Application Instructions

These instructions are for PhD/MS applicants. These applicants should also review the Stanford Graduate Admissions website for university-wide admissions policies, which we link to in our own instructions where appropriate. In cases where the instructions on our department website differ from the Stanford Graduate Admissions website (e.g., the number of official transcripts required), you should follow the instructions on our department website.

Step 2: Prepare Required Materials

❏ Transcripts (Academic Records)

We require unofficial transcripts be uploaded to your application from every college/university you have enrolled. If you have accepted admission to Stanford University, official transcripts from each College or University you enrolled should be sent to the department. The department will forward transcripts to Central Graduate Admissions to allow the university to initiate the matriculation review process and, if applicable, process an I-20/DS-2019 request. If this is not your final transcript (reflecting degree conferral), you will be required to send the final transcript with degree conferral as a condition of admission. Applicants should consult Stanford Graduate Admissions | Transcripts (Academic Records) for guidance on what must be included in official transcripts.

Please do NOT mail us your official transcripts prior to the admissions decisions. If you receive and accept our admissions offer, official transcripts from each college or university you attended should be sent to the Department of Electrical Engineering Graduate Admissions office at admissions@ee.stanford.edu. This will allow the university to initiate the matriculation review process and, if applicable, process an I-20/DS-2019 request.

For instructions on submitting official transcripts, please see Step 4: Submit Official Materials.

❏ Test Scores (if applicable)

The GRE exam is not required.

Please see Step 4: Submit Official Materials to determine if you qualify for a TOEFL waiver. If you do not meet the waiver criteria, you must submit an official score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT) or the International English Language Testing System Academic Test (IELTS Academic) that meets the university’s minimum score for admission consideration.

Minimum Score Requirements for English Proficiency

	TOEFL	IELTS
Minimum Score for Admissions Consideration*	90	7
Minimum Score for Exception from Stanford English Placement Test**	109	8

*Each graduate program may set a higher minimum score for admission consideration as appropriate for the specific field of study. Refer to your graduate program’s website to check whether it requires a higher minimum score.

**The English Placement Test is required for incoming students who earned a score below 109 (TOEFL) / 8 (IELTS) at the time of application. There are no exceptions to this requirement, even for those who score just below the cutoff. The test takes place shortly before the first quarter of graduate study and is administered by the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Program, who will determine whether language courses are required or recommended to support the student’s success in the graduate program.

Stanford considers English proficiency test scores to be valid for two years. See below for the earliest test date Stanford considers TOEFL/IELTS scores to be valid.

Entry Term	Application Open Date	Earliest Valid Test Date
Autumn 2026-2027	September 2025	September 1, 2023

For instructions on submitting official test scores, please see Step 4: Submit Official Materials.

❏ Statement of Purpose

In your statement of purpose, you should succinctly describe your reasons for applying to the proposed program, which may include:

• Preparation for this field of study
• Motivation for graduate study
• Why our program is a good fit for you
• Future career plans
• Other relevant aspects of your background and interests
• Interest in specific research or faculty members at Stanford

The statement of purpose should not exceed two pages, single-spaced.

 

❏ Letters of Recommendation (3)

Letters of recommendation should come from academic (or professional) references who can speak to your academic and/or research background. Recommenders should know you well and be able to comment on your strengths and your potential for graduate study. Academic references are strongly preferred, and we do not encourage submitting more than one professional reference. However, it is ultimately your decision as to which references will best support your application. Your application will still be reviewed regardless of where your letters of recommendation come from.

We require a minimum and maximum of 3 letters of recommendation (the application system will not permit you to enter more than 3 recommenders).

The deadline to receive letters of recommendation is the same as the application deadline. Please be sure to give your recommenders plenty of time to submit their letters, as they are often asked to write reference letters for many students within a short period of time. Letters received after the deadline will still be attached to your application, but we cannot guarantee that materials received after the deadline will be seen by the Admissions Committee.

Please do not submit letters of recommendation through Interfolio.

❏ Application Fee

Applicants who need financial assistance with the application fee are encouraged to apply for a fee waiver from both of the following:

• School of Engineering (SoE) - gradadmissions...fee#waiver
• Department of Electrical Engineering (EE) - forms.gle...

Preference is given to low-income and first-generation students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. You may apply to both SoE and EE, however, only one fee waiver will be given. If you apply for both fee waivers, please inform us at admissions@ee.stanford.edu.