Graduate Application

Application

To apply to study in physics, visit the address:
http://graduate.wfu.edu/admissions/onlineapp.html External link icon

Note: The deadline for Fall 2023 has passed. The application portal for Fall 2024 should open in the early Fall with a January 2024 deadline

Starting with the Fall 2023 class, we no longer require the GRE either general or subject.

Starting with the Fall 2024 class, we will require zoom interviews. The timeline will be as follows:

  • by January 8 2024 all applications must be submitted and application fees paid or waived.
    • Applications that are incomplete after this date– except for letters of reference — will not be considered.
  • Applicant files will be evaluated for interviews starting January 9th, 2024
  • Late letters of recommendation only will be accepted by January 15th, 2024
    • All incomplete applications will be rejected after this date.
  • Zoom interviews of applicants under consideration will be conducted between January 9 2024 and February 1, 2024.
    • Applicants will be interviewed by two faculty, at least one of whom is on the admissions committee
    • when you receive an interview request will depend on when your application is read which likely will not depend on your individual merit.
  • If you do not receive an interview request by February 1, 2024, you may safely assume that you will be rejected.
  • Informal emails for acceptances, waitlists, and rejections from the graduate director should be out by Feb 9th. Formal emails from the graduate school usually arrive within a week.
    • Final decisions on waitlisted students depend on other students either accepting or declining offers, so many decisions will occur after April 15.
  • Accepted domestic students, or international students currently in the US, will be invited for an optional campus visit; dates are to be arranged.
  • The deadline for accepting admissions with our standard financial aid package is April 15th. However, some additional fellowships may have earlier deadlines for those particular fellowships.

We accept only online applications (no paper applications).

To apply you must

  1. fill out an online application
    1. This includes a personal statement, which should make it clear why you are applying to wake forest in particular, and ideally which research group(s) interest you.
  2. pay the application fee of $80; unless you are eligible for a waiver. Domestic students who receive need-based financial aid are likely eligible for a waiver. Domestic students may contact Ann Bell at gradadmissions@wfu.edu, with a copy of their financial aid letter, or have their University’s financial aid office contact gradschl@wfu.edu directly. International students may contact the program director, salsbufr@wfu.edu, after they have completed their application, to see if one is available from the program. International students should NOT contact the graduate school for an application fee waiver. Nor should they contact the program director until after they have completed an application. International students are defined at WFU as students needing a visa to study at Wake Forest. Note, USCIS may consider receiving a fee waiver as a negative factor in student visa decisions.
  3. have three letters of reference sent
  4. have an official transcript sent (an unofficial copy is sufficient for application)
  5. have an official report of your TOEFL or IELTS results sent (only if you are an international student who has not studied in the US; an unofficial copy is sufficient for application)
    1. If the sole language of instruction at your university or college is English, then the graduate school might waive the requirement. A statement or letter stating that English is the sole language of instruction needs to be both uploaded on Slate and emailed to gradadmissions@wfu.edu.

FAQ’s

1. How do I apply for financial aid?

All applicants are automatically considered for financial aid.  Full-time PhD students receive a full tuition waiver and a yearly stipend of at $29,000 (as a teaching assistant or research assistant) as well as Wake Forest health insurance and waiver of most mandatory fees. MS students will receive a 75% tuition waiver and may receive a stipend as an RA or TA, but it is not guaranteed.

2. What is the application deadline?

  • Fall 2024
    • Jan 15 2024 is the deadline for applications for Fall 2024.
    • Applications will open in the Fall on Slate.
  • Spring 2024:
    • We do not know if we will have any openings.
    • November 1st for domestic students
    • October 1st for international students

3. What is the minimum GPA or GRE score for admission?

The physics department has no minimum GPA.

The general GRE is optional by may strengthen your application.

The subject GRE is optional but may strengthen your application

4. What is the minimum required TOEFL score?

The graduate school requires a minimum score of:

Computer-based TOEFL – 217

International-Based Total (IBT) – 79

International English Language Testing System(IELTS) – 6.5

5. Here are my scores on tests and my GPA, am I likely to be admitted?

We are not allowed to render opinions on the likelihood of admission before a student applies. The decision to admit a student is made by the Graduate Committee of the Physics Department. Many criteria go into the decision process such as the intended area of study, background and experience of the applicant, letters of recommendation, the strength of the applicant’s transcript, and if submitted performance on the GRE.

6. When will I hear about my application?

Fall application decisions are generally sent out by the end of January.

7.  Where can I find detailed information about the program, such as faculty and research interests?

Faculty research interests can be found here and most faculty have websites with more detailed information linked from those pages. For a flyer with a more detailed overview of research interests, check out Physics_flyer_v1.1