Application Process
The following information is from The Graduate School's web site.
- Materials
- Application Form
- Fee
- Transcripts
- Letters of Recommendation
- Statement of Purpose
- Examinations
- Deadlines
- Additional Information for International Applicants: Visas
Materials
- Application Form
The Graduate School accepts on-line applications only. - Application Fee
The fee (subject to change) is $75 for both domestic and international applicants, payable by credit card. Payment of the application fee cannot be waived or deferred, and your application will not be processed until it is received. - Official, confidential transcripts
Two official transcripts (bearing the registrar's signature and/or the institution's seal) from each post-secondary institution attended documenting all courses taken, whether or not within a degree program, grades received and degrees earned. Transcripts must be obtained by you and submitted with all other supporting documents. - Letters of Recommendation
Two letters of recommendation, in duplicate, must be submitted with all other supporting documents to the program. - Statement of Purpose
A one-page statement of purpose, in duplicate, explaining your current goals, career plans, and reasons for selecting a major field of graduate study. - Test Scores
Official GRE scores and, for international applicants whose native language is not English, official TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores. Official results must be sent directly to Northwestern by the Educational Testing Service, using the institutional code 1565 for both tests.
NOTE: Materials submitted in support of an application are not released for other purposes and cannot be returned to the applicant.
Online Application
The application form can be completed and submitted electronically to Northwestern once you have answered all the questions. You may require several sessions to complete this form. That is understandable and is allowed through our on-line application system.
Supplementary materials should be sent together by you to Northwestern in a single large Supplemental Information Packet well before the deadline. To ensure the full consideration of your application be sure to carefully follow the submission procedure detailed in the on-line application.
Fee
All applicants are required to pay an application fee. Applicants using the on-line application may pay the fee by credit card.
Your application will NOT be processed without payment of the fee. The fee cannot be waived or postponed, is not refundable and must accompany the supplementary materials.
Transcripts
Enclose with the rest of your supplementary materials TWO official transcripts (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. This means that students working toward a master's degree at another institution should submit official transcripts of all undergraduate work as well as official transcripts of all graduate work completed at the time of filling out the application. The transcripts should show all the courses you took, 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 the 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.
Most post-secondary institutions will send transcripts to the student, or former student, in sealed envelopes for inclusion in applications.
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. The Graduate School and the Department of Psychology have no use for them, and such transcripts 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. These translations must bear an original ink signature and seal. Translations alone will not be accepted.
Letters of Recommendation
The Graduate School requires a minimum of TWO letters of recommendation from persons best able to assess your ability to do scholarly research required by graduate studies. The electronic does not include recommendation forms. This allows the recommender to use a word processing system to produce the letter. Each letter should be submitted in duplicate, allowing one copy to be kept at The Graduate School and one to be sent to the Department of Psychology.
Please make the recommender aware of this requirement and ask him or her to be sure that your name, the program to which you are applying and your US Social Security number (if you have one) are given on the letter. Have the recommendation letters returned to you in sealed envelopes so that you can include them in the Supplemental Information Packet you send to Northwestern.
Statement of Purpose
Your statement of purpose is an important part of your application. Program admissions 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. Indicate any awards or honors you may have earned, publications you may have authored, or any pertinent research or work experience. This should be a 5,000 character document or about one-page long.
The statement is submitted electronically as part of the on-line application.
Examinations
The receipt of a master's degree from a US institution does not exempt the applicant from submitting official TOEFL scores. United States citizenship or permanent residency status is not an automatic waiver of this requirement.
Official scores must be less than five years old and must come directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The institutional code assigned to The Graduate School at Northwestern is 1565. Be sure to include this number on your test form. Be sure you use only this number on your test form. If your results are not sent to this code, we will never receive them. Do not have your scores sent to any departmental code that may be listed.
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 Graduate School to verify your scores quickly, should there be any delay in receiving the official report, and to identify any source of error in the ETS report.
The minimum TOEFL score for admission is 560 for the paper-based test and 220 for the computer-based test. For admission without English language course requirements, minimum scores required are 575 and 230; and for financial aid consideration, the base scores are 600 and 250, respectively.
The TOEFL is given at test centers throughout the world, including locations within the United States.
Test of Spoken English (TSE)
International students wishing to be considered for appointment as a Teaching Assistant during any year of study in The Graduate School will also need to submit an official Test of Spoken English (TSE) with a score of 50 or higher.
Deadlines
Electronic transmissions and all supporting documents must be received in The Graduate School by 5 p.m. CST on December 31st. To ensure that we have adequate time to assemble all items submitted on your behalf, you should submit the application and all supporting documents at least two weeks before the stated deadline. As a general rule, the earlier you get your materials to the Northwestern, the better your chances for full consideration. However, applications received more than one calendar year before the anticipated date of matriculation will be returned to the sender. Please note that Northwestern does not accept responsibility for postal or courier service delays in receiving items sent by mail.
Additional Information for International Applicants: Visas
All application requirements discussed throughout this web site pertain to both US and international students. Items of special relevance to foreign applicants are given throughout. However, the following information, regarding visas, is applicable only to you.
In order to study in the United States, international students must obtain the appropriate visa. Students attending Northwestern University will receive one of the following types of visas.
1. F-1 Student Visa, with an I-20 Certificate of Eligibility issued by Northwestern University.
2. J-1 Exchange-Visitor (Student) Visa, with an IAP-66 Certificate of Eligibility issued by Northwestern University (or a sponsoring agency).
Before Northwestern can issue the I-20 or IAP-66, US immigration law requires that the university must have documented evidence that a student has adequate financial resources to cover the expenses of studying here. (Additional funds must be verified if a student plans to bring a spouse or children.) Northwestern asks for this information on the Request for Visa form, on the reverse side of the confirmation of intention to register form, which is sent to all admitted students in their admissions packets.
If you are being awarded any financial aid from Northwestern, we will use these figures, combined with the information you supply, in submitting your request for visa to the International Office here at Northwestern. Please note, however, that each student must assume responsibility for the amount needed beyond what Northwestern may award.
The I-20 or the IAP-66 is issued only after a student has submitted official TOEFL scores (when applicable), been offered admission, has returned the Confirmation of Intention to Register form and has provided verification of the necessary funds.
Apply Online at The Graduate School at Northwestern University Online Application
