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School of Biological Sciences School of Biological Sciences
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Application/Evaluation Process

To apply, applicants use the UCSD Application for Graduate Admission, which a web-based application (Slate). You may work on your application a bit at a time, and then submit it once it is complete. The site is secure, and your application and credit card information will remain confidential.

On the Program Selector page of the application, choose Doctor of Philosophy for Degree Type, Biology (PhD) (under Biological Sciences) for Program Interest, and 2024 Fall for Entry Term.

Applications are evaluated by the Admissions Committee (which is comprised of representatives from both the faculty and current Ph.D. students) immediately following submission, through March.

Holistic Evaluation Factors

The Admissions Committee evaluates applicants based on their past academic performance. Important factors in the holistic evaluation of an application include:

  • Nature and quality of undergraduate degree program
  • Preparation in physical sciences and mathematics
  • Previous laboratory and/or field research experience
    • Description of role in experience(s) (500 characters max for each experience)
  • Statement of Purpose (SOP) (Click link for full SOP guidelines)
    • Must follow BioSci PhD Program SOP guidelines
    • 1500 Words or Less
    • Three sections:
      • Motivation to earn a Ph.D.
      • Previous research experience
      • Motivation to attend the UCSD/Salk Biology Ph.D. Program
  • Letters of Recommendation (LORs) (3)
    • Interfolio is not recommended for our program
  • CV/Resume
  • Outreach, EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) and Adversity (Optional)
    • "List any outreach activity in which you have participated to promote equity, diversity and inclusion, in bullet point form, wtih concrete answers." in 1500 characters or less.
    • "List any other science-related outreach activities not included in the question above, in bullet point form, with concrete answers." in 1500 characters or less.
    • "If you have experienced major adversity or hardship, please describe your experience below." in 1500 characters or less.
  • Description of Additional Experiences (Optional)
    • Selectable types of experiences: Leadership, Overcoming Adversity, Community Involvement, Social Justice Experience, Personal or Professional Ethics, Research, Other
    • Each type of experience selected will ask for a 3 - 5 sentence response
    • Answers will likely be similar to Outreach, EDI and Adversity question answers, when relevant
  • Interest in program and faculty
    • Explanation of interest in faculty of interest should be in SOP as well as in Faculty of Interest area on application (500 characters or less per faculty of interest)
  • English Proficiency Exams (International Applicants Only) (TOEFL Code: 4836)
    • Applicants with TOEFL Speaking below 23 or IELTS Speaking below 7 will not be considered.
  • Publications (Not Required)
  • External Sources of Funding/Fellowships (Not Required)
  • Personal Statement for addressing any impacts due to COVID-19 (Not Required)
  • Interviews

GRE

GRE scores are not required nor taken into consideration.

SHORE (Student Housing)

SHORE is a very limited campus housing program that guarantees graduate student housing for the length of your graduate program, up to six years. SHORE students are housed without having to wait on the waitlist and are guaranteed housing by start of Fall Quarter. All spots are filled by early Spring Quarter. No additional spots are available after Spring Quarter. If selected, students will be notified. Answers to SHORE questions are optional and do not affect application evaluation.

Application includes the following Yes/No questions:

  • Would receiving a SHORE housing offer influence your admission decision?
  • Would you like to be considered for SHORE housing?
    • If Yes is selected for wanting to be considered for SHORE, a text prompt will appear: Our department receives a limited number of SHORE spots. Please briefly explain why you are a good candidate for a SHORE nomination.