How to Apply

In addition to the information below and our FAQ page, please review the Graduate Admissions website and their FAQ page prior to starting your application. When you are ready to start your application, click here to Apply Now.

The 14 Stanford Biosciences PhD programs only accept applications once per year for the Autumn quarter entry only. The application deadline for Autumn 2026-27 is Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at 11:59:59 pm (PST). Late applications will not be accepted.

The admissions committees of the 14 PhD programs will promptly begin to review applicant files the day following the application deadline.  It is important that all of your application materials, including letters of recommendation, are submitted by the deadline. We cannot guarantee the review of any materials received after the deadline.

To view the status of your application materials, click here to access your Application Status Page.

To be eligible for admission to graduate study at Stanford, you must meet the university’s minimum requirements for academic credentials and English proficiency.

Minimum Education Requirements
You must hold, or expect to hold before enrollment at Stanford, a U.S. bachelor’s degree or its international equivalent from a college or university of recognized standing.

For applicants who earned their qualifying degree outside the United States: If you are unsure whether your international degree is considered equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree, we recommend using the degree equivalency tool offered by World Education Services (WES).

English Proficiency
As a graduate student enrolled at Stanford, you will be expected to read English with ease, understand rapid idiomatic English as used in lectures and group discussions, and express thoughts quickly and clearly in spoken and written English.

Effective for applicants starting graduate study in 2026: You are not required to submit English proficiency test scores if you meet one or more of the following criteria:

• You are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Your first language is English.
• You earned a U.S. bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, or international equivalent from a university where all instruction was conducted in English.
• You have two or more consecutive years of full-time professional or educational experience in English, in the past 10 years.

If you do not meet any of the criteria listed above, then at the time of application you are required to submit an official test score from an approved English proficiency test.

Program Course Requirements
A majority of the 14 Biosciences PhD programs do not have specific course requirements for admission.  The faculty like to see that you have taken a rigorous course load, but they will be particularly interested in your research experience.  While many of our graduate students have undergraduate preparation in a life sciences curriculum, it is feasible to enter from other programs, including chemistry, computer science, mathematics, psychology, or physics.

The Biomedical Data Science, Biophysics, Molecular and Cellular Physiology, and Structural Biology programs have some course background requirements.  We strongly recommend that you reach out to the programs to which you plan to apply to ask for specific course requirements/suggestions.

Application Fee
The application fee is $125 and is non-refundable. You will be prompted to pay the application fee at the time you submit your application. The acceptable form of payment is via credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, Discover, and Diners Club) or bank transfer from a U.S. checking account. If you do not have a credit card, then you should make arrangements with a family member or friend to use theirs. Checks by mail are not accepted.

Fee Waivers
Applicants who need assistance with the application fee are encouraged to apply for a fee waiver. Priority for fee waivers is given to applicants who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. International applicants who need assistance with the application fee are eligible to apply for the School-Based fee waiver. For a complete list of fee waiver options, eligibility requirements, and deadlines, please visit the Graduate Admissions Application Fee website. Note that the Application Fee Waiver Requests are not processed through the Biosciences Admissions Office.

Home Program Overview
The Biosciences program encourages students to explore research opportunities, carry out rotations, and choose dissertation research in any of the 14 Home Programs. Each student is admitted to a particular Home Program, which then provides a primary academic base. Your program selection should be based on the alignment of your interests with a program’s faculty, and the specifics of the program curriculum. Regardless of your Home Program, you have full access to faculty in all of the other Home Programs for laboratory rotations and potential thesis work. The Biosciences program at Stanford encourages students to explore research opportunities, do rotations, and eventually decide on dissertation research in any of the 14 Home Programs. Each student is admitted to a particular Home Program, which then provides the primary base for training during the first year. Please review the Home Program Overview webpage carefully before making your Home Program Selection on your application.

Home Program Selection
When completing the “Program Selection” section of the application, you will be asked to select your primary Degree Program.  In addition, you will also be able to select one alternative Home Program. Only select an additional program if you have a genuine interest in the field. Including a poorly matched program will not necessarily increase your chances of being accepted.  You will be required to answer additional questions related to your Home Program selection(s) on the Supplemental Form. The information you provide in this section will help the Admissions Committee match you with the Home Program that seems most suited to your background and research interests.

Faculty of Interest
When completing the “Program Supplemental” section of the application, you will be required to submit a rank-ordered list of eight to twelve Biosciences faculty of interest to you. The majority should be in your primary Home Program. Being admitted through any individual Home Program allows you full access to faculty in all of the other Home Programs for laboratory rotations and potential thesis work. You will not need to secure a research supervisor prior to applying. For more information on faculty research interests, please visit the Biosciences Faculty database.

Because each Home Program requires significant original research activities in fulfillment of the requirements for the PhD degree, the admissions committees are interested in obtaining as much information as possible about your previous research experiences. Those who already have such experience are in a better position to know whether they are truly interested in performing laboratory research as part of a graduate program. Please include specific information about your research experience in your Statement of Purpose. You may also use the Statement to amplify your comments about your choice of Home Program(s), and how your past experiences and current interests are related to your choice.

