Stanford
Materials Science and Engineering

Admissions FAQ

Admissions Frequently Asked Questions

Review this page and the linked resources in entirety BEFORE sending us your questions!  

 

Contact information

Applying to Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford

Stanford University 2025–26 Materials Science Application Information

Stanford MSE PhD Admissions

Stanford MSE MS Admissions

Application Requirements

  • Completed online application and paid application fee.
  • Three (3) letters of recommendation are required. These letters can come from a wide range of individuals, such as research and academic advisors, instructors, and workplace supervisors. Up to six total letters can be submitted; including additional letters does not inherently benefit or hinder your application.
  • Online, unofficial transcript. Submit your unofficial transcript(s) from all post-secondary institutions you have attended for at least one year. If admitted to the MSE program, you will be asked to provide an official transcript(s). NOTE: An unofficial transcript(s) is all that is needed to be uploaded to the application. Official transcript(s) are ONLY required if admission is granted.
  • Statement of purpose instructions:
    • Describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the proposed program at Stanford, preparation for this field of study, research interests, fututre career plans, and other aspects of your background and interests that may aid the admission committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study. The maximum recommended length is 1,000 words.
  • Resume is required: "Please upload your current resume/CV including any relevant research experience, publications, and/or posters."
  • Students who wish to apply for admission to our graduate program 2024-2025 academic year are not required to take the GRE or submit a GRE score report as part of their application process.

Application Deadlines 2025–2026

Autumn — September 2025 Start Date

  • Ph.D. Application Due: Tuesday, December 3, 2024, by 11:59 pm (PST)
  • Masters Application Due: Tuesday, January 14, 2025, by 11:59 pm (PST)

All application materials—including language test scores—are DUE by the posted deadline.

You can submit supplemental material before the deadline; the material will be matched when you submit your online application.

If you are a re-applicant, all materials listed above are required again, including letters of recommendation. If test scores are less than five years old, we may be able to reinstate them. Please send an email to mseadmissions@stanford.edu for more information on reapplying.

General application requirements

Q: What are the required tests for admissions?

A:  We do not require the GRE. If applicable, we require the TOEFL for language proficiency. We do NOT accept any other language proficiency exams at this time.

1: GRE (Graduate Record Exam): NOT required. Students who wish to apply for admission to our graduate program 2024-2025 academic year are not required to take the GRE or submit a GRE score report as part of their application process.

2:  TOEFL: Adequate command of spoken and written English is required for admission. Applicants whose first language is not English must submit an official test score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Stanford accepts only ETS (Educational Testing Service) scores.

  • Scores must be submitted from a test taken within the last 18 months.
  • Exemptions are granted to applicants who have earned a US bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association in the United States, or the international equivalent degree from a university of recognized standing in a country in which all instruction is provided in English. Therefore, applicants with degrees from the US, Australia, Canada (except Quebec), New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales) are exempt from taking the TOEFL and do not need to submit the TOEFL Waiver Request form.
  • Applicants with degrees from institutions in countries other than those listed above and in which English was the only language of instruction must submit the TOEFL Waiver Request form to be evaluated for a waiver to the TOEFL requirement.
  • US citizenship does not automatically exempt an applicant from taking the TOEFL if the applicant’s first language is not English. Please refer to https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/applying/starting-your-application/required-exams for details on the minimum test score requirement. Both the GRE and TOEFL, if applicable, are required by the university and cannot be waived by the Department. For the official scores from ETS to arrive in time for the deadline, they should be taken well in advance and no later than an October test date.

Q: What are the admitted students average test scores, GPA?

A: Our department takes a holistic approach when revewing submitted applications. We do not keep statistics of test scores, GPA's etc. of past years.

Q: What is the most important part of my application?

A: Our department does not have a "formula" for admissions. We perform an individualized, holistic review of each applicant. We are particularly interested in learning about your personal strengths and experiences that have prepared you for graduate school. Because of our "whole view" approach, we do not keep statistics of test scores, GPAs, etc. of those admitted in past years. Early application will not increase your chance of being accepted

Q: My school(s) has sent an official transcript. Why does my checklist say that only my unofficial transcript(s) have been received?

