Application

If you plan to submit a late application, please contact us.

The graduate program in Biophysical Sciences draws faculty, equipment, and facilities from both the Biological and Physical Sciences Divisions as well as several research institutes. Enrolled students enjoy unparalleled access to these diverse resources. To avoid duplicating administrative effort, this graduate program takes advantage of the on-line application provided by the Biological Sciences Division. This site provides useful information concerning many aspects of The University of Chicago's application and admissions process as well as access to the application itself.

THE APPLICATION WEB SITE

The institution code for UofC is 1832 and the Department code is 0299.

Within the application website, applicants have the opportunity to indicate which Biological Sciences programs they wish to apply to - and to rank these choices (1 to 4). All applications that indicate Biophysical Sciences will be reviewed by an interdisciplinary admissions committee that is specific to this program. There is no pre-screening by the Division of Biological Sciences. We strongly encourage students with majors in Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, and Physics to apply.

We urge students who are interested in other Biological programs to use the ranking system offered in the application. Applicants to our program are frequently also interested in the program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the program in Medical Physics. Be aware that your ranking choices strongly affect the order and timing of the application review process for each program. Do not make the choice lightly. If you have questions about which program is most appropriate, definitely contact the programs directly for advice (to contact Biophysical Sciences email biophysics@uchicago.edu).

Applicants to Biophysical Sciences are also frequently interested in some of the other Physical Sciences Programs here (i.e. Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, or Physics). The Physical Sciences Division does not have a group application, but prospective students are welcome to submit applications to any specific programs. It is in the applicant’s best interest to contact all of the involved programs during the application process.

Application Advice

Our admissions committee considers all aspects of the application in order to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the applicant. We want to receive your most compelling argument for admission. The following elements are frequently the most important in our decisions.

  1. The Letters of Recommendation. We are looking for scientists who will participate in and improve our scientific environment. Your letters should reflect your ability to be involved with and make a good impression on our academic colleagues. While the stature of the individual can help your case, it is more important that they indicate detailed familiarity with your abilities. We hope that your recommenders’ letters will help us to see your broad enthusiasm for scientific subjects as well as your specific intellectual merits. In the application, you are required to supply the name, institution, department, and email address of each recommender. The University will directly solicit the letters. Make sure your recommenders have been alerted before hand. It is perfectly acceptable for you to discuss the content of the letter in advance. You will get better letters if you talk with the person about where you are applying and why you are excited about the options.
  2. Your Statement of Academic Purpose. This essay, and your cover letter, are your opportunity to show off your ability to communicate clearly. At the same time, these documents are our opportunity to understand why you want to join us and what you will contribute if you do. The substance that is most often lacking from these essays is evidence. When you make statements about yourself, back these up with examples from your life. Remember that you are setting forth an argument. If your academic history is not already cross-disciplinary then pay particular attention to demonstrating the breadth of your interests. The electronic application will only accept 2500 words (as counted by e.g. Microsoft Word). We agree that this should be sufficient. In special circumstances, we may allow supplemental discussions, by prearrangement.
  3. College Transcripts. Again, we are hoping to find the examples of your broad enthusiasm. While your Grade Point Average is important, it isn’t as telling as the choices you have made for each term’s enrollment. Feel free to elaborate on these choices in your Statement of Purpose.
  4. GRE scores. High GRE scores are great. High GRE scores make it easier for us to justify choosing you to outside funding agencies. High GRE scores make it more likely that you will win competitive fellowships in the future. If your GRE scores are high, congratulations are in order. Unfortunately, GRE scores do not help us understand your reasons for wanting to join us and do not predict whether you will make positive contributions if you do. We happily look past lower scores if you (and your recommenders) do a good job of making a strong case for your admission. We do not currently require applicants to take a specific subject test. However, we expect that most serious applicants will have taken a subject test in their primary field, and we request that you submit the scores of any subject tests that you have taken.
  5. Overseas students: To our considerable disappointment, current funding policies in the United States limit our ability to support non-US citizens. Please contact us (biophysics@uchicago.edu) for more information. Besides a few exceptional cases, we will only consider applicants who can interview here in person, so evaluate your ability to travel to the United States before applying.