Prospective Student FAQ

You may contact the application contact or the director of graduate education (DOGE) for your program of interest or feel free to contact an individual member of our faculty with whom you share research interest. The application contact or the DOGE will be listed on each program page.

Yes, it is perfectly okay. It is encouraged to notify your program of interest if you are in direct communication with faculty so that the program can support you in your questions.

If you were enrolled as a degree-seeking graduate student at Iowa State within the last two years, reapplication is unnecessary. Contact your major professor or the Director of Graduate Education (DOGE) for guidance on continuing in your program. 

If it has been more than two years since your enrollment, submit a Reinstatement to Active Status form and obtain approval from a graduate program and the Graduate College. 

Simply return to your Admissions MyAccount.  Under the Up Next section, click the “View my Application(s)” button.    You can view the status of each application on the Manage Applications page.  At the top of the application, you can find the status.  If it says “Under Review”, this means that the admissions department is overlooking your application ensuring that all of the correct documents have been submitted and that all requirements are met.   

During this time, look down the list of action items in your application and ensure that all required documents have been submitted and that your references have completed their Letter of Request forms and submitted them.  It is important to remember that all documents must be reviewed and indexed.  This can take a number of business days and your application will not show completion of these documents until that has been done. 

If your status says, “Under Program Review”, this means that you have all the required documents submitted and that your application is sitting with the department awaiting review.  The timeline for completion is up to each department, so you would need to reach out to them specifically if you are curious when decisions will be made. 

If your status says, “Decision Complete”, you can expect a communication to arrive shortly either from the department or the admissions team with more information about the decision on your application. 

Log back into your Admissions MyAccount.  Under the Up Next section, click the “View my Application(s)” button.   From there, ensure you have selected the correct application but clicking the “+“ link and expanding the application.  You can update or upload new documents by clicking the “Upload” buttons for each action item. Please note, you will not be able to remove any documents that have already been uploaded. 

Currently, referees need to submit a separate recommendation form and letter of recommendation for each application.  If you are choosing to apply for multiple programs, you may want to select different references for each application. 

While Iowa State University does not have a university-wide requirement for the GRE, most graduate programs require one of these tests. Applicants should review the specific requirements of their intended program. 

These criteria help ensure that all admitted students are prepared for success in their graduate studies.

The emails are not sent to recommenders until the application is submitted and the fee paid (if applicable). If they have still not received the email, you can resend the email by managing your Letters of Recommendation. Double check to be sure the email address you listed for them is correct. They should check their spam/junk mail if they have not received the email.  As a last resort, the recommender can provide an alternative email address or use the PDF Letter of Recommendation form available on our website (instructions below). 

1. Log in to Admissions MyAccount. 
2. Select “View my Application(s)” to track the status of LORs. 
3. Click on the “Manage” button on the row for any of your Letters of Recommendation 
4. Utilize the following options as needed: 
   • Cancel: Remove an incomplete request and add a new recommender. 
   • Resend: Send a reminder email to a recommender. 
   • Edit: Correct email address errors or update information if the recommender opts to submit a paper letter. 
   • Add new recommender: Send a request to a new recommender not listed on your original application. 

Under the U.S. Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), enrolled students have the right to access their application files, including letters of recommendation. Many institutions, including Iowa State, offer applicants the option to voluntarily waive this right, meaning you forgo the ability to view recommendation letters if you enroll. 

Considerations for waiving your rights: 

• Recommenders are often more candid when letters remain confidential. 
• Some recommenders may refuse to write letters for applicants who do not waive their rights. 
• Your waiver selection can be changed from visible to waived by managing your LORs (section below) after your application has been submitted. 
• Once you have chosen to waive your right to view your applications, you cannot switch your choice to view them.   

Our various academic programs have different deadlines as well as requirements for supplemental information. Please review the important program specific instructions located on each program page. 

The Graduate College expects a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 scale from an applicant’s undergraduate degree program, but we view applications holistically, and other qualifications may support admission. To determine your unique eligibility for admission, please contact your graduate program of interest. 