A: We do not require official transcripts at the time of application. Thus, if you do not upload your transcript in the online admission form, it may take several weeks for the checklists to be updated. They will be updated in the order they are received AFTER the application deadline. It may take up to three weeks (15 business days) to process your application. 

We have hundreds of applications to process, review, and mark complete. We will be in touch with you if you are missing any materials. Please do NOT call and email asking why your file is not “complete.”  Each call/email slows our process down and lengthens our review.

Q: I have taken my required language test (TOEFL) and requested the scores be sent to Stanford. I have also submitted my transcripts and my recommendation letters; why is my checklist saying that they have not been received?

A: You must first submit your application for Stanford to be able to see your checklist. Stanford cannot match your recommendation letters, transcripts, and test score until test scores are sent by ETS to Stanford, and it could take up to a few weeks to match your application to your scores. The checklists will not be updated until after the December 3, 2024 (Ph.D.) and January 14th, 2025 (MS) deadline. After that, we will update them at least weekly. Do not worry, and we will be in touch with you if you are missing any materials. Please DO NOT contact us requesting we update your file. Test scores are uploaded by an automated process each week. If you are concerned that your test scores have not been received, please contact the appropriate testing service office.

Transcripts will be marked as "received" once the department reviews them. 

Q: How can I send my language test scores to Stanford, and where should I send my transcripts? What is Stanford’s ETS (Educational Testing Service) institutional code for sending test scores? What is the department code?

TOEFL Test scores:

Official TOEFL scores must be reported directly to Stanford from Educational Testing Service. Stanford’s ETS institutional code is 4704. Individual department code numbers are not necessary. As long as the institutional code of 4704 is selected (and your name in the online application and the ETS match, as well as your birthdate - Month/Day/Year), the score will be electronically delivered to Stanford. The scores will be sent to the central Graduate Admissions Office at Stanford University electronically and matched by name and birthdate to the application files. The test reporting process may take up to a few weeks.

Transcript(s)*: 

Unofficial transcripts are all that are needed to upload to the application. Official transcripts will be required only if admission is granted. 

You are required to submit transcript(s) from every postsecondary institution you have attended for at least one year as a full-time student in a degree program. You do not have to send transcripts from summer school or continuing education unless it was part of a degree program.

Please upload a scanned copy of your unofficial transcript (s) into the online application. See the transcript upload information in the File Upload Requirements section for specific instructions.

Once accepted*, you will be asked to submit your official transcript(s). You will need to arrange for your official transcripts to be sent by the institution(s) to Stanford Graduate Admissions. An official transcript must be an original document bearing the institutional seal and official signature of the Registrar or copies verified by a school administrative officer.

Extensive information can be found on Stanford’s Graduate Admission Page: Transcripts (Academic Records)

Q: What if my language test scores are not received by the deadline?

A: Your file will not be considered complete until all required application materials are received. We may do a preliminary review of your file with unofficial (self-reported) test scores, but we will not make a final decision until we have official test scores.

Q: Would it be possible to modify my application after it has already been submitted?

A: No, you will not be able to modify your application once it’s submitted. Official test scores to back up the self-reported ones, online letters of recommendation, and official transcripts are the only things that can be added to your application after the deadline.

Q: What is the minimum GPA required for admission?

A: We do not require a minimum GPA. We perform an individualized, holistic review of each applicant. We are particularly interested in learning about your personal strengths and experiences that have prepared you for graduate school, especially in relation to the resources that were available to you. Because of our "whole view" approach, we do not keep statistics of test scores, GPAs, etc. of those admitted in past years.

Q: Is there a preferred background for acceptance to the Stanford graduate program?

A: Any engineering discipline or related science discipline (such as physics, chemistry, etc.), or mathematics is a good base for graduate study in materials science and engineering.

Q: What are the minimum TOEFL scores required for admission?

A: Stanford University requires a score of 89 for the MS program and 100 for the PhD program.  

Q: How long are my TOEFL scores valid for admission?

A: Scores must be submitted from a test taken within the last eighteen months. 

