Application Checklist & Tips

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Checklist

Tips for Submitting Your Application

Summary of Required Material

 

Checklist - Be sure to include the following materials/information in your application

An email address is required of all applicants

List faculty you have contacted or expect to contact

List faculty members you are interested in working with

G.P.A. after the first two years (international applicants do not need to calculate G.P.A.)

Statement of purpose and personal history statement

Three letters of recommendation; at least two letters must be from faculty familiar with your academic performance. We will accept letters directly from your recommenders or if more convenient, you can forward letters to us as long as they are in envelopes with unbroken seals and signatures intact. We will also accept letters directly from a letter service. Your recommenders can also submit their letters electronically. See Graduate Division website for more information.

One official transcript from each college and graduate institution you have attended submitted in a sealed envelope. Institutions may mail your transcripts directly to the Department.

The General GRE Test scores; subject scores optional

  • Take the GREs no later than mid-December to ensure they will arrive in time for our review timetable
  • Indicate both Berkeley's institution code (R4833) and the department code (0203) when you take the exam. Register for the GRE online at www.gre.org

TOEFL for international students only

  • All applicants from a country in which the official language is not English are required to take the TOEFL
  • Your most recent score must be at least 570 for the paper-and-pencil test or at least 230 for the computer-based test, or at least 68 for the internet-based test (iBT)
  • Tests taken before June 2007 will not be accepted even if your score was reported to Berkeley.  The institution code for Berkeley is 4833; the department code is 35

Application fee of $70 for U.S and current permanent residents; $90 for all others: check payable to UC Regents, or pay online

  • On the check, indicate at bottom left your name and Dept. of Integrative Biology
  • Application fees are subject to change (please check Grad Division website for current fees)
  • Send check directly to Graduate Division

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Tips for Submitting Your Application

  • Begin working on your supporting documents NOW!
  • Allow sufficient time for your letters of recommendation and transcripts to arrive here by the deadline
  • Initiate early correspondence with faculty you are interested in working with. Refer to the Faculty Research section of the website for information.
  • Take the GRE absolutely no later than mid-December to get the results to the Department in time for our review
  • GRE scores and TOEFL scores can only be accepted from the Educational Testing Service; indicate that scores should be sent to UC Berkeley code 4833, Dept Code 0203 (GRE), 35 (TOEFL)
  • Submit all supplemental material in one envelope (if possible) to the Department of Integrative Biology, Attn: Graduate Student Affairs Officer, NOT the Graduate Division. Please do not send a copy of your on-line application.
  • It is preferred that all material be sent in one packet, however letters of recommendation and transcripts may be sent directly to the Department by the recommender or institution
  • The Department name should be on every form you submit
  • Applicants wishing to be classified as California residents should check the Residency Office's website to maintain residency status
  • The general catalog may be viewed at http://www.berkeley.edu/catalog/ for information on course descriptions, curricula, regulations and requirements for degrees, the academic calendar, academic policies, financial aid and general campus information
  • Contact the Department Graduate Student Affairs Officer, Mei Griebenow, for questions regarding the application procedure

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Summary of Required Materials and Information

  • Three letters of recommendation from academic or research related persons
  • One official set of transcripts from each college and graduate institution you have attended
  • Statement of purpose and personal history statement
  • Results of the GRE general test and subject test (if available); scores are taken as indicators of ability in various skills therefore minimum scores are not required
  • Application fee (sent directly to Graduate Division)
  • Results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for international students
  • Bachelor's degree in one of the life sciences or physical sciences, or a bachelor's degree in another field with a strong undergraduate grounding in biology
  • Upper division or graduate GPA of at least 3.4 preferred; minimum GPA of 3.0 (courses taken after the first two years) is required by the Graduate Division
  • The name(s) of IB Faculty you have contacted or interested in working with

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