 |
Applying to the Graduate School - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Required Documents
Transcripts
Recommendations
Test
Scores
Tuition, Fees and University
Support
Taking Graduate Courses outside a Degree
Program
Housing
Contact
InformationAPPLICATION TO THE
How can I submit
an
application?
Effective for Fall 2007 admissions, all
applications must be
filled out online. Please
click the
following link to get further instructions about required documents and
to
start an online application account.
Instructions
for Applicants
Do I have to fill
out
the entire application in one sitting?
No,
the online application is
interactive. You
can create an account,
save your answers, and return to your application as often as you like.
Until
you click the Submit button, you can change what
you have saved.
What if I am
having a
technical problem with filling out my application online?
If you have any questions about the online
interface system,
please click the “Technical Support” link on the
login page.
What if I am
applying
to more than one program? Do I have to fill out two applications and
pay two
application fees?
Yes, and you have to make sure to send two
sets of all of
your supplementary required documents to both departments as well.
What if I applied
to
Stony Brook in the past, submitted an application, and want to apply
again?
If you applied a program within the last
twelve months,
please contact the Graduate
Program to
which you applied.
If you're applying to a different program,
please create a new
account and submit a new application.
What are the
deadlines for applying to the
The deadline for Spring admissions is October 1st. The deadline for Fall
admissions is January
15th.
Applications to the Biopsychology, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive/ Experimental Psychology, and Social and Health Psychology doctoral programs must be submitted by December 15th.
Please check with the Graduate
Program Coordinator
of the department to which you are applying to
see if the program will accept applications after these dates.
What is the
application fee?
A non-refundable application fee of $60.
will be charged for
your application. Online
applicants must
pay by credit card. You
will be given a
prompt when you submit your application online to provide your credit
card
information.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
What documents do
I
have to provide in addition to the online application?
Please refer to the following link, “Additional Required Documentation.” You may also download our “Completed Application Checklist.”
Where do I send
my
additional required documents?
All
official
transcripts, recommendation letters, etc. must be sent directly to the
program
to which you are applying. Mailing addresses for individual programs
can be
found at the program's
website.
Why do I have to
send
two originals of every document? (transcripts, recommendations)
One set of originals is for the Graduate
school and the
other is for the department to which you are applying.
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS
What constitutes
an
official, final transcript?
Official
transcripts are valid when they are issued by the school you attended. They have an official
seal/stamp and an
official signature by an appropriate academic administrative officer. They are sealed by the
university.
Photocopied
documents
are NOT official.
Final transcripts
state that a degree has been conferred and provide the date of
conferral. A provisional
certificate, therefore, is not final, but temporary.
Do I have to have
my
transcript translated if it is not in English?
Yes, academic records from international
universities that
are not in English must be accompanied by an official English
translation. Academic
records must be translated by an
accredited, objective party.
My transcript
only
contains the marks that I received.
This
is adequate to show I earned a degree, right?
No. If
your official
transcript (or mark sheet) does not specifically state that a
bachelor's degree
(or its equivalent) has been conferred, you will also need to submit an
official
(attested) diploma or an official certification of degree(s) awarded.
What if I
haven’t
received my degree yet, but will have earned it by the time I would
like to
start graduate school?
If you are in the process of completing a
degree, please
send an official transcript that shows your progress to this point. You
will
need to send a final, official transcript once your degree is conferred. Transcripts that do not
show a degree awarded
will not delay application processing, but failure to submit final
documentation about conferral will result in a registration block.
What if I went to
a
college, but did not graduate? What
if I
just took classes there?
Applicant are required to submit
transcripts from all
institutions attended, regardless of whether a degree was earned.
No. While many international
schools only issue
one diploma, it is not true that they will only issue one transcript
(mark
sheet, generally with the degree posted).
RECOMMENDATIONS
Can the person
who is
recommending me send a paper recommendation?
If your referees do not wish to submit
their recommendations
online, please provide them with the paper recommendation form that can
be
downloaded from the online system.
Paper recommendations must be sent
directly to the graduate
program you are applying to in sealed envelopes, signed across the seal
by the
recommender.
Where do I find
recommendation forms to give to my recommenders?
I can’t find them on your website.
In
order to gain access to our recommendation forms, you must start an
online
account. Once on
our online system, you
can either send emails directing your recommenders to submit a
recommendation
to the online system itself, or download a paper recommendation form
from the
system and give it to your recommender.
Paper recommendations must be sent
directly to the graduate
program you are applying to in sealed envelopes, signed across the seal
by the
recommender.
Graduate
Record Examinations (GRE)
Is there a
minimum
GRE requirement?
Is the GRE
required
for admittance into all programs?
