Graduate Application Information – Prior to Fall 2024

Two students walking on Central Campus

Thank you for your interest in Iowa State University!

Please read these instructions carefully before beginning your application.

Applying Fall 2024 and beyond

Admission criteria

Admission criteria are established by both the Graduate College and by the graduate program.

Pre-application

Iowa State University’s Graduate College has made the use of a pre-application available to graduate departments. Some departments have chosen to require or optionally use this pre-application. The pre-application is free, does not require letters of recommendation or most other documents, and consists of only a subset of the primary application questions, enough information for departments to make a recommendation on the applicant based on academics.

Starting an application or pre-application is the same no matter which method the department(s) use. Applicants who apply using the pre-application, should hear something from their department within a few weeks. If approved to move on to phase 2, applicants will then be asked to provide the remaining application requirements, documentation, letters of recommendation, and pay the application fee.

Deadlines

Deadlines are set by and vary by graduate programs. Deadlines represent the endpoint in the application process (i.e ., the final completion of your file) rather than the beginning of that process. All materials with the exception of examination results should be received by the program deadline for timely consideration . Graduate programs vary in their willingness to c onsider late applications.

Letters of Recommendation (LOR)

The US Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 ( FERPA ) gives e nrolled students the right to view the contents of their application files. It is common practice to ask applicants for admission to sign a voluntary waiver of the right to see their letters of recommendation.

It is not uncommon for recommenders to refu se to write a letter of recommendation unless they have assurance that their letter will be kept confidential. So if you indicate you do not waive your right, we encourage you to contact your recommenders and see if they will still write a letter of recom mendation, because o nce you make your selection and submit your application, you may not change your response to that question .

E mail Requests for Letters of Recommendation

Occasionally, a recommender will indicate they have not received our e mail notif ication with the link to the LOR form. In that event, please check that you entered their e mail address accurately on the application. If not, you may edit the information on the application and send a reminder to the new address. If it was entered correc tly, the e mail may have been intercepted by the recommender’s SPAM filter. Please ask them to check their SPAM folder for the message. As a last resort, they could provide you with an alternative e mail address, or submit the PDF LOR provided on our websi te (instructions below).

Managing Your Online LORs

Iowa State’s online application system allows you to track when your online LORs are submitted, as well as change recommenders, edit email addresses, and send reminders to your recommenders.

To do so, go to Graduate Apply , and click on “Apply” (as if you are going to fill in another application). The Log In page will appear where you can reenter your User Name and Password to sign in. Click “Manage Documents” and you will be able to see and track the status of any online LOR. The following options are offered:

PDF Letters of Recommendation

If a recommender does not wish to submit a LOR online, or has difficulty doing so, please follow these instructions:

  1. Download the PDF copy of the Letter of Recommendation form , c omplete Sections 1 and 3, and save the completed form.
  2. Send the form to your recommender. You must include the postal address and/or e mail address of the program to which you have applied so your recommender will know where to send the form once completed . (You will find contact information on the Program Requirements webpage.)
  3. Please be aware that only online recommendation letters are tracked on the Online Application System. You will not be able to track LORs that are submitted by e mail or sent by post. Those should be sent directly to the graduate program to which you apply. LORs should not be sent to the Office of Admissions.

Questions and contacts

It is always our pleasure to assist students in their application process ; however , we do ask that students read all instructions carefully before contacting us, as answers to your questions may have already been addressed. You can also check out our Graduate FAQ.

In order to better serve you, please also note below which office should be contacted regarding application iss ues:

Express mail requests

Contact the Office of Admissions

Office of Admissions
100 Enrollment Services Center
2433 Union Drive
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2042
USA

Tel: 1 515 294-5836
Fax: 1 515 294-2592

Domestic student information

Admission criteria

Admission criteria are established by both the Graduate College and by the graduate program.

Application processing fee

The nonrefundable application f ee for domestic students (US citizens, US permanent residents, refugees, asylees, DACA or undocumented) is $60.

Multiple programs

If you wish to apply to multiple programs, you will incur multiple nonrefundable application fee charges (e.g., $ 120 for two domestic applications, $180 for three domestic applications). You will not need to submit multiple copies of your supporting application materials, as those will be made available to all programs to which you apply. Please note, however, that the programs will be informed that you are applying to multiple programs.

Fee waivers

The only fee waivers offered are to McNair Scholars . U.S. military veterans and those currently serving will have their application fee deferred until they enroll.

Completing the application

Name

If variations of your name will appear on examination score reports or academic records, please provide those variations in the space provided. If you have only one name, please enter it in the last name or surname field

Universities attended

Please list your most recent university first, including the one you are currently attending.

Grade Point Average (GPA

On the application, you are asked to provide your cumulative GPA at the undergraduate level (and graduate if appropriate). You should use the grading system used at your institution, and provide the maximum attainable score as well. For example, for U.S. schools, one would write “3.0/4.0.” Students graded on percentage systems might write 80/100%. Examples of other systems include: 2nd Class Upper/1st Division; 7/10; 13/20, etc.

Statement of Purpose

The Statement of Purpose is part of the actual application form. There is a strict limit of 500 words, so we encourage you to be succinct. Once submitted, no changes can be made, so please proofread your statement (as well as all other entries) carefully before submitting your application. You can either add your statement of purpose in the field provided on the application form, or upload it as a PDF. Please choose one option, not both.

Online recommendations

Iowa State University prefers that you use the online letter of recommendation process. By including your recommenders’ names and email addresses on the application form, they will be sent an email with a link to our online Letter of Recommendation form after you submit your application. Emails to your recommenders will not be sent until you pay the application fee and submit your application. More details are provided in the Letter of Recommendation section of these instructions.

Previous Iowa State graduate students

If you were previously enrolled at Iowa State as a degree-seeking graduate in the last five years, you do not need to apply again. Contact your major professor to select courses and obtain registration information. If you were last enrolled as a degree-seeking graduate longer than five years ago, you should submit the Reinstatement to Active Status form and gain the written approval of a graduate program and the Graduate College.

Examination requirements

For the purpose of applying to Iowa State, English may be considered your primary language if you have been raised in an environment where English is the only official language of your locality and nation, and English is the language used in your home. If your primary language is not English, you must meet the university’s English proficiency requirement in one of the following ways:

  1. Earn a bachelor’s or higher degree from a country where English is the only official language.
  2. Submit official results from one of the following exams. The minimum requirements of both the Graduate College and the graduate program to which you are applying must be met. The minimum scores accepted by the Graduate College are: