiency test scores. For those admitted and who accept the offer, Stanford Graduate Admissions will collect further documentation for meeting the English proficiency requirement as part of the academic eligibility review prior to matriculation.  If you are offered admission, the official transcript must be received showing the conferral of the degree from the qualifying institution or TOEFL exam scores will be required to enroll.

For detailed information, see the TOEFL information in Required Exams.