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FAQs

Answers to common questions about admission decisions and enrollment procedures are provided below.

For support requests regarding the online application, contact CollegeNet at help@collegenet.com; for CAESAR, contact the support center at 847-467-0260.  

For all other inquiries, contact TGS Admissions.

Admission decisions

If I meet the required deadlines, when can I expect to receive a decision?

Programs have different application review schedules. Some programs wait and rank all of their applications against each other; others make individual determinations on a case-by-case basis. In general, program decisions are rendered from early January through the middle of April.

I have not received an admission decision yet, what should I do?

Be sure to check the online application for your admission decision. If a decision has been rendered on your application a “View Your Decision Letter” link will appear. If no link is present, a decision has not yet been rendered on your application. Please be patient while waiting for your admission decision. Decisions will be posted as soon as they are rendered.

If I was admitted and want to defer my enrollment, what should I do?

Please review the information on our Enrollment Deferment process here

 

Transcript submission

I have been admitted and have chosen to enroll. Where should I mail my official transcripts?

All enrolling students should mail their official transcripts to:

Northwestern University
The Graduate School
Office of Graduate Admission
633 Clark Street
Evanston, IL  60208-1113

I have been admitted and have chosen to enroll. Where should I mail my digital transcripts?

E-transcripts provided by an e-transcript delivery service (i.e. National Student Clearinghouse, Parchment, etc) should be sent to tgsadmission@northwestern.edu. Please note that personal digital copies sent directly from an individual email account are not considered official. 

My bachelor's degree or master's degree is not listed on my transcript yet. Should I send TGS my current transcript and then the degree-awarding transcript later?

No. Please wait and only send us your final, degree-awarding transcript.

Do I have to send you my non-degree transcripts?

Please refer to the transcript status in your application portal checklist. If the status is listed as "waived," that indicates that an official copy will not be required to submit after acceptance.

My transcripts are from a foreign country and I cannot provide you with my only original copy. What should I do?

You may have certified copies of your foreign transcripts sent if you are not able to send the original official copies. Please have them certified by your university, education/foreign affairs ministry. You can also have them certified and sent to us from WES or ECE. If the originals are not in English, a literal English translation must be supplied as well. 

My transcripts are from a foreign country and are not in English. What should I do?

If an institution's transcripts are only available in a foreign language, TGS will need an English translation completed by a verifiable, neutral third party (i.e. ATA translators, a transcript evaluation service, etc.) in addition to the original copy. Transcripts and accompanying translations should be mailed in sealed envelopes directly by the third party responsible for translation.  

Can I physically bring my transcripts to your office on a walk-in basis to meet your requirement?

Unfortunately, we cannot accept transcripts delivered in-person because it hampers our ability to assess their authenticity. A limited number of appointments for in-person submission may be made available on a case-by-case basis, typically only in extenuating circumstances that would prevent the student from submitting their transcripts using more conventional means. 

Doctoral student questions

What is the typical stipend for doctoral students?

TGS offers a base stipend rate; read about it on our Funding webpage.