Some programs may require materials in addition to those listed below.   Be sure to review the website of the program to which you are applying for complete details regarding admission requirements and application deadlines.   Websites belonging to the admitting programs are accessible via the Academic Program List.

Online application
The Graduate School at Northwestern University only accepts online applications.  You do not need to complete the online application in one sitting.  You may access your application and change your answers as many times as you like from any computer with internet access.  Once you have answered all the required questions and submitted the application fee (credit card only), you may submit your online application.  Please be aware that changes to the online application cannot be made after submission.  You may not apply to more than one program or apply to the same program multiple times. The Graduate School only allows students to submit one application per year. Additional applications will not be reviewed and application fee refunds will not be provided.

To expedite the admission process, admission decisions will be conveyed via the online application. (Denied students will not receive an admission letter from the University. Admitted students will receive an admission packet.) You may access the online application as many times as you wish to check if a decision has been rendered on your file. If a decision is available, a "view decision" link will appear. If a decision has not yet been rendered, no link will be present.

Application fee (nonrefundable)
The online application will prompt you to pay the application fee after all required questions have been answered. The application fee is $75 and must be paid via credit card at the time of application submission.  Your application will not be processed without payment of the fee.  The application fee cannot be waived or refunded.

Supplemental materials
All supplemental materials must be sent directly to the program to which you are applying.  Mailing addresses of the admitting departments are available via the Program Contact List. These materials include official transcripts and letters of recommendation, as well as any special documentation required by your admitting program (reference your program's web site for more details).  Materials submitted in support of an application become property of The Graduate School and cannot be released for other purposes or returned.

Official, confidential transcripts
Enclose with the rest of your supplementary materials an official transcript (bearing the registrar’s signature and/or the institution’s seal) from each post secondary institution attended, including records from courses in any university level institution attended abroad.  If you are working towards a master’s degree at another institution, you must submit official transcripts of all undergraduate work as well as official transcripts of all graduate work completed at the time of filing your application. Transcripts should show all the coursework taken, whether or not within a degree program, the grades received and the degrees earned.

We must also receive certification of degrees received, including the date each degree was awarded.  This information may be included on the final transcript or on the diploma.  Final credentials must be submitted as soon as they become available.  Registration may be delayed pending the receipt of official documents showing that the degree has been awarded and/or that all academic work undertaken before enrollment in The Graduate School has been completed in good standing and with acceptable grades.

NOTE TO INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS:

The academic records we refer to as transcripts should provide a listing, year-by-year, of all courses taken and the grade or marks received for each one.  It is helpful to have the grading scale of the institution and the student’s rank in class included when such information is available.  Do not submit secondary school records. Secondary school records will not be reviewed and will be discarded.

If your college or university will not mail original official academic documents to you, you may send exact copies that have been verified as "Certified True Copies" by the appropriate institutional official of each institution you have attended.  Uncertified photocopies are not acceptable.  To be considered, all documents not in English must be accompanied by official English translations. 

Letters of recommendation
Letters of recommendation are very important.  Choose your recommenders wisely.  The Graduate School's admission committees are interested in recommendation letters from those who are most able to assess your academic and research abilities in areas related to your field of study.

While The Graduate School requires a minimum of two letters of recommendation, some departments require more than two letters.  Please consult your admitting department's website to determine if additional letters are required.  While completing your online application, you will have the option to submit your recommendations online or via standard letter.  If you choose to have your letter submitted online, the online application software will email your recommenders regarding your request. Recommenders may then submit letters online using standard word processing software.

The Graduate School does not have a specific recommendation form. Recommendation letters submitted through mail should be printed on official letterhead and contain the original signatures of your recommenders.  Your name and the name of the program to which you are applying should be included in each letter.  Be sure to have your recommenders sign the envelope across the envelope seal.  Submit your unopened letter of recommendations along with your other supplemental materials directly to the program to which you are applying.

Statement of purpose
Your statement of purpose is an important part of your application.  Program admission committees consider them carefully in ranking applicants.  Be as specific as possible about your research interests and qualifications.  If you have particular reasons for choosing Northwestern, be sure to indicate them.  

Your statement may be submitted electronically as part of the online application.  The statement may not exceed 5,000 characters.  You may find it useful to compose your statement using word processing software, then to cut and paste it into the online application.  However, should you desire to submit your statement on paper, a copy of this statement should be submitted along with the other supporting materials you send to the program to which you are applying.  Be sure that your identification - full name, birth date, and the program to which you are applying - are listed below the title.

Test scores
Be sure to take all needed tests in time for official scores to reach The Graduate School by the application and financial award deadline.  Usually, this means taking an examination at least 3 months before the given application deadline. The institutional code assigned to The Graduate School at Northwestern by ETS is 1565.  If you are taking the TOEFL or GRE be sure to include this number on your test form. If your results are not sent to this code, we will not receive them.

Students taking the Paper-based TOEFL should reference department code 01. This will ensure that the TOEFL scores are sent to The Graduate School and not the undergraduate college. IBT test takers should, when prompted, request that their scores be sent to the graduate office (versus undergraduate) and then select the program name that most closely matches their program of interest. If no match is available, the test taker may choose option 99.

IELTS scores must be sent directly from IELTS, in a sealed envelope, to your admitting department. Contact information for your admitting department is available here. 

Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
Most departments require the results of this test. (Please visit your admitting program's website to determine their requirements.)  Official scores must be taken no more than five years before the intended quarter of entry and must come directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS). For example, to be considered valid for Fall 2008 admission,  GRE scores must be no older than September 1, 2003.  Personal copies are not considered official, nor are "attested" or notarized copies.  For more information regarding the GRE click here.

Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)
If you are applying for a doctoral program in the Kellogg School of Management, you may substitute results of the GMAT for the GRE results.  The institutional code for this test, which transmits your results directly to Kellogg, is 6WZ-3J-54. Please use this code, and only this code, for the GMAT.  If your results are not sent to this code, Kellogg will not receive them.

For more information regarding the GMAT click here.

Certifying English Proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS)
Much of your success in graduate study will rely on your ability to understand, read, write and speak English.   If your native language is not English, you must certify your proficiency in the English language in one of the following three ways:

• Providing official scores for either the TOEFL or IELTS exam. The test must be taken no more than two years before the intended quarter of entry.  (If you are applying for fall 2008 entry, test scores must be no older than September 2006.) For the TOEFL, you must score 600 or higher on the paper-based test, 250 or higher on the computer-based test, 100 or higher on the internet based test.  For the IELTS, you must receive a score of 7.0 or higher.
• Providing official transcripts verifying an undergraduate degree from an accredited four-year institution or equivalent, where the language of instruction is English.
• Providing official transcripts verifying a graduate degree from an accredited institution where the language of instruction is English.

Scores must be no older than two years from intended quarter of entry. For example, to be considered valid for Fall 2008 admission,  TOEFL scores must be no older than September 1, 2006.   Personal copies are not considered official, nor are "attested" or notarized copies.  However, it is to your advantage to include a paper copy of your score report in your Supplemental Information Packet.  This helps the admitting departments to verify your scores quickly, should there be any delay in receiving the official report.

For more information regarding the TOEFL click here. The Graduate School's school code for TOEFL is 1565. Those taking the paper-based exam should select department code 01. When prompted, IBT test takers should request that their scores be sent to the graduate office and then select the program name that most closely matches their program of interest. If no match is available, the test taker may choose option 99.

For more information regarding IELTS click here. Copies of your IELTS scores must be sent directly from IELTS to your admitting department. Contact information for your admitting department is available here.