The Statement of Purpose should not exceed two pages in length, single-spaced, and font size 12. Make sure to set your computer to Western European or other English-language settings. We cannot guarantee the ability to access your statement if it is submitted in other fonts.

Three letters of recommendation are required, but you may have up to four letters submitted on your behalf.   As part of the online application, you will be required to register the names and contact information, including e-mail addresses, of your recommenders. Recommenders will then receive an e-mail with directions on how to proceed. All recommendations must be submitted using the online application system as recommenders are required to respond to specific evaluation questions on the recommendation form. Letters of recommendation cannot be submitted via a letter service (i.e. Interfolio), mailed, emailed, or faxed.

Please be sure that you ask for a recommendation from at least one individual who can address your potential for original and creative research. In most cases, that individual would be the person guiding your most recent research activities. It is very important that you contact your recommenders before submitting their information in the online application. You must choose whether or not to waive your right to see a recommendation. It may be that a recommender will not submit a recommendation if you have not waived the right to see it. This should be discussed in advance. Your choice will be transmitted to the recommender in the instructional email they will receive.

When completing the “Academic History” section of the application, you will be asked to list and provide your unofficial transcript for every post-secondary institution where you were enrolled — or are currently enrolled — in an undergraduate or graduate degree program.

• Stanford considers unofficial transcripts to be sufficient for the review process. If you are offered admission to Stanford and accept the offer, you will be required to submit official transcripts/degree conferral documents. Please do not send or have sent any official transcripts to us or to your program.
• Your academic records should give detailed information on the content and quality of your performance, the courses you took each year, and the grades you received (including any legends/keys for the institution’s grading scale).
• If your institution does not issue records in 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.

The GRE General Test and GRE Subject Test score requirements vary across the 14 Home Programs. Some programs have optional score submission, while others do not consider the scores in their review process. Please consult the table below for specific program GRE General Test and GRE Subject Test score requirements. For those programs with a listing of “Optional”, scores will be considered if submitted and may be helpful for applicants to complement their academic records, or for applicants with gaps or weaknesses in their academic records. For those programs with “Not Considered”, the admission committee will not have access to your self-reported or official GRE scores.

If you are reading this in early November, you should have already taken the GRE General Test and/or GRE Subject Test so that your scores can reach us by the application deadline. Since our initial reviews of all applications are virtually complete by mid-January, it is unlikely that scores from those who take the late November or December tests will reach us in time for adequate review.

Reporting Official Scores
Official scores must be reported directly to Stanford from Educational Testing Service (ETS). Stanford’s ETS institutional code is 4704. If a department code is required, it does not matter which one you choose. As long as you select the institutional code of 4704, the score is electronically delivered to Stanford. Scores expire after five years and will not be available from ETS. The earliest valid test date is September 1, 2020. Any scores you self-report on the application are considered unofficial, but sufficient for the initial review process.

Please Note: It can take up to three weeks for Stanford to receive official GRE Test scores from ETS. Once received, scores are connected to your application in Stanford’s database after approximately seven business days from the date the online application is received. If after checking your application status you find that the test information is not received, contact the Biosciences Admissions Office.

To be eligible for graduate study at Stanford, you must demonstrate sufficient proficiency to read English with ease, understand rapid idiomatic English as used in lectures and group discussions, and express thoughts quickly and clearly in spoken and written English.

Effective for applicants starting graduate study in 2026: You are not required to submit English proficiency test scores if you meet one or more of the following criteria:

• You are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Your first language is English.
• You earned a U.S. bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, or international equivalent from a university where all instruction was conducted in English.
• You have two or more consecutive years of full-time professional or educational experience in English, in the past 10 years.

You will not be required to submit English proficiency test scores in the application if your responses in the “Personal Background” section of the application reflect that you meet the above criteria; no additional documentation is required at the time of application. If you are offered admission and accept the offer, you may be required to submit supporting documentation as a condition of admission.

If you do not meet any of the criteria listed above, then at the time of application you are required to submit an official test score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT) or the International English Language Testing System Academic Test (IELTS Academic) that meets the university’s minimum score for admission consideration. Refer to the English proficiency test webpage and the following for more details.

Minimum Score Requirements for English Proficiency

• The minimum score is 90 (TOEFL) / 7 (IELTS).
• The English Placement Test is required for incoming students who earned a score below 109 (TOEFL) / 8 (IELTS) at the time of application. There are no exceptions to this requirement, even for those who score just below the cutoff. The test takes place shortly before the first quarter of graduate study and is administered by the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Program, who will determine whether language courses are required or recommended to support the student’s success in the graduate program.
• Stanford considers English proficiency test scores to be valid for two years. The earliest test date Stanford considers TOEFL/IELTS scores to be valid is September 1, 2023.

Reporting English Proficiency Scores

Reporting TOEFL Scores
We accept MyBest scores, which combine your highest section scores from all test dates within the last two years. All TOEFL scores we receive, including MyBest scores, will be made available to the admission committee. The admission committee may decide how they wish to evaluate the scores provided.

