UW Astronomy Graduate Program: Acceptance Criteria

How Are Admissions Decisions Made?

What follows is brief summary into the admissions process in our department. We hope that it provides some insight!

Applications are carefully reviewed by a small group of faculty whose membership changes annually. There is no magic formula or set of rigorous criteria that we use to rank the applications. The final selection of accepted students is made by a consensus of the selection committee using their best judgment.

We often find that the best 10-15 applications are very nearly equal, so the final selections of new students are unavoidably (and uncomfortably) marginal and difficult. Consequently, we cannot accept all of the deserving applicants.

What are the features of an application that help it to rise to the top? People on the admissions committee have given slightly different responses to this question through the years. Here are the most important considerations:

Preparation in physics and math must be strong, as demonstrated by both grades and GRE scores.
Letters of recommendations from persons who are in a good position to assess your activities are reviewed in detail. We are looking for confirmation of commitment, creativity, maturity, professional achievements, leadership, or other factors which go beyond grades and GRE scores in determining an applicant's graduate and long-term prospects.
There must be concrete evidence of exceptional achievement. Most important is achievement in physics, astronomy, or other sciences. Distinctions in other fields are also of considerable value, such as community volunteer activities, music and arts, sports, unusual travel, K-12 education, etc.
Undergraduate applicants should have exploited available opportunities at their institutions to be involved in research, or to engage in significant extracurricular activities.
A sense of the applicant's enthusiasm and commitment to a graduate program in astronomy must be obvious.
Strong writing skills must be demonstrated. Not only the content and form, but also the accuracy, clarity, and conciseness of all written materials are evaluated.
Because the graduate program requires that all graduate students serve as teaching assistants, verbal skills will be considered, especially for applicants from countries where English is not commonly used in the classroom.

We aim for uniform excellence in the quality of admitted students. Such professional parity is necessary for building program coherence and a strong esprit de corps. At the same time we maintain diversity among graduate students, because students and faculty alike benefit from the various viewpoints brought into our program (see our page on diversity for more details). International applicants who meet the Graduate School requirements for English proficiency are considered without prejudice.

Since many excellent applicants come from small colleges where astronomy is not taught beyond the introductory level, we do not consider astronomy courses as any sort of a requirement for admission. (We teach all of the necessary content in the graduate program.) On the other hand, success in scientific research experience and/or advanced astronomy classes definitely strengthen an application.

Do we consider GRE scores? Carefully. On the down side, various studies show that GRE scores do not correlate highly with ultimate success in physics, and that there is a gender bias in the GRE testing methods. We are keenly aware of this. Even so, GRE scores seem to be a better discriminator of success than grades, the latter having lost some of their value owing to grade inflation. So no application is considered without the full set of GRE scores.

The Graduate Program

An Overview

The Curriculum

Financial Support

FAQs: Answers From Our Grads
Why should I apply?

A top-ranked program

The faculty and their research

The grads and their research

Observing facilities

Diversity

Grad Life in Seattle
How do I apply?

US citizens