Required Additional Application Materials - U.S. Citizens
In addition to information submitted online through the Online Application process, other materials listed below are required.
Materials sent to the Information School:
- Official Transcripts
- Letters of Recommendation (if not submitted oline)
|
| PhD Admissions Committee |
| Information School |
| University of Washington |
| 370 Mary Gates Hall, Box 352840* |
| Seattle, WA 98195-2840 |
* If the shipping service you are using does not deliver to a PO Box, simply remove "Box 352840" from the address and your package should successfully arrive at our office.
Three Letters of Recommendation
Please request recommendations from people who know you well and who are able to comment on your academic competence, ability to engage in graduate study, and potential for future success in an academic or research setting. Academic recommendations are preferred. Recommendations may be from professional references, but they should focus on your academic competence. Unless academic- or work-related, do not submit recommendations from family members, clergy, or friends.
On the UW Graduate School online application you will be asked to provide names and contact information for three persons from whom you have requested recommendations. You can choose to have the online application system send an email prompt, or, if your recommenders are submitting recommendations by postal mail, you may designate that. Either way, you must designate three recommenders in the online application system for your application to be complete.
Recommendation letters are requested and preferred through our online application system.
- Your recommenders will be sent an e-mail prompt with instructions for submitting their letter of recommendation online once you activate their names as ready for the e-mail instructions. Requesting your letters of recommendation online will allow you to see when the letters have been submitted. Additional instructions are available within the online UW Graduate School application. We strongly encourage your recommenders to submit their letters via the online option.
Recommendation letters via post or in your packet
- Though we prefer that your recommenders submit their letters through the online option, they can also opt to send a letter via regular mail. If they choose this option, the recommendation should be written on company or organizational letterhead and sent with a completed PhD Recommendation Cover Sheet, in pdf form below:
- PhD Recommendation Cover Sheet
- You can send your letters of recommendation either
- With your other application materials going to the Information School: Make sure they are given to you by your recommenders in sealed envelopes with their signature over the seal. As long as the envelope arrives intact, without the seals broken, then we can accept them as part of your larger packet of materials. Or,
- Or, submit your letters via regular mail directly to the Information School only (address above).
Official Transcript Requirements From Each Relevant Institution Attended
Request that one official transcript from each relevant college or university attended be sent to the Information School. Relevant transcripts include transcripts which account for the last 60 semester (or 90 quarter) credits of graded work, transcripts from institutions from which you received (or expect to receive) a degree, and transcripts for any other academic work that you would like the Admissions Committee to review. Each transcript should be sent in an envelope sealed by the institution; photocopies of transcripts or transcripts not in sealed envelopes will not be considered official.
If you have foreign transcripts from attending a school outside the United States, you are required to submit official copies of those transcripts to the UW Graduate School. Please mail them to the address below:
Office of Graduate Admissions
University of Washington
Room 301, Loew Hall, Box 84808*
Seattle, Washington 98124-6108
* If the shipping service you are using does not deliver to a PO Box, simply remove "Box 352840 or Box 84808" from the addresses and your package should successfully arrive at both offices.
GRE Scores
- Self-report your GRE (Graduate Record Examination) scores. If you do not know your scores or haven’t taken the test yet, please include any information that you do have, such as: scheduled test date.
- OFFICIAL (GRE) score reports must be sent electronically directly to the University of Washington. The Information School will then have access to your test scores. Please use the UW institutional code for the GRE: 4854 - (you do not need a department code).
Note: We accept GRE scores of any age from the following official sources:
- Educational Testing Service (ETS) – Keeps GRE scores for only 5 years (See above how to report)
- A sealed, paper original, official GRE score report mailed directly to our office
- Official transcript that lists your GRE scores: Contact school directly to determine if they report GRE scores on transcripts
- GRE scores reported to a different school: Request that the school send a list of your GRE scores (with percentages) on school letterhead in a sealed envelope.
- Copy of your official score report submitted by a previous school with a note (on letterhead) verifying that the copy was made from an original document: We can accept GRE scores from other schools, but require that this information be sent in a sealed envelope and include verification or documentation on school letterhead and be signed by a school official. We cannot accept email attachments or faxes.
- If you cannot obtain an official score report for your previous GRE (or GMAT) scores, you will need to take the test again.
Please contact our office if you have any questions about this requirement.
Note: Doctoral level graduates do not need to submit the GRE
- Applicants with an earned doctoral level degree from an accredited institution in the United States (PhD, MD, JD, etc.) are not required to submit GRE scores.
Curriculum Vitae or Résumé
Your curriculum vitae or résumé must be submitted with your online application.
English Language Ability Tests (Non-native English speakers)
Applicants who are non-native English speakers (this includes international students, permanent residents and US citizens) must submit an official copy of one of the following English language ability tests to the University of Washington: TOEFL, IELTS, MLT.
Please read through the UW Graduate School's Memo #8 for more information about our English language requirements and ability tests. The institution code to use for reporting your score through ETS is the same as the GRE: 4854.
If you have questions about the application process, please contact the Information School's Office of Student Services by e-mail at iSchoolphd@washington.edu or by phone at 206-543-1794. Thank you!