Q: What factors are taken into account when evaluating my application?
A: We consider prior academic performance, research and other professional
experience, GRE scores, and overall potential to successfully pursue graduate
study in our department. Experience and potential are evaluated largely through
the letters of recommendation and the statement of purpose. Foreign students
from non-English speaking countries must also take the Test of English as
a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing
System (IELTS) test.
Q: What are the important dates to remember?
A: Please note that these dates apply to PhD applications only:
December 31: Application forms must be submitted.
Early January: Last date that supplemental materials (e.g. recommendation letters) will be accepted.
Late January through March: General
time line for most offers of admission to be made.
March/April:
Group visits of accepted students to Northwestern.
April 15: Deadline for students to accept offers of admission.
These dates apply to MS applications:
July 15: Application forms must be submitted. International applicants are strongly encouraged to apply earlier to allow sufficient time to process visa paperwork.
Late March/April and on: The first round of offers of admission will occur in late March or early April, and will continue on a rolling basis until late July.
August 10: Deadline for students to accept offers of admission.
Q: Can I apply electronically?
A: You must apply electronically - there is no paper application.
The on-line application can be found at
Q: Can you waive the application fee?
A: We cannot waive the application fee.
The Graduate School offers a small number of fee waivers to qualified appliants. For more information, see the Graduate School website.
Q: Do I need to submit a financial statement?
A: A financial statement is not necessary for the
application process.
Q: Does the MSE department require a writing sample or a resume
to be sent as part of the graduate application?
A:The MSE department does not require writing sample. Submission of a resume or CV is optional.
Q: Does an earlier application increase my chances of admission?
A: All applications are evaluated the same way,
as long as they reach us before the deadline.
Q: What if I forget my PIN/password for the on-line application
system?
A: Return to The Graduate School Online Application web
site. Click on the search button in the User Login section. Still having
problems? Contact TGS.
Q: What is the acceptance rate of the department?
A: The acceptance rate depends on the number of
available slots (combination of university fellowships and research assistantships),
the number of applications and the likely yield. These numbers tend
to fluctuate from year to year. Each applicant is unique, and we cannot assess
the chance of success without knowing the full credential of the applicant.
Q: Do you have rolling admissions?
A: No. With very few exceptions, we only admit
students in the Fall quarter. While we occasionally admit graduate students
to begin in January (winter quarter) or at other times during the year, we
strongly encourage students to apply for fall admission. This timing provides
the most flexibility in advisor selection.
Q: How many spots are generally available for international students?
A: International
students are supported by a combination of university fellowships and research
assistantships. These numbers
tend to fluctuate from year to year.
Q: I would like to eventually get a Ph.D., but I might want to get
a Master's degree first. Should I apply to the MS program or the PhD program?
A: In this situation you should indicate your preference for the
PhD program. The MS program refers to students who are interested only in
that degree. The MS degree is not required for the PhD in Materials Science
and Engineering.
Q: Does the department accept transfer students
from other departments?
A: We strongly encourage students to finish their degrees from the
department in which they originally enrolled. We generally do not accept
students from other Ph.D. programs.
Q: Should I contact individual faculty members?
A: Not before you have been accepted. All decisions on admission
and financial support are made by a committee, and a faculty member does
not influence this process unless he writes a letter of recommendation. Those
applicants who have been admitted are encouraged to email or telephone individual
faculty members for information on research, etc.
Codes
Q: What are the codes for the submission of GRE and TOEFL scores?
A: Northwestern University's school code for GRE
and TOEFL is 1565. If you are taking the TOEFL or GRE
be sure to include this number on your test form. No specific department code
is neccesary for GRE scores.
Additionally, you should reference department code 01 when
submitting TOEFL scores. 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.
Recommendation Letters
Q: How many Letters of Recommendation should I submit?
A: The minimum is two, but you may submit three if you wish.
Q: Can I use paper letters of recommendation?
A: No. The Graduate School's policy is to only accept letters of recommendation that are submitted electronically.
Q: Is there a particular format for recommendation letters?
A: No particular format, and there is no form that needs to be filled out.
Q: What happens after I submit my application?
A: We keep all of your application materials in an online tracking system. Once everything arrives, we will check your application to make sure we received all of the necessary components. If there happens to be a problem, we will contact you to work out a solution. If your application is in order, we will send you an email letting you know that your application is complete. This process will usually take at least a week, and even more if it takes longer for your letters of recommendation or test scores to arrive. You can also keep track of your application status at https://gradstatus.northwestern.edu./ Please note that even if your status shows everthing as being received, it will still say "incomplete" until we go in and check it. We have to manually mark it complete; it is not an automated process.
Q: Do I need to take the TOEFL?
A: All international students whose degrees are
not from institutions where the majority of instruction is in English must take the TOEFL or IELTS exam.
Q: I plan to take the TOEFL in late November so the score will only
be available late December. May I apply earlier in November or December
before I have my official TOEFL score?
A: You may apply early. We
will not render a decision until the file is complete. This
includes having an official TOEFL score.
Q: How do I know if my TOEFL scores have expired?
A: TOEFL must be taken no more than two years before
the intended quarter of entry. However, your application will not be disqualified
if your scores are a few months out of date.
