ChBE @Rice - Graduate Studies

Complete details about the components of a graduate studies application are provided below.

We have also implemented a Preliminary Application form that allows us to quickly evaluate the qualifications of prospective students who are not certain whether they should submit a full application,

Application Forms

The application form is only one piece of your application package. Several items must be MAILED and the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering must receive all items listed above before your application is complete. The deadline is January 15 for Fall admission.

Application Fee

A nonrefundable application fee of thirty-five U.S. dollars (U.S. $35.00) must accompany each application. The fee must be in the form of a check drawn on a U.S. bank or money order payable to Rice University. Please do not send cash.

We will not process applications that are not accompanied by the processing fee. Applicants may petition the admissions committee requesting a waiver of the fee. Be advised, however, that few such requests are granted. If a request for a fee waiver is denied, the application will not be evaluated until the application fee is received.

Note to Foreign Applicants

The application fee is required of all applicants, including foreign students. We recognize that some foreign students may have difficulty with currency exchange. However, payment of the fee cannot be deferred until the time of enrollment. An application can be processed ONLY when the application fee has been received.

The check must be payable through a U.S. bank, which must be noted on the front of the check. We can also accept an international money order. Sometimes an applicant will ask a U.S. friend or relative to submit the fee on his/her behalf. In this case, however, you must make sure that the applicant's name and department are clearly indicated on the front of the check. We cannot accept credit card payment for applications sent by mail (as opposed to those sent electronically).

Letters of Evaluation

Three letters are required. The letters should be written by people best qualified to testify to your capacity for graduate work in history. It is always our preference to have academic references representing your major field, though we recognize that there are situations where this may not be possible. In such circumstances, we encourage you to seek out those persons who can comment on qualities that will be relevant to your academic goals, particularly research.

Academic Transcripts

We require one copy of the official, confidential transcript from each institution (undergraduate and graduate) that you have attended. These transcripts are an essential piece of your application. Send transcripts from any institution where you earned (or will earn) a degree, studied for one year or more, or took classes that relate to your current application for graduate study.

Transcripts should be in confidential, signed-across-the-seal envelopes provided to you by the registrar of each institution. It is critical that the transcripts be in confidential envelopes. Personal copies of your records, or copies which have passed through your hands and are therefore not confidential, are not acceptable and will not be regarded as official. If your school will not provide you directly with a confidential copy of your transcript, then you must have them send an official copy to directly to the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

We must also receive certification of degrees received, including the date the degree was awarded. This information may be included on the final transcript.

NOTE TO FOREIGN APPLICANTS: The academic records which we refer to as transcripts should provide a listing, year-by-year, of all courses taken and the grade or marks received for each one. It is helpful to have the grading scale of the institution and the student's rank in class included when such information is available. Do not submit secondary school records. Transcripts must bear an official signature in ink of the appropriate official of your institution(s), such as the registrar or recorder of records, and must bear the institutional seal. If your college or university will not provide original official academic documents, exact copies that have been verified as "Certified True Copies" by the appropriate institutional official of each institution that you have attended should be sent. Uncertified photocopies are not acceptable.

To be considered, all documents not in English must be accompanied by official English translations. These translations must bear an original ink signature and seal, and translations alone will not be acceptable.

GRE Scores

Rice University requires all applicants to provide GRE (Graduate Record Examination) General Test scores. The scores must not be more than five years old, and an official copy must be sent to Rice University directly from the Educational Testing Service. Personal copies are not acceptable.

Rice University receives GRE scores via diskettes sent about twice a month from the Educational Testing Service. Because we match scores by an applicant's name, it is important that you explicitly call our attention to any discrepancies that might occur between your name as reported on your application forms and as recorded on your GRE scores.

Be sure to take the GRE in time for official scores to reach us by the January 15 deadline. For further information on the GRE and registration forms, please contact the

NOTE TO FOREIGN APPLICANTS: We realize that language and cultural differences may affect the GRE scores of foreign students, particularly those whose native language is not English. This is taken into consideration when such students' applications are evaluated. The scores are nevertheless required and must come directly from the Educational Testing Service.

TOEFL Requirement (For Foreign Applicants)

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of any student whose native language is not English, regardless of whether or not you have attended another U.S. institution. Your score must not be more than two years old and an official copy must be sent to the Graduate School directly from ETS.). The test is administered through the

Much of your success in graduate study in the United States will rest on your ability to understand, read, write, and speak English. If English is not your native language, evidence of proficiency in its use will be decisive in the review for admission.

Applicants whose native language is not English must take the TOEFL test and score at least 90 on the internet-based TOEFL, at least 600 on the paper-based TOEFL or score at least 250 on the computer-based TOEFL. For students who choose to take the IELTS in lieu of TOEFL, the minimum score is 7. Original test scores are required unless the student is already enrolled in a U.S. graduate program.

Personal Statement

Your application and all supporting documents help us know your work, your goals, and your abilities as a chemical engineer. Your personal statement should include information about your professional goals and discuss your research interests.

Preparing Your Application