Application FAQs

When will I be notified whether or not I have been accepted into the Physics Ph.D. program?

All applicants will be notified of their application status by March 1st.

What is the deadline for KHS Applicants? 

Students applying to Knight-Hennessy Scholars must submit their KHS application by October 6th, 2026, and their application for the Physics Ph.D. program by December 1, 2026.

Join dozens of Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences students who receive up to three years of funding and valuable leadership skills as Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS).KHS admits up to 100 applicants each year from across Stanford's seven graduate schools, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders ready to address complex global challenges. As a scholar, you join a multidisciplinary and multicultural cohort, participate in up to three years of KHS's leadership program, and receive funding for up to three years of your graduate studies at Stanford.Citizens of any country may apply. KHS applicants must have earned their first undergraduate degree within the last seven years, and must submit separate applications to KHS and to an eligible Stanford graduate degree program. Stanford PhD students may also apply to KHS during their first year of PhD enrollment.If you aspire to be a leader in your field, we invite you to apply. The KHS application deadline is October 6, 2026 at 1:00 p.m PT. Learn more about KHS admission.

Can I apply for an application fee waiver?

We recognize that the costs of graduate applications may be difficult for some applicants.  Some applicants may qualify for an application fee waiver. For more information, please refer to the Graduate Admissions - Fee Waiver page.

What about Pass/No Record, Credit/No Credit or Pass/Fail marks on my transcript due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

As we review applications now and in the future, we will respect decisions regarding the adoption of Pass/No Record (or Credit/No Credit or Pass/Fail) and other grading options during the unprecedented period of COVID-19 disruptions, whether those decisions were made by institutions or by individual students.  

Is the Physics GRE/General GRE required?

For the Fall 2027-28 admissions cycle, The GRE General Test and the Physics GRE Subject Test are required for all applicants, as they help us fairly assess problem-solving skills. If you are unable to take one or both examinations due to extenuating circumstances, please explain your situation in the “Additional Information” section of your application and include any supporting documents. Requests for exceptions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, but applications submitted without the required GRE scores may not receive full consideration.

Is the TOEFL/IELTS required? How do I know if I am exempt?

To be eligible for graduate study at Stanford, you must demonstrate sufficient proficiency to read English with ease, understand rapid idiomatic English as used in lectures and group discussions, and express thoughts quickly and clearly in spoken and written English.

You are not required to submit English proficiency test scores if you meet one or more of the following criteria:

• You are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Your first language is English.
• You earned a U.S. bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, or international equivalent from a university where all instruction was conducted in English.
• You have two or more consecutive years of full-time professional or educational experience in English, in the past 10 years.

You will not be required to submit English proficiency test scores in the application if your responses on the Personal Background page reflect that you meet the above criteria; no additional documentation is required at the time of application. If you are offered admission and accept the offer, you may be required to submit supporting documentation as a condition of admission.

If you do not meet any of the criteria listed above, then at the time of application you are required to submit an official test score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT) or the International English Language Testing System Academic Test (IELTS Academic) that meets the university’s minimum score for admission consideration.

For more information, please refer to the Graduate Admissions Test Scores FAQ

What is the official code for reporting GRE/TOEFL scores?

When requesting official score reports for the GRE/Physics GRE, please use the Stanford University code: 4704. If you are submitting IELTS scores to satisfy Stanford’s English proficiency test requirement, you must report your official scores directly to Stanford via the IELTS Results Service E-delivery option. Our organization’s account name is Stanford University Graduate. We do not accept test results via postal mail.

I am an international student applying to the Physics graduate program. Do I meet the minimum requirements to apply to Stanford University?

Please see International Academic Credentials Guidelines for minimum level of study required of applicants who wish to apply for graduate study at Stanford.

Are official transcripts required? What is considered an "official transcript" from my university or institution?

Stanford University requires official transcripts for all admitted students before matriculation.   Official transcripts at the time of application are preferred.  However, if obtaining official transcripts at the time of application is financially burdensome, unofficial transcripts uploaded with the application will be accepted for the purposes of applying, but official transcripts will be required for accepted students before matriculation.

For all accepted students, two sets of official transcripts from all undergraduate institutions attended for one year or more must be sent to Stanford.  Hard copy transcripts must be signed and sealed by the registrar or university official and mailed by the university to the Physics Department. If your institution sends electronic transcripts, they need to come directly from the college/university via a certified transcript service.  Please note that the secure electronic certified transcript must be printable.  Check with the registrar's office of your college/university to see if they provide transcripts via a certified electronic transcript service.

Is it possible to update my application after I have already submitted?

The Physics Admissions team cannot amend applications after they have been submitted. Please understand that once you have submitted your application, additional information cannot be added.

Can my recommenders still submit their letters after the application has closed?

Yes. Recommenders are not limited to the December 14th deadline. As long as you have submitted your application before the deadline, recommendation letters that are submitted after will continue to be attached to your application. Please keep in mind that our application review process begins immediately after the application closes and it is best to have all of your recommenders submit their letters on or before the deadline.

There is a checklist function showing the completed tasks of my application. I submitted all the required materials for the application, why does it not show any completed checkmarks?

The Physics Department does not use the checklist function in the Stanford application system. Please do not contact our office and ask us to confirm that your file is complete. If you are missing any necessary materials, we will contact you via email in early January or February.