How to Apply

The Graduate College

The graduate school application process can be fraught with the stress of unanswerable questions. The main questions (should I apply? will I be accepted?) can only be answered through the process itself. To maximize your chances, prepare well in advance of the deadline and thoroughly review your materials before submitting them.

Successful applicants follow a few basic steps.

  1. Get to know our research. You won't become an expert before you get here, but familiarizing yourself with our work better prepares you to make a sound decision. Is this the right fit for you? We hope so, but you should decide for yourself. Knowing who we are and what we do also shows a level of curiosity and commitment that is essential to a candidate's success.
  2. Get strong letters of recommendation. What you say about yourself, and what your transcripts say about you, are very important in the admissions process. But what others say about you, especially those who know your work and can speak to your abilities, makes a big difference at the margins of a highly competitive set of applications.
  3. Play to your strengths. We consider a range of credentials when reviewing an application, and there is no set minimum criterion for any component of the application. It is not uncommon for students who have a weakness in one area to make a strong case for themselves by excelling in other areas or by demonstrating a clear pattern of growth.

All applications are submitted electronically via the graduate school.

The deadline for submitting your application is December 1.

The application fee is $75. Fee waivers are available to domestic students in financial need; please contact Julie Yun, Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion for the School of Engineering and Applied Science, to request a fee waiver.

Apply here.


    The graduate school maintains a definitive list of application requirements and a description of the program in some detail. However, for convenience, below is a list of materials you will need to submit.

    Application Requirements: 

    Statement of Financial Resources: for MSE and M.Eng. applicants only*

    GRE: No GRE tests are required, nor are GRE scores accepted as part of the application.

    TOEFL/IELTS: International students who have completed an undergraduate degree in a country where the native language is not English are required to take one of either the TOEFL or IELTS. For more details and questions about exceptions, visit the Graduate School's webpage.

    Additional Departmental Requirements: 

    Please briefly describe how your academic interests, background, or life experiences would promote Princeton’s commitment to diversity and inclusion within the Graduate School and to training individuals in an increasingly diverse society.  Please submit a succinct statement of no more than 250 words.

    *MSE and M.Eng. students will not be admitted into the program without full external funding, which is typically from their employers or external fellowship.

    Deadline
    December 1

    The application period opens in early September.