Dear Prospective Applicant: Thank you for your interest in applying to one of the graduate programs offered by the Department of Communication.

Transcription

1 Dear Prospective Applicant: Thank you for your interest in applying to one of the graduate programs offered by the Department of Communication. Ph.D. in Communication Theory and Research - comm.stanford.edu/phd M.A. in Communication, Graduate Program in Journalism - comm.stanford.edu/journalism Those interested in the Graduate Program in Journalism are encouraged to contact Professor James Hamilton, Director of the Graduate Program in Journalism, at jayth@stanford.edu, or the Administrator for the Graduate Program in Journalism, Vignesh Ramachandran at vram@stanford.edu. The evaluation of all graduate applications is done at the department level. Please read the following information carefully. We have made a great effort to provide detailed and thorough information regarding the application process and hope that it will provide answers to your questions. IMPORTANT: Please ensure that your settings allow for the receipt of our s so that they do not go into your junk mail. APPLICATION DEADLINE The deadline for all graduate application forms to be submitted online for the Department of Communication for matriculation in autumn 2015 is Tuesday, December 2, The online application fee is $125 for all applicants, both domestic and international. Supplemental materials, i.e., digital samples of work (MA Journalism applicants only) and hard copies of official transcripts, must also be received (not postmarked, but actually in our office) by Tuesday, December 2, Self- reported (unofficial) test scores that could not be included with the online application should be faxed or ed and must be received by the above deadline. Recommenders have until January 5, 2015, to submit their online recommendation letters. Applicants who do not have a bachelor's degree from a university based in the U.S. should review the information for international students at to determine their eligibility to apply to graduate school at Stanford. WHAT DO I NEED TO SUBMIT? Application form You can access the online application and all accompanying information beginning in September at Any problems that you encounter while completing or submitting the application must be addressed by contacting the support desk as indicated on the application web site. Since the Stanford application software is not Stanford- based, we cannot help with technical issues. Statement of purpose Explain the nature of your interest in one specific program in the department and reasons for wanting to study at Stanford. In the first sentence of your statement of purpose, indicate the name of the specific

2 program to which you are applying. Include details about your preparation for this field of study, your future career plans, and any other aspects of your background and interests which may aid the admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study. Please ensure that your full name is on each page of your statement of purpose. Note that once your application has been submitted, we cannot accept any revised statements of purpose or resumes. Do not upload academic papers, theses, or dissertations as part of your statement of purpose. These items are not required. If you wish to submit them, please do so separately by uploading them in the additional information section of the application. We do not accept materials submitted via . Transcripts As part of the online application, applicants are required to upload scanned copies of transcripts (either official or unofficial) from all postsecondary institutions attended as a full- time student for one academic year or longer. Multiple page uploads are allowed for all transcripts. In addition, TWO print copies of OFFICIAL transcripts of all uploaded versions must be submitted directly to our department. These may be sent either directly from the school or by the applicant, providing that the envelope containing the transcripts is sealed and signed/stamped across the sealed area. Applicants from Chinese institutions are encouraged to use the China credential service within the graduate application to request and submit CHESICC authenticated transcript(s). This service is eco- friendly and provides validated documents to the department to which you are applying. Applicants submitting CHESICC authenticated transcripts do not need to submit official paper transcripts. Applicants currently in school should send the most recent versions available (even if no grades are listed) until complete versions can be submitted. GPAs of at least 3.5 are strongly recommended. Resume Upload a 1-3 page resume into the 'resume' section of the application. Official GRE test scores - GRE ( See Applicants must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). This is a University requirement and cannot be waived. The Communication Department does not require any GRE subject tests. Both the old and new formats of the general GRE are considered equally acceptable by our department. All score reports must be sent electronically by ETS to Stanford University. Our institution code number for ETS reporting is No department number is required. Test scores may be no older than 5 years, dating back from December 1, The GMAT is not accepted as a substitute for the GRE. Applications will be processed using the self- reported (unofficial) test scores. If you submit your online application before you have taken the test, please or fax your verbal and quantitative scores to us as soon as you have them. The analytical writing section takes longer to be processed and is not necessary in order for us to deem your application complete, although offers of admission are contingent on receipt of the official scores from all three sections. While we have not established any particular GRE score (or undergraduate GPA standard) necessary for admission, our experience has been that consideration as a finalist for admission to the PhD program

