Application Checklist

The application fee can be paid by credit card in the online application. The fee must be received by the application deadline.

Application fee waivers will be applied automatically for applicants meeting any of the following criteria, as demonstrated in the application:

• Current Washington University in St. Louis student or employee
• A member of a national volunteer service-based organization, scholar program, or academic pipeline program (See Awards and Honors section of application).
• Attending an eligible information session or meeting us at an event.

McKelvey application fee waivers may be requested by domestic applicants with financial need who are enrolled full-time in their final year of study pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree at a U.S. institution.Please have your Financial Aid Administrator complete this form: Application Fee Waiver Form (Word).

Unofficial electronic or scanned student-issued copies of transcripts from all institutions attended must be submitted. Record your academic institution(s) and upload your unofficial transcript(s) in the Academic History section of the application.

Transcripts must clearly show your full legal name, the name of the institution, a year-by-year listing of all courses taken, and all grades/marks received*. The documents must be translated to English.

*In-Progress transcripts: If you have not yet completed your current program at the time of application, please provide unofficial transcripts showing the work you have completed to date.

Review your transcripts PDFs are at the highest quality and verify that each page can be read before uploading them.

Three (3) letters of recommendation are required for application.

Recommenders should include research mentors, faculty members/advisors, supervisors, or work colleagues.

You will be asked to provide the recommenders contact information in the application. Your recommenders will receive an email with instructions and a weblink for completing the recommendation form and uploading a recommendation letter through our online system. Contact your recommenders prior to starting your application informing them of an eventual email requesting their submission of a recommendation.

All letters of recommendation must be submitted by the recommender through the online system. Paper and email recommendations will not be accepted.

It is your responsibility to monitor submission to ensure that all letters of recommendation are received by the application deadline.

NOTE: For application to our part-time programs, two (2) letters of recommendation are required.

Formatting requirements: 1-2 pages in length.

Briefly explain professional/research experience and interests, long-term career goals, and why you are interested in our program.

Outline your education, research and professional experience, presentations or publications, and relevant honors, awards, activities, or volunteer work.

Reference the chart below for the individual program requirements.

While the GRE General Test is optional for many programs, applicants are still encouraged to submit valid GRE scores if a test has already been taken or can take the test and provide results by our application deadline, as it gives us additional information when evaluating an application. Submission of GRE scores will neither help nor hurt overall chances of admission, nor will it provide an advantage over candidates who do not report scores.

Accepted Test Type(s) : GRE General Test and GRE General Test at Home
Delivery Method: Send electronically through ETS to school code 6929.

See additional frequently asked questions regarding standardized tests.

International applicants are required to provide an official TOEFL or IELTS score report.  

Exemption from this requirement is automatically granted to applicants meeting any of the waiver eligibility criteria:

• Citizenship in one of the following countries: Australia, Cameroon, Canada, Commonwealth Caribbean nations, Ghana, India, Ireland, Kenya, Liberia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Uganda, the United Kingdom, the United States, Zambia, or Zimbabwe.
• Applicant has completed 3 or more years of documented study at a university-level, English-medium academic program within the United States, in any of the above countries, Hong Kong, or South Africa. 

International applicants not meeting the criteria for exemption must provide proof of English proficiency.  We cannot accept expired scores.  Test scores should be valid up to the application deadline.  Send official scores to Washington University in St. Louis by the application deadline.

Reference the chart below for accepted English Proficiency test score information.

See additional frequently asked questions regarding standardized tests.

Based on the evaluation of your application package, we retain the right to require English testing upon arrival and you may be required to take additional English classes. If you are recommended to take English classes, the cost of the courses will be your responsibility.