FAQS

Do I Need to Take the GRE Subject Test?

The GRE Subject Test is NOT a required part of the application to the Biophysics Program.

Please Note:  The GRE General Test scores are no longer being required for applicants to the Biophysics Graduate Program.

 

What Happens After I Submit My Application?

In the month of December, all applications and supporting materials that have been received are read and reviewed by a Committee of Faculty Reviewers, who then meet to discuss and decide on those students whom the Biophysics Program Co-Chairs and Program Administrator will invite to visit Harvard and the Biophysics Program as part of our annual Recruitment Visit/ Interview Weekend, The Biophysics Program confers with the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences to receive approval for the proposed list of admitted students. The annual Recruitment Visit/ interview Weekend generally takes place in the last week of January or the first few weeks of February. Official notification of admission into the Biophysics Program comes from the Office of the Dean of GSAS.

Notification for those being invited to interview for the Biophysics Program will be made prior to new year's day.

What If I Don't Hear Anything?

The GSAS Admissions Office attempts to notify students as quickly as possible regarding the outcome of the application process. Those students who are being invited to the annual Recruitment Visit/ Interview Weekend will receive notification from the Biophysics Program Co-Chairs, plus the Program Administrator, as soon as possible after the meeting of the Faculty Review Committee. Once final admissions decisions are made, and the Biophysics Program receives approval of our proposed admitted students from the Dean of GSAS, those students will be notified by the Biophysics Program Co-Chairs and through the GSAS Dean and Office of Admissions. Students who are not being extended an offer of admission, may see notification of the decision status posted in their GSAS Application Portal. There are some instances where a decision to admit or to deny admission to an applicant is contingent on additional factors and the receipt of additional information before a final admissions decision can be made, in which case the notification of the applicant may be delayed.

When Is The Program Interview/ Visit Weekend Taking Place?

The Biophysics Program holds an annual Recruitment Visit/ Interview Weekend in late January or early February each year as part of its admissions process for the following fall entry. During, and as a result of the Covid pandemic, interviews have been held remotely, with an in-person visit taking place later in the spring for those students being offered admission.

The Biophysics Program's Admissions Decision Committee makes a decision on those applicants we want to invite to visit the program.  We then invite admitted students to come and visit the University, to meet with current students and faculty members in both formal and informal events and through individual meetings with those faculty members in whose research the student is interested.  The visit weekend includes meals and outings with current students, a Student & Faculty Reception and Dinner, the Annual Mini-Symposium and Poster Session, and usually an excursion to a show or activity at a local venue in Boston on the last evening of the visit.   The Interview dates for students being invited to interview for possible admission for Fall 2024 entry, is February 6-9, 2024, and will be held as a virtual event.

After the remote Interviews,  there will be an in-person Recruitment Weekend Visit event, to be held in March (exact dates to be determined) for those students who are being offered admission to the Biophysics Program for Fall 2024.

I am a Harvard Medical School MD-PhD Student. Is there a different deadline or application process I need to follow?

Applicants from the Harvard Medical School MD-PhD Program should submit a "pre-application" by October 15th, 2023, to be considered for entry in the Fall of 2024.  The application should be completed in the GSAS Application Portal and downloaded (or screenshots saved) without completing the submittal of the application to GSAS.  On receiving the "pre-application" (to be sent to the Program Administrator), the Biophysics Faculty Admissions Review Committee will read the application, and we will set up times for interviews for the applicant with members of the Admissions Committee.  Student applicants who are considered appropriate for the Biophysics Program will then be invited to submit their finalized application to the program through the GSAS Application Portal.  Decisions on whether or not an MD-PhD student applicant will be invited to submit a finalized, official application, with the understanding that they will be accepted into the program for Fall 2024, will be communicated to the student by November 15th, 2023.  Please reach out to the Biophysics Program Administrator as soon as possible, if planning to submit an application in case any procedural/ application system changes have gone into effect.

How Can I Request A Fee Waiver?

The application fee is $105 payable by credit card. GSAS is committed to ensuring that our fee does not create a financial obstacle. Applicants can determine eligibility for a fee waiver by completing a series of questions in the Application Fee section of the application. Once these questions have been answered, the application system will provide an immediate response regarding fee waiver eligibility. The application fee is non-refundable.  Please see the GSAS Admissions Page for more Information.