Prospective Students

1. Write your applications early and tailor your research statements to each school.

• Ask yourself: 

  • What excites me about science?
  • Why do I want to apply to these universities?
  • Which professors at this university would I like to work with?
  • Why are these programs and departments the best fit for my scientific interests?
  • Which experiences, attributes, and accomplishments can I describe to best demonstrate my ability to succeed in graduate school?  

2. Ask 3-4 professors to write your letters of recommendation. 

• Your letter writers should include your undergraduate or post-baccalaureate  Principal Investigator (PI) and professors with whom you have done summer research programs. Include professors with whom you have completed courses if you need additional writers.
• Ask the professor if they are willing to write you a "strong/supportive" letter. 
• Provide a list of the accomplishments, activities, and interests that you would like your letter writers to mention.
• Ask your letter writers in advance, so that they have plenty of time to write your letters.   

3. Apply for pre-doctoral fellowships while you are applying to graduate school. 

• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) 

• Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship NIH F31 and NIH F31- Diversity

• The National GEM Consortium Fellowship Program 

• Ford Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowship 

• Other fellowships available online

4. Attend conferences to present your research and network with professors and administrators from many universities. 

• Examples of Annual Conferences

  • ASBMB, ASM, SFN, ASCB, ASHG, ACS, etc. 

  • The Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS)

  • Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)

  • National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE)

  • American Indian Science and Engineering Society Conference (AISES)

5. Ask for application fee waivers from the diversity office at the universities you are interest in attending.

• Many fee waivers are available at the SACNAS and ABRCMS conferences, as well.

6. Watch the videos below to hear answers to other common questions

• What did current Biosciences students do before coming to graduate school at Stanford?
• How did some current Stanford Bioscience students manage their graduate school applications?
• What should I include in my personal statement? research statement?
• What are graduate school interviews like?
• What if I have some bad grades?
• What about the GRE?
• What is it like to be a graduate student at Stanford?
• What do Stanford students do for fun? 
• What are rotations like in the first year of graduate school? 
• How does Stanford Biosciences funding work?

7. Apply! Do not self-select out of graduate school. You can do it!