Program Requirements and Background Recommendations The Admissions Process and Admissions Statistics Statement of Non-Discrimination

In this section:

Where to Send Your Application
Application Review
Admissions Statistics

Where to Send Your Application

All application materials should be sent to:

David J. Leslie
Admissions
Department of the Geophysical Sciences
The University of Chicago
5734 S. Ellis Ave.
Chicago, IL 60637
USA

Students sending paper applications, please note: we advise that you keep a copy of your application, in case your original application does not reach the Department.

Application Review

All applications, paper and online, are processed by the Department's Graduate Student Services office. The Graduate Student Services Coordinator will contact each applicant regarding the completeness of an application. Only completed applications can be reviewed by the Admissions Committee.

All completed applications will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee. (Please note that all admissions decisions are made by the Committee, not by individual professors.) Generally speaking, the Committee does not start to review applications until after the application deadline. Therefore, while submitting your application early will ensure that there is plenty of time for supplementary materials to be added to your application, it does not necessarily mean that you will receive a decision from the Committee any sooner. Most applicants will receive a response from the Admissions Committee in mid to late February or early March regarding application decisions.

Admissions Statistics

Each year, students ask for statistics (such as the previous year's average GRE scores). While we have decided to post those figures here for your reference, we would also like to caution you that these figures do not necessarily have any impact on your application.

This Department neither admits nor rejects applications based on test scores. We consider a range of factors, only one of which is standardized test scores. Therefore, comparing your scores to those of previous years will not really tell you anything about your chances of admission.

Also, it is worthwhile to note that we are not a space-limited program. Therefore, we admit as many applicants as are qualified. For example, we may admit 20% of all applicants one year, but we might only admit 10% of all applicants the next year.

• Over the past five years, the Department's average admissions rate is 22%.



• The average GRE scores of admitted students are:
  
  

  Verbal	Quantitative	Analytical	Analytical Writing
  above 600	above 740	above 740	5.0




• The average TOEFL scores of ALL applicants are:
  
  Written test:
  
  

  Section 1	Section 2	Section 3	Overall
  55	64	62	606

  
  
  Computerized test:
  
  

  Section 1	Section 2	Section 3	Overall
  25	27	26	261

For more information and required scores, please refer to the Office of International Affairs.