Graduate Application
Application
To apply to study in physics, visit the address:
http://graduate.wfu.edu/admissions/onlineapp.html
Applications for Fall 2024 are closed. The application portal for Fall 2025 should open in August 2024 with a January 8 2025 deadline
Note, that we are GRE-optional and require Zoom interviews for PhD applications.
The timeline will be as follows:
- by January 8 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
- Late letters of recommendation only will be accepted by January 15th
- All incomplete applications will be rejected after this date as will all applications with unpaid or unwaved application fees.
- Zoom interviews of applicants under consideration will be conducted between January 9 and February 8th.
- 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 the interviewers’ schedules and not on your individual merit.
- If you do not receive an interview request by February 8th, you may safely assume that you will be rejected or waitlisted.
- Informal emails for acceptances, waitlists, and rejections from the graduate director should be around Feb 9th. Formal emails from the graduate school usually arrive within a week after.
- Final decisions on waitlisted students depend on other students either accepting or declining offers, so some decisions will occur after April 15.
- If you have not received a rejection letter from the graduate director, you are still under consideration. However, if you no longer wish to be considered, we would appreciate an email letting us know.
- 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
- fill out an online application completely
- pay the application fee of $80; unless you are eligible for a waiver. Domestic applicants who receive need-based financial aid are likely eligible for a waiver. Domestic students may contact gradadmissions@wfu.edu, with a copy of their financial aid letter, or have their University’s financial aid office contact gradadmissions@wfu.edu directly. International PhD applicants should contact the graduate school, gradadmissions@wfu.edu, directly with proof of financial need after they have completed an application. International students are defined at WFU as students needing a visa to study at Wake Forest. Note, that USCIS may consider receiving a fee waiver as a negative factor in student visa decisions as the fee is small relative to the other costs involved in coming to the US to study.
- have three letters of reference sent
- have a transcript(s) sent (unofficial copy/copies sufficient for application)
- In your Personal statement address:
– How do your future research interests fit with those of the faculty in the physics department? Refer to the faculty research interests on the flyer linked below for further information).
– What faculty are you interested in working with?
– What are your motivations for pursuing graduate school, and what are your future career goals?
– What experiences, research, or other relevant science engagement, have you had, and how have they influenced your decision to pursue graduate studies? - If you are an international student, have an official report of your TOEFL or IELTS results sent (an unofficial copy is sufficient for application)
- 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 uploaded both with your application package 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. For academic year 2024-25, full-time PhD students receive a full tuition waiver and a yearly stipend of $29,725 (as a teaching assistant or research assistant) as well as Wake Forest health insurance and waiver of most mandatory fees. For academic year 2024-25, 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 2025
- Jan 8 2025 is the deadline for applications for Fall 2025.
- Applications will open in the Fall on Slate.
- Spring 2025:
- We do not know if we have any openings currently.
- November 1 2024 for domestic students
- October 1 2024 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 in the beginning of February.
7. Where can I find detailed information about the program, such as faculty and research interests?
For a flyer with anrview of research interests, check out our Physics Flyer. Most faculty have websites with more detailed information linked from the faculty research pages here .