The GRE general test is required
of all applicants,
with the exception of the following programs:
Hispanic Languages and Literature - MA and
PhD
Mathematics - MA Program (for applicants in Secondary Teaching Option
Only)
MFA in Writing and Literature
Music Performance - MM and DMA
Graduate Certificate in Composition Studies
Applicants to the MBA program may take the
GRE or the GMAT.
I have taken the GRE and TOEFL
tests as required. Could
I send copies
of my scores to Stony Brook and ask Educational
Testing Services (ETS) to
send my official scores later when I am admitted?
Do I have to take
the
TOEFL?
If your native or primary language is not English, you must take an English proficiency test. To be considered for admitted, an applicant must present an acceptable score on the TOEFL or IELTS test.
What are the
minimum
scores required for admission?
IELTS: overall score of 6.5 with no subsection below 6.
TOEFL exam:
Paper-based test: 550
Computer-based test: 213
Internet-based test:
• 80 for general admission.
• 90 for admission to a doctoral program and to be eligible for consideration
for TA/GA support.
In general a doctoral student should have an iBT of 90 or higher, although candidates with lower scores may be considered in special circumstances.
Spoken English :
All doctoral students and students with a TA/GA stipend whose native language is not English must demonstrate a sufficient level of English-speaking proficiency, and may be required to take ESL courses based on these measures. Doctoral and TA/GA students are exempt from ESL courses or a speaking evaluation with one of the following scores:
• TSE: 55
• IELTS speak: 7
• iBT speak: 28
All other Doctoral and TA/GA students will be required to take the SPEAK test on arrival.
Do I have to take
the
TSE?
The TSE is not required for admission to
the
Any PhD student or student with a stipend (TA, GA, RA) whose
native language is not English must score 55 or above on the TSE or
SPEAK test
OR obtain a score of 7.0 or better in the speaking component of the
IELTS
test. If the TSE is not available, you may take the SPEAK test upon arrival at Stony Brook.
What if I have my
official Examinee (Personal) score report for my TOEFL/IELTS/TSE exam? Can I just make a copy of
it?
No, the
When should I
take
the TOEFL?
Please schedule
to
take the exam in time for the
Be aware, as well, that it takes time for
ETS to send these
scores to Stony Brook. It
is the
student’s responsibility to make sure that he/she has taken
the test and ordered
that the scores be sent to Stony Brook in time for admissions
evaluation by the
department. Any
delay in the receipt of
the TOEFL score will impede application evaluation and processing.
What if I took
the
TOEFL exam years ago?
The
What is meant by
“native and primary language”?
Native or primary speakers of English have
been raised or
educated in an English-speaking environment.
Native or primary speakers may
speak a language other than English at home, but speak English
exclusively
outside the home in social and/or educational contexts.
Please note: Intentional misrepresentation
by a student
regarding his or her native/primary language is academic dishonesty,
and
grounds for dismissal from the University.
TUITION,
FEES, AND
UNIVERSITY SUPPORT
What are the
tuition
and fees at Stony Brook? How can I apply for financial aid?
For all questions regarding tuition, fees,
and financial
aid, please refer to Stony Brook’s Office of Financial
Services website: http://www.stonybrook.edu/finaid/cost/graduate.shtml
How do I apply
for
program or university financial support, such as Teaching
Assistantships,
Graduate Assistantships, Research Assistantships, and Tuition
Scholarships?
You will be considered for merit-based
assistance by filling
out the “Financial Aid” section of the online
application.
CAN I TAKE A GRADUATE COURSE WITHOUT ENTERING A DEGREE PROGRAM? (top)
If you have a baccalaureate degree and are
interested in
taking graduate courses at Stony Brook, without working towards a
degree, you
may apply for admission as a non-matriculated graduate (GSP) student. The
School of Professional Development represents
the University's (West Campus) non-matriculated students.
The maximum number of graduate credits
that one may earn as
a non-matriculated graduate student (GSP) that may later be considered
for any
Stony Brook graduate degree is 12; for certificate programs, the
maximum is 6.
Enrollment in a department's graduate
courses does not
entitle a GSP student to candidacy for a department's degrees. You must
formally apply and be admitted to a degree and/or certificate program.
HOUSING
Where can I find
information
about Housing?
For information about on-campus housing,
please refer to the
following website:
http://studentaffairs.stonybrook.edu/reside/
For information about off-campus housing,
please refer to
the following website:
http://och.vpsa.sunysb.edu/
CONTACT INFORMATION (top)
For further information about
Graduate_School_Admissions@notes.cc.sunysb.edu
Graduate School Home | Policy Manual | Contact | Search | SB Home