English may be considered your primary language if it is the language you are most proficient in and/or the first language you learned and spoke from childhood in your home. If English is not your primary language, you must meet the university’s English proficiency requirements through one of the following methods: 

Earning a Degree from an English-Medium University 

You may satisfy the English proficiency requirement if you have completed a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from an English-medium institution in an English-speaking country. These countries recognize English as an official language: 

Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, Eritrea, Eswatini, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guernsey, Guyana, Hong Kong, Ireland, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Micronesia, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Sudan, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Sudan, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Kingdom, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe. 

Submitting Official English Language Test Scores 

If you have not earned a degree from an English-speaking country, you must provide official scores from one of the following exams. Both the Graduate College and your specific graduate program's minimum requirements must be met. The minimum scores accepted by the Graduate College are: 

• Paper-Based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL Paper-Based Test): 550 
• Internet-Based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT): 79 
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS): 6.5 
• Pearson Test of English (PTE): 53 
• Duolingo English Test (approved through Spring 2026): 105 (Summer 2025 & Fall 2025), 115 (Spring 2026) 

Yes. If English is not your primary language, you must meet the university’s English proficiency requirement. 

Applications can be reviewed with unofficial scores. Students should upload copies of exam results to their application for the university to use when matching official scores to the student’s file. Official scores should be supplied by the examination source. The GRE is not required by the Graduate College, however, the graduate program may request the official GRE scores. 
 
Please reference the application instructions for more information. 
GRE scores and TOEFL Scores should be sent by ETS directly to Iowa State University. Our institution code is 6306. 
 
IELTS results should be sent by mail to: 
Graduate Admissions 
100 Enrollment Services Center 
2433 Union Drive 
Ames, IA  50011-2042 
 
Duolingo scores should be sent electronically, directly from Duolingo, to Iowa State.

U.S. military veterans will have their application fee deferred until they enroll. All other applicants are required to pay a fee at the time of submission or have it deferred to their first university bill. The difference depends on the department you are applying to.

No. Funding for tuition and for graduate assistantships is based on merit rather than need.

Graduate students accept their offer through their Admissions MyAccount.   After receiving an email notice confirming that an admissions decision has been rendered. Students should log on to their account and application.  Students can accept or decline their offer of admission by selecting the corresponding button. 

Now that you've been offered admission to Iowa State University, you are required to submit official copies of your final academic records and degree statements if you haven’t already. Please note that the documents you uploaded during the application process are not considered official. 

Although we review applications using unofficial documents, we require that official academic documents be submitted promptly. If you have completed your studies, please send these documents within four weeks of receiving your admission offer. 

Failure to provide all required documents by the 10th day of the term will result in a registration hold, which will prevent you from registering for classes until the required documents are submitted. 

If you are unable to meet this deadline, please contact the Office of Admissions as soon as possible (gradhelp@iastate.edu). In certain cases, students may be permitted to bring their official documents to campus and submit them upon arrival. Please contact Admissions to request approval for this option. 

Not official or incomplete 

Records are considered UNOFFICIAL if: 

• They are a reproduction of the copy issued by the university (scanned, photographed, photocopied, etc.) 
• They do not contain the proper stamps or seals that would make it official.  
• They were emailed or uploaded by the applicant. 
• They were attached to an email without a method of secure delivery such as a passcode or QR code. 
• They are records from individuals who are not primarily responsible for maintaining academic records, such as lecturers or professors. 

Records are considered INCOMPLETE if: 

• They were sent to Iowa State before the degree was awarded. 
• You’re an international student that applied using a complete official transcript but didn’t send an official copy of the degree statement/diploma. 

U.S. transcripts 

Official transcripts must be sent directly from the university registrar to the Iowa State Office of Admissions. The transcript should bear the official stamp or seal of the registrar. Degree statements are not required from U.S. institutions as degrees awarded will be reflected on the transcript. 

International academic records 

Academic records vary in name by country. For example: 

• In the U.S., these are called "transcripts." 
• In India, they are referred to as "annual marksheets." 
• In Spanish-speaking countries, they may be called "certificado de estudios." 
• In France, they are "relevé de notes." 

International academic records should be in the official language of the country where they were earned. If not in English, an official English translation should be included. We accept literal (not interpretative) translations from any qualified translator. 

To be considered official, international academic records must bear the original stamp or seal of the responsible school official (e.g., registrar, principal, or controller of exams).