Q: Are my TOEFL/GRE/GPA scores sufficient? What are the minimum
scores?
A: An applicant is evaluated on the basis
of the total academic performance, which includes coursework, test scores,
research experience, and evaluation by faculty members or applicant’s
supervisors. The
only minimum we set is TOEFL, on which an international applicant must
score 550 or higher on the paper-based test, 213 or higher on the computer-based
test, 90 or higher on the internet-based test. On the IELTS, an
applicant must score 7.0 or higher. There is no minimum requirement for GRE scores.
Q: Can I send unofficial copies of GRE/TOEFL before the official
copies are ready?
A: Yes, you may. However,
an official decision will not be made until the official copies are received.
Q: How do I submit IELTS scores?
A: Please scan and upload a copy of your IELTS score resport along with your application. We will verify your scores directly with IELTS.
Q: Do you have my IELTS scores? I submitted them, but don't see that they have been received on my application status page.
A: Unfortunately, the tracking system does not have the capacity to indicate the receipt of IELTS scores. We will contact you if there is anything missing from your application.
Q: I requested that ETS send my scores to a department at Northwestern other than Materials Science. Should I ask them to send the scores again?
A: It most cases we will be able to locate your scores from the other department and it is not necessary to resend them.
Transcripts
Q: Do I need to submit high school transcripts?
A: No.
Q: My university doesn’t offer electronic copies of official transcripts. May I submit a copy of my graduate transcript?
A: Scanned copies of official transcripts are acceptable for the application. To be considered, all documents not in English
must be accompanied by official English translations. Please do not send paper copies of your transcripts during the application process.
Financial Aid
Q: How much financial aid will I receive?
A: Most PhD students are admitted with research assistantships and/or fellowships. Each
research assistantship includes full tuition, a take-home stipend, and health insurance. In
2009-2010, the stipend amounts to $26,400 per year, which is adjusted annually
according to inflation.
Q: For how many years will I receive financial aid?
A: Most PhD students are admitted withresearch assistantships, which
will continue as long as funds are available and students are making satisfactory
progress towards their degrees.
Q: Is the financial aid enough to cover living expenses?
A: Based on the experience of current PhD students, the financial
aid is sufficient to cover reasonable living expenses.
Visiting Northwestern
Q: As a foreign student, I cannot visit Northwestern prior to making
my decision. How can I learn more about the department?
A: Administrative questions should be directed to the Graduate Admissions
Director for the Materials Science Department. In addition, we have recently
established a student mentoring system, where accepted international students
are put in contact with current graduate students from within the department.
In most cases the accepted student and his/her student mentor are from the
same country.
Northwestern offers international students the opportunity to participate
in a program called the International Summer Institute before
beginning their graduate studies. For more information, please visit the ISI
website.
Acceptance
Q: What happens after I am accepted?
A: We encourage all accepted U.S. students to visit Northwestern
prior to making a decision about the offer. Most students visit during one
of two group visits in the spring. Northwestern will pay for most of the
expenses associated with these visits. During the visits, students speak
with faculty who are of the most interest to them, and learn more about our
department and the Evanston/Chicago area. The purpose of these visits is
not to arrange for a research advisor, but to get enough information so that
you can make an informed choice about which graduate school to attend.
Q: When do I need to formally accept or decline an offer of admission?
A: The deadline is April 15, but if you make your
decision earlier than that, please let us know.
Q: How do I choose a research advisor?
A: New graduate students arriving in September hear research presentations
from each of the faculty members in the department. Students are then given
two to three weeks to meet with the faculty whose projects are of the most
interest to them. In October, students indicate their advisor preferences.
advisors are then assigned based on these preferences. Alternatively, it
may be possible to select an advisor in the Spring before matriculation--see
'preselect' below.
Q. How do I know which faculty are taking new students?
A: Due to the nature of research funding, we cannot
guarantee that all faculty members will indeed be taking students. The picture
will be clearer as the year progresses.
Q: What are the chances that I will be
able to work with an advisor of my choice?
A: Over the past several years at least
more than 80% of the students have been assigned
their first choice for a research advisor, and
more than half of the remaining students have
been assigned their second choice.
Q: Can I 'preselect' a research advisor prior to my arrival at Northwestern?
A: Our experience is that the advisor selection method described
above gives students the most flexibility in finding a research group that
is a good match for their own interests. However, in specific cases where
the interests of a student are narrowly defined, it may be possible to select
an advisor in advance. Students interested in this option should discuss
it with the Graduate Admissions Director for the Department of Materials
Science and Engineering.
************************************************************
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tuition, fees, curricula, and courses.
It is the policy of Northwestern University not to discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or veteran status in matters of admissions, employment, housing, or services or in the educational programs or activities it operates, in accordance with civil rights legislation and University commitment.
Any alleged violations of this policy or questions regarding the law with respect to nondiscrimination should be directed to Director of Equal Employment Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and Disability Services, 720 University Place, Evanston, Illinois 60208-1147, phone 847/491-7458; Office of the Provost, Rebecca Crown Center, Evanston, Illinois 60208-1101.
Robert
R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
Materials
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