Graduate Application FAQs
The page was updated on August 2, 2010 and is relevant to applicants seeking entry for Autumn 2011. Applications
for admission in Autumn 2011 will be accepted after September 1, 2010 (see below). Information about application
deadlines can be found below. Questions about our graduate program and the application process should be
submitted by e-mail to graduate_admissions@chemistry.ohio-state.edu.
Applicants should note that the $5 processing fee cannot be waived and photocopies of GRE and/or TOEFL score
reports will not be accepted; the Admissions Committee will not review any application that does not contain
official GRE and/or TOEFL scores as reported to Ohio State University by ETS.
When is the application deadline?
Do I have to pay an application fee?
The Department of Chemistry does not charge an application fee. There is a mandatory $5 processing fee charged
by CollegeNET® to all graduate program applicants. This fee cannot be waived.
What are the required application materials?
 A completed on-line application.
 One original/official copy of transcripts or record of marks for each university-level school attended (include English
translation of each foreign document).
Please mail your transcripts to:
Jennifer Hambach
Graduate Admissions Coordinator
OSU Department of Chemistry
1110 Newman Wolfrom Lab
100 W. 18th Ave.
Columbus, OH 43210
 Official GRE scores as reported to OSU by ETS (use institution code 1592).
 Official TOEFL scores as reported to OSU by ETS (use institution code 1592).
® If you are an international applicant who will not receive a degree (either B.S. or M.S.) from a U.S.
institution prior to enrolling at OSU (if admitted) then you are required to submit TOEFL scores unless you
are a citizen of Australia, Belize, British Caribbean, British West Indies, Canada (except Quebec), England,
Guyana, Ireland, Liberia, New Zealand, Scotland or Wales.
®This requirement also applies to applicants who are applying for U.S. permanent residency whose native
language is not English and who will not have their Green Card as of September 1, 2010.
A statement of intent (personal statement) of no more than two (2) pages.
® Please upload this document with the online application or e-mail to
graduate_admissions@chemistry.ohio-state.edu with “Personal Statement for (enter your name here)”
entered in the subject line.
A curriculum vitae/resume of no more than two (2) pages.
® Please upload this document with the online application or e-mail to
graduate_admissions@chemistry.ohio-state.edu with “Resume for (enter your name here)” entered in the
subject line.
Three letters of recommendation
®At the time of application, all applicants are HIGHLY ENCOURAGED to choose the option that allows their
referees to submit their respective letters online
® Letters that cannot be submitted online should be e-mailed directly from the referee to
graduate_admissions@chemistry.ohio-state.edu with “Recommendation Letter for (enter your name
here)” entered in the subject line.
The Department of Chemistry Graduate Application Addendum.
® Please upload this document with the online application or e-mail to
graduate_admissions@chemistry.ohio-state.edu with “Addendum for (enter your name here)” entered in
the subject line.
What are the minimum GRE, TOEFL, and GPA scores?
The Department of Chemistry does not set minima for GRE and TOEFL scores. The Graduate School at Ohio State
requires international student applicants to achieve a minimum TOEFL score of 79 (IBT), 213 (CBT) or 550 (PBT).
The Graduate School also requires applicants to have a GPA of 3.0/4.0 or above in order to be offered admission to
OSU. The Admissions Committee bases its recommendations for admission on a wide variety of factors, including
but not limited to test scores, grade point average, research experience, and letters of recommendation.
Please do NOT call or email the Department of Chemistry to ask if your scores are high enough for admission. We
cannot answer questions about admissions qualifications until your entire application has been evaluated by the
Admissions Committee.
Can I send photocopies of GRE and TOEFL scores?
NO. The Department of Chemistry requires all applicants to have ETS submit official scores to OSU. Please plan
accordingly when requesting score reports so that ETS has enough time to report your scores before the deadline.
Do NOT e-mail to ask if photocopies can be submitted instead of official scores. Official scores are REQUIRED.
GRE Institutional Codes Ohio State University: 1592 Department of Chemistry: 0301
TOEFL Institutional Codes Ohio State University: 1592 Department of Chemistry: 62
I am not happy with my GRE and/or TOEFL score. Can you let me know
if I qualify for admission or whether I should take the test again?
NO. Please Do NOT e-mail to request an evaluation of your score or to inquire as to the probability of your being
offered admission based on those scores. Our Admissions Committee does not make decisions based solely on
standardized test scores. If you are concerned that your GRE scores are not sufficient, then you could consider
taking the test again.
A TOEFL score of 79 IBT, 213 CBT and 550 PBT is REQUIRED for admission to OSU. If you do not feel your scores are
competitive, it is your decision whether to retake the TOEFL. Applications will be reviewed with the scores that
have been reported to us at the time of the deadline. If more than one set of scores from the GRE or TOEFL are
reported, the committee will place the most weight during the review on the most recent score set.
I took the GRE and/or TOEFL a long time ago; can I still submit these
scores?
Unfortunately, GRE scores expire after five years and TOEFL scores expire after two years. It is impossible for us to
verify scores for these exams once the scores have expired. Please be certain that your scores are still valid at the
time you submit your application, otherwise you will be required to retake the exam(s) in order to complete your
application to The Ohio State University.
Can a particular requirement be waived for me?
