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

Applicants apply online using the UC San Diego Application for Graduate Admission (Slate). Applicants may work on their application a bit at a time, and then submit it once it is complete. The site is secure, and application and credit card information will remain confidential.

On the Program Selector page of the application, choose Doctor of Philosophy for Degree Type, Biological Sciences (PhD) (under Biological Sciences) for Program Interest, and 2027 Fall for Entry Term.

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

All submitted application materials must be written by the applicant. Applicants should not use AI tools to draft, generate, or revise any portion of the application. Letters of Recommendation (LORs) should similarly represent the recommender’s own thoughts about the applicant and not contain AI-generated content.

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
    • No required prerequisite courses
  • Previous laboratory and/or field research experience
    • Description of role in experience(s) (500 characters max for each experience)
  • Statement of Purpose Guidelines (SOP)
    • Must follow BioSci Ph.D. Program SOP guidelines
    • 1500 Words Max
    • Three sections:
      • Motivation to earn a Ph.D.
      • Previous research experience
      • Motivation to attend the UCSD/Salk Biological Sciences Ph.D. Program
    • All submitted application materials must be written by the applicant. Applicants should not use AI tools to draft, generate, or revise any portion of the application.
  • Letters of Recommendation (LORs) (3)
    • Prioritize letters from people who can write about your research ability
    • Relationship to your writer; categories, in order of descending impact, are:
      • Research Principal Investigator (PI)
      • Non-PI Research Mentor
      • Collaborating PI
      • Professor for a course I helped teach
      • Course Instructor
      • Other (Please Specify)
    • Interfolio is not recommended for our program
    • LORs should represent the recommender’s own thoughts about the applicant and not contain AI-generated content.
  • CV/Resume
  • Supplemental Information
    • "List any science-related outreach activities that you have organized, taught, led, or contributed to. Respond in bullet-point form, with concrete answers about your role and the goal of the activity." (1,500 characters max)
    • If there is additional information about you (such as personal, work, or intellectual experiences or challenges overcome) that is relevant to your potential for success in graduate school and is not addressed elsewhere in this application, please describe it below." (1,500 characters max)
  • 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 max per faculty of interest in application)
  • English Proficiency Exams (International Applicants Only) (TOEFL Code: 4836) 
    • Applicants with TOEFL Speaking below 23 or 4.5, IELTS Speaking below 7 or DET Speaking below 130 will not be considered.
    • Applicants with TOEFL Total below 100 or 5, IELTS Overall below 7 or DET Overall below 130 will not be considered.
  • 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 may be similar to Supplemental Information question answers, when relevant
  • GRE (Recommended, but Not Required)
  • Publications (Not Required)
  • External Sources of Funding/Fellowships (Not Required)
  • Personal Statement for addressing any impacts due to COVID-19 (Not Required)
  • Interviews (If invited)

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, and is available only to admitted new incoming graduate students. SHORE students are housed without having to wait on the housing 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.