FAQs

• Yes, students receive a yearly stipend of currently minimally $32,184 per year. This applies to both US citizens and non-citizens.
• The cost of tuition is covered by the program.
• Stipends may be higher in some contributing departments.
• Health insurance is subsidized.
• During their first semester (while doing rotations), our students receive a stipend from the MCB program. During subsequent semesters, students are typically funded through their mentor’s external funding (Graduate Research Assistantship, GRA) or receive a departmental teaching assistantship (GTA).

No, GRE scores are not an admission requirement, and we do not take them into consideration if submitted.

• Our incoming classes had average GPAs between 3.4 and 3.9
• But GPA is not one of our most important admission criteria. In our opinion, one of the best predictors for success in graduate school is not your GPA but whether you already have gained research experience.
• Do not let a low GPA prevent you from applying, as long as it meets the minimum requirement of 3.0!
• If you have a GPA in the lower range (3.0-3.2), please explain in your personal statement.

• No, you don’t. But you may!
• If you join the MCB program, you will have the ability to rotate through three different laboratories and explore the research and atmosphere in these labs.
• If you want to know more about research in specific labs, or which projects will likely be available, feel free to contact any of our faculty members – even before applying.

• Our program is too new to say for sure. But we expect our students to finish within 4 – 5 years.
• The optimal timing depends at least partly on the future career goals of each of our students.

No, the MCB program is a Ph.D. program, and we do not offer a Master’s track.

• One factor we pay a lot of attention to is whether you have already gained research experience.
• We hope that at least one of your letters speaks to your qualities as a researcher.
• We want our students to have diverse backgrounds, be curious, be passionate about science. You can be introvert, extrovert, any type of character, but we hope you bring something unique to our program.
• To get to know you, we will carefully read your statements – both your personal statement and your diversity statement.

• You do not necessarily need the TOEFL, but you need either TOEFL or IELTS.
• Please see this information by the Graduate School.
• The MCB program additionally has the following requirements: your TOEFL score needs to be higher than 100; speaking subtest needs to be 25 or higher, all other subtests need to be 20 or higher. Your IELTS score needs to be 6.5 or higher and no subtest can be lower than 6.0.
• This requirement may be waived if you hold a degree from a university where courses were held primarily in English.

• Funding for international students is the same as for domestic students.
• For assistance with immigration questions, please contact the Cranwell International Center.