Q: What if my official transcripts are not received by the deadline?

A: We will review your application with the unofficial transcripts upload to the application. Official transcripts are not needed at the time application deadline. 

Q: What is an “official” transcript?

A: The PDF version of the transcripts you upload online is considered “unofficial.” The university requires “official” transcripts that are produced and sent directly by your university.

Q: I am an international student. Do my transcripts need to be translated into English?

A: For the admissions committee and university to read your transcripts, any text must be translated into English. You must submit original language records with official English translations. We accept translations issued by the institution or a professional translating service. Translations must be literal and complete versions of the original records.

Q: I am an international student (or student at a US school that doesn’t use a 4.0 scale), and my grades are not on a 4.0 scale. Should I compute my GPA to compare to the US 4.0 grading scale?

A: You are asked to enter both GPA and GPA scale for each institution you list on the application. Enter your GPA as it appears on your transcript. Do not convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale if it's reported on a different scale.

Q: What happens if my letters of recommendation are not received by the deadline?

A: We will not review your file unless we have at least three letters of recommendation.

Q. What if my recommenders did not receive the invitation to submit their letters, or what if they are having issues?

A: First, have your recommenders check their SPAM or JUNK mail.  Often they will find the invitation there.  If they have the invitation, within the recommender request there is a link for recommenders to use to check the FAQ or get online help. The link is also accessible through your account after it is established and your recommenders indicate there is an issue.  This cannot be resolved at the department level. This question is answered on the Graduate Admissions website.

Q: What happens if I need to remove or change a recommender?

A: On the Recommendations page of the application, click on the recommender’s name you wish to replace, then click Exclude at the bottom of the resulting popup window. You then will see the option to add a new recommender. The recommender you exclude will not receive an email notification.

Once you have submitted your application, you will not be able to revise your list of recommendation letters. If you need to update your list or let us know that a recommender will not be submitting a letter, please send an email to mseadmissions@stanford.edu. In the email, please state your full name and what changes you need to be made to your recommenders.

Q: How can I request financial aid?

A: We offer full financial support to all admitted PhD students, including a living stipend/salary, full tuition, and a health insurance subsidy. Financial aid for MS students is not common. You may feel free to check the box on the application form that asks if you wish to be considered for aid; however, it has no bearing on the application.

Q: What degrees can I apply for?

A: Applicants may ask to be considered for either an MS degree or a PhD degree. We do not accept applicants directly to the Engineer degree program, so please do not put this on your application form. If you expect to obtain both an MS degree and a PhD degree, apply to the PhD program only. Use the MS program ONLY if you expect to obtain a terminal MS degree and not continue your education.

Q: Can I apply to more than one department at Stanford?

A: No, you may apply to only one department. If the department to which you apply does not admit you, you may request to have your application be considered by another department, pending the second department agrees to review your application.

Generally, financial aid is already awarded by the time another department agrees to review such applications; therefore, even if you are admitted, you would need to be prepared to fund yourself for at least the first year.

Q: What is meant by the question in the application, “If you applied to the PhD program but are not admitted to it, do you want to be considered for admissions to the Master’s Degree Program?”

A: We have a limited number of spaces available for PhD admits. Sometimes we offer an MS program admission to someone who has applied to the PhD program. Please indicate in your application that you wish to be considered for an MS if you are not offered a position in the PhD program.

Q: I am reapplying to the program. Can I reuse any application materials?

A: All materials, including letters of recommendation, must be resubmitted. 

Q: Is it possible to request an application fee waiver?

A: We do NOT review waiver requests at the department level. Do NOT contact MSE Admissions about a fee waiver. Instead, please refer to the grad admission site for more information about application fee waivers.

Q: Can I connect with you on LinkedIn?

A: The mseadmissions@stanford.edu address is an organizational email and does not have an active LinkedIn account.

Program Specific Questions and Answers

MS Program Q&A

PhD Program Q&A

Need more information?

If you have any questions not answered after reviewing the resources on our website, please email mseadmissions@stanford.edu.

Email is the best option for communication, as we cannot return long distance or international phone calls.