Self-Reported Scores
You may use either of the following methods to self-report your MyBest scores on the application:

1. List all TOEFL tests you took within the past two years where you earned a section score that is included in your MyBest scores. – or –
2. List a single TOEFL entry with your MyBest scores. For the test date, enter the “as of” date listed on your most recent score report.

Any scores you self-report on the application are considered unofficial but sufficient for the initial review process.

Official Scores
If you are submitting TOEFL scores to satisfy Stanford’s English proficiency test requirement, you must report your official scores directly to Stanford from ETS. Stanford’s ETS institutional code is 4704. If a department code is required, it does not matter which one you choose. As long as you select the institutional code of 4704, the scores are electronically delivered to Stanford.

When you arrange for your official TOEFL scores to be sent to Stanford, the report will include both your traditional scores from your selected test date and your MyBest scores. Upon successful receipt, both sets of scores will appear on the Test Scores page of your application with a status of “Verified.” You do not need to have official scores from previous tests sent to Stanford as long as the most recent official score report includes the MyBest scores you wish to use.

Reporting IELTS Scores
All IELTS scores we receive will be made available to the admission committee. The admission committee may decide how they wish to evaluate the scores provided.

Self-Reported Scores
To self-report your IELTS scores, list all IELTS tests you took within the past two years that you wish to be considered by the admission committee. Do not enter “superscores” (a single entry that includes your highest section scores from multiple test dates). The application system will automatically display to the admission committee the highest score you earned in each section as well as all reported scores.

Any scores you self-report on the application are considered unofficial but sufficient for the initial review process.

Official Scores
If you are submitting IELTS scores to satisfy Stanford’s English proficiency test requirement, you must report your official scores directly to Stanford via the IELTS Results Service E-delivery option. Our organization’s account name is Stanford University Graduate. We do not accept test results via postal mail.

Upon successful receipt of your official scores, they will appear on the Test Scores page of your application with a status of “Verified.”

Research Experience
While research experience is not an application requirement, admission committees assume that applicants will have some prior experience, as they are applying for a research-related degree.

When completing the “Experience” section of the application, you will be asked to list experiences in order of significance to you, with the most meaningful experience listed first. Do not include labs associated with a course (e.g. organic chemistry course with lab). You may list up to six experiences in this section. If you wish to share more, include this information in your Resume/CV.

Resume/CV
Applicants will be required to submit a current copy of their Resume/CV in the “Experience” section of the application.  A good resource for developing your Resume/CV would be your university’s Career Center.

Other Supporting Materials
For most applicants, the credentials described in the “How to Apply” are sufficient to allow the Admissions Committee to reach a decision regarding an interview or further action on the application. Please do not upload/send additional materials or information to us if they have not been requested. For example, reprints of recent publications, copies of master’s degree dissertations, etc., are not used by the Admissions Committee.

Application Deadline
The deadline to apply to the Stanford Biosciences PhD Programs is Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at 11:59:59 pm (PST).

Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program Deadline
The deadline to apply to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program is Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at 1:00 pm (PST).

Application Review
The admissions committees of the 14 Home Programs will promptly begin to review applicant files the day following the application deadline. It is important that all of your application materials, including letters of recommendation, are submitted by the deadline. We cannot guarantee the review of any materials received after the deadline.

Interviews
Beginning in mid-January (and continuing through mid-February), the Home Programs will begin reaching out to applicants who have been selected for in-person interviews. The selected applicants will be invited to interview, at our expense, arriving on Wednesday, March 4 and departing on Sunday, March 8, 2026. This is our only interview session. Highly qualified applicants residing in other countries and for whom a visit would not be possible may be selected for a virtual interview.

Decisions
In general, if an applicant has not heard about a possible invitation by mid-February, it is unlikely that they will be invited or admitted. Applicants who are not selected for an interview will receive a letter stating that no further action will be taken on their application.

Decision Feedback
Feedback is not available to applicants denied admission. We recognize that you devote a great deal of time and effort to your application, and may wish to discuss it with a member of our admissions committee or a faculty member. Regrettably, we are unable to provide individual feedback to any applicant.

Please note the Biosciences Admissions Office will be closed on Thursday, November 27, through Friday, November 28, 2025, and Monday, December 22, 2025, through Friday, January 2, 2026.

A list of the most frequently asked Biosciences questions (i.e. Eligibility, Funding, Knight-Hennessy Scholars, etc.) can be found on the Biosciences FAQ webpage.  In addition, please also visit the Graduate Admissions FAQ webpage for a more expansive list.

Biosciences PhD Admissions

For Stanford Biosciences PhD Admissions inquiries, visit our How to Apply and FAQ pages along with the  Graduate Admissions website and their FAQ page for more information. Please be sure to read through these pages carefully.  A vast majority of the commonly asked application questions will be answered there. If you are unable to find the answer to your questions, please contact us.

Home Programs

For Home Program-specific questions, please contact the program(s) to which you are applying to for further information.