3 typically requires GRE scores no lower than 155 for the verbal and quantitative sections and GPAs of at least 3.5. Official TOEFL test scores - TOEFL ( See Adequate command of spoken and written English is required for admission. Applicants whose first language is not English must submit an official test score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Stanford accepts only ETS (Educational Testing Service) scores. Our institution code number for ETS reporting is No department number is required. Test scores may be no older than 18 months, dating back from December 1, Exemptions are granted to applicants who have earned a U.S. bachelor s, master s, or doctoral degree from a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association in the United States, or the international equivalent degree from a university of recognized standing in a country in which all instruction is provided in English. Therefore, applicants with degrees from the U.S., Australia, Canada (except Quebec), New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales) are exempt from taking the TOEFL and do not need to submit the TOEFL Waiver Request form. To be evaluated for a waiver to the TOEFL requirement, applicants with degrees from institutions in countries other than those listed above must submit a TOEFL Waiver Request Form. A minimum TOEFL score of 100 on the Internet based ibt is highly recommended. A score of 115 is suggested. For the paper- based test, a minimum score of 600 is recommended. Evidence of adequate English proficiency must be submitted before enrollment is approved by Graduate Admissions. Applications will be processed using the self- reported (unofficial) test scores. If you submit your online application before you have taken the test, please or fax your score to us as soon as you have it. ibt test- takers will be able to access their scores online approximately 10 days after the test date. Therefore, we recommend that you take the test no later than early November 2014 in order to meet the December 2 deadline. Offers of admission are contingent on receipt of the official scores. Letters of recommendation We require three letters of recommendation. Recommendations must be submitted online by January 5, As part of the online application, applicants will be required to register the contact information of their recommenders. Recommenders will then receive an with directions on how to proceed. At least one evaluation and letter should be from a faculty member at the last school you attended as a full- time student (unless you have been out of school for more than five years). Substitutions for faculty recommendations may include work associates or others who can comment on your academic potential for graduate work. Samples of Writing (Applicants to the Graduate Program in Journalism only) Upload three samples of journalistic writing in the 'writing sample' section of the application. Each submission should demonstrate an appreciation for the basic standards of good journalism and an exceptional aptitude for advanced writing and reporting. Applicants are also encouraged to submit two digital media samples in any multimedia format (audio, video, blog, photography). Please submit these samples on a CD via regular or express mail, or - where possible - as PDF links uploaded in the writing sample section. Submissions will not be returned.

4 Other optional papers You may upload additional papers such as samples of your academic or published works in the 'additional information' section of the application. They will be included in your application file, though there is no guarantee that they will be reviewed by the admissions committee. With the exception of the required official transcripts, do not send any duplicates of materials that you have submitted online. They will not be added to your file. All official transcripts and CDs should be mailed to: Student Services Manager (Admissions Materials) Department of Communication Building 120, Room 110A 450 Serra Mall Stanford University Stanford, CA Financial aid Please note that requesting financial aid on the application form will not affect your chances of being admitted to one of our graduate programs. All prospective students should review the estimated expenses associated with graduate study at Stanford by visiting expenses. Ph.D. For students matriculating in autumn 2014, fellowships will be awarded covering three quarters of tuition, four quarters of health insurance, and a living stipend of $25,626. Equivalent funding is expected for students matriculating in autumn Various forms of support are available for four subsequent years, guaranteed for students who are making satisfactory progress toward the degree. Forms of support include both teaching and research assistantships. Master's in Journalism Thanks to the generosity of friends and alumni of the Graduate Program in Journalism, the Department of Communication awards several partial tuition scholarships to qualified journalism students each year. Successful applicants will be notified of any scholarship award in their admission letter. We will update your application status in the Check List section of your online application account between December 3, 2014, and January 9, 2015 to inform you whether or not your application is complete. If the application is not complete, the missing items will be categorized as not received, or specifically listed. You will be given one extra week to submit the missing items. There is no need to contact us to check on this. Doing so significantly delays the application process and our ability to confirm your application status. Decisions are usually made by March 15th. Please do not contact us prior to this date to check the status of your application. For more information, please review our departmental web site (comm.stanford.edu) and the University's Graduate Admissions web site

5 ( If you still have questions, please contact the Student Services Manager at comm- In the subject heading of the , please type 'Admissions: LAST NAME, First Name'. Given the large number of requests for information received, we would appreciate your understanding in the event that there are delays in responding. IMPORTANT: Please ensure that your settings allow for the receipt of our s so that they do not go into your junk mail. Good luck! We look forward to receiving your application.