Specific Country/Region Requirements 

Central & South America: 

An apostille-stamped original-language document is acceptable if it is stamped by the registrar of your institution, with an original seal of your institution, and preferably contained in sealed and stamped envelopes from your institution.  A notary or apostille outside of your registrar office will not be accepted as official versions for the Spanish documents.  However, a certified translator's original signature/stamp from outside of the registrar's office is acceptable for the English translation.  

When transcripts are translated, grades should be translated as shown on the original language document and must not be converted to a U.S. grading scale.  Converted grades will not be accepted. 

China:  

.  For your official, final academic documents, we require both: 

• Report of China Higher Education Academic Transcript 
• Online Verification Report of Higher Education Degree Certificate 

Students are required to submit certified transcripts and degree statements in both Mandarin and English.  We accept transcripts from institutions that include both languages.  For documents only issued in Mandarin, we require a certified English translation must be sent to our office or hand-delivered upon your campus arrival (admissions office address in section below). 

Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan:  

Submit certified mark sheets/transcripts with degree certificates, along with English translations if needed. 

European Bologna Complaint Countries:  

Provide the official Diploma Supplement, which includes coursework, grades, and degree verification. 

France:  

Many institutions in France do not provide a diploma supplement or English translation of their credentials.  In those cases, please have the credentials in French sent to our office (address above).  You must also include English translations from any certified translator. 

India: 

Transcripts 

Consolidated transcripts are accepted from Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and from universities using a 10-point scale as long as retakes are marked.   

Marksheets 

• Semester/annual marksheets are required for institutions who use marks other than a 10-point scale. 
• Marksheets can be from autonomous institutions, but degree certificates must be from the issuing university.  If the institution is not autonomous, marksheets must be certified by the university.   
• Marksheets musted be attested/certified before being sent to ISU. 

Degree Statements 

• Degree statements must be attested/certified before being sent to ISU. 
• Proof of degree is a clear statement confirming the name of the degree and the date the degree was “granted”, “awarded”, or “conferred”. 
• For recently awarded degrees, a provisional certificate is acceptable if it meets ALL of the following criteria: 
  • It was issued no more than 2 years ago. 
  • The name of the degree awarded is specified. 
  • The date of the degree completion is shown. 
  • Final division/placement/GPA is shown. 
  • It clearly states that the DEGREE WILL BE AWARDED.   

Iran: 

Original officially translated transcripts and diplomas will have the red, white, and green stamp fastening documents together in the upper left corner. These can be brought to our office for review when you arrive on campus if your university is unable to send these. The translated transcript and degree statement must either have an official original stamp from the university or must be translated by a translator to the Judiciary.  After documents have been officially translated, they must be presented to the Ministry of Justice and receive the Judiciary stamp and seals.    

Mexico: 

Students should have their institution send official copies in Spanish to our office via mail or courier (address above).  An English translation must be included if the institutions provides translational services.   

If your institution does not provide translation services, please obtain a certified translation from a professional translation service.  Grades must be translated as shown on the original language document and should not be converted to a U.S. grading system.  Translations with converted grades will not be accepted. 

Taiwan: 

Students are required to submit certified transcripts and degree statements in both Mandarin and English.  We accept transcripts from institutions that include both languages.  For documents only issued in Mandarin, we require a certified English translation must be sent to our office or hand-delivered upon your campus arrival (admissions office address above). 

If you have questions or need further clarification about these requirements, please reach out to Admissions. 

Yes. Please visit the Department of Residence website.

Graduate students with an approved graduate assistantship (GA) are eligible for tuition assessment equivalent to the in-state rate. An assistantship appointment provides a percentage of tuition as payment toward the university bill.

An appointment does not guarantee payment any part of the student’s fees. A student is responsible for their fees regardless of assistantship. Residency does not change as a result of an appointment

From 9 to 11 credits per semester is common.

Please refer to the Office of Institutional Research for up-to-date enrollment data.

Approximately 65,000. Population data as well as other pertinent information can be found on the City of Ames website.

Graduate assistants are paid semi-monthly.

Yes, unless they are covered by other sources such as an internal or external fellowship or scholarship.

Mandatory fees for most majors are: activity, services, building & recreation fee; health facility fee; health fee; technology fee.
For more tuition and fees information, visit the Office of the Registrar.

If you hold an assistantship, you are automatically enrolled in the Self Only medical insurance plan.