TOEFL scores can only be waived for those applicants who have completed a degree at an institution located in a
country where the native language is English (e.g., the United States, Great Britain, Australia, et al.). In addition,
TOEFL scores expire after two years. If you took the TOEFL before or during 2008, you may need to retake the
exam.
The GRE cannot be waived for any applicant. It is a crucial mechanism our Admissions Committee uses to evaluate
applications. In addition, GRE scores expire after five years. If you took the GRE before January 2006, we may not
be able to verify those scores and you may need to retake the exam.
Transcripts: It is not possible to waive the official transcript requirement. If you are an international student
currently studying in the United States and do not have OFFICIAL transcripts (originals, not copies) from a
previously attended college/university outside of the U.S., please begin the process to obtain those official
transcripts as soon as possible as it often takes many weeks (even months) for them to be processed and mailed to
us.
GPA: The GPA requirement (3.0/4.0) cannot be waived for any student.
Letters of recommendation: All students must submit three (3) letters of recommendation. It is highly
recommended that one of these be from the student’s research advisor or from someone who can attest to his/her
research capabilities.
Are Associateships, Fellowships, Scholarships and/or Financial Aid
available to students offered admission?
Unless a student is self-supporting or is sponsored by the government, the military, or another scholarship
program, he/she will be funded by the Department of Chemistry. The tuition will be paid and the student will be
awarded a stipend for their work as a Teaching Associate (TA) or Research Associate (RA). The stipend for TA's is
currently $1,833/month (before taxes and other deductions). The stipend for an RA is determined by individual
research advisors. Unless awarded a University Fellowship, first-year graduate students are typically appointed as
TA's. First-year international students will be appointed at a stipend of $1,429/month until becoming English
certified.
Although the stipend is sufficient to live comfortably in Columbus, some students wish to supplement their
incoming with additional financial aid. For information on Financial Aid, please go here.
The cost of living in Columbus may be found online on many web sites such as this one. Enter $22,000 as your
annual income, enter your present location and “Columbus, Ohio” as the comparison city.
Is health insurance available?
Ohio State requires all students to maintain enrollment in a health insurance program. Some graduate students
may be able to stay on their parents’ policy, but for others, Student Health Insurance (SHI) is available. For 20102011, the university will subsidize 85% of the cost of health insurance (approximately $515 per quarter) for funded
graduate students. For students in the Department of Chemistry, the remaining amount (approximately $77 per
quarter) will be deducted from their paychecks at a monthly rate of approximately $26. For more information on
Student Health Insurance, please go here as the figures listed above are estimates and are based on coverage for a
single individual.
After my application is received, how long will it be before I am notified
of the decision?
If your respective application deadline is December 10, 2010, then you should expect to be notified of a decision
within ~8 weeks. Applicants with the December 10th deadline should e-mail graduate_admissions@chemistry.ohiostate.edu if they do not receive a notification by e-mail by February 15, 2011.
If your respective application deadline is January 10, 2011, then you should expect to be notified of a decision
within 4-6 weeks of their respective deadline. In some cases, the Admissions Committee may need to place
applicants on a wait list before a final decision is made. Wait-listed applicants will be notified accordingly.
Applicants with the January 10th deadline should e-mail graduate_admissions@chemistry.ohio-state.edu if they do
not receive a notification by e-mail by March 1, 2011.
There is no advantage in receiving an offer of admission if an application file is completed in advance of the deadline.
For example, an international student who submits their application packet on November 1, 2010 will not have their
application reviewed prior to the December 10th deadline and will not be notified of the decision regarding their
admission any earlier than other international applicants.
How do I notify the program of my decision regarding my offer of
admission?
The Department of Chemistry requires all students who have been offered admission to notify us of their decision
regarding the offer by April 15, 2011. Applicants should send an e-mail to graduate_admissions@chemistry.ohiostate.edu to notify the Admissions Committee of their respective decisions. Applicants who decline their respective
offers are asked to inform us as to which
institution they plan to attend.
I am currently a graduate student at another university in the United
States. Can I be accepted into your program as a transfer student?
Under the following conditions, the Department of Chemistry will accept applications from students who want to
transfer:
1) The applicant must submit a statement regarding their reason for requesting the transfer
2) The applicant’s advisor must submit a letter of recommendation for the applicant to the Department of
Chemistry
3) The Vice Chair of the applicant’s current graduate program agrees to dismiss the student to OSU, if the
applicants is offered admission
Only applicants in good academic standing at their current institution will be considered for admission.
I want to study with a particular professor. Can I be admitted directly
into his/her research group?
The Department of Chemistry does not admit students directly into research groups. Advisor selection begins at the end
of Autumn Quarter during a student’s first year in our program. At that time, you may specify that you wish to join a
particular research group, but you cannot do so at the time of application, offer of admission, or enrollment.
Helpful Links
Below is a list of links prospective chemistry graduate students may find helpful as they move through the admission
process at OSU. If you do not see an OSU-related link listed below, please go to http://osu.edu and enter in the search
field the name of the department or office.
Department of Chemistry
The Ohio State University
The Ohio State University Graduate School
The Ohio State University Office of Graduate Admissions
The Ohio State University Office of Student Financial Aid
ETS (Educational Testing Service)
GRE (Graduate Record Exam)
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
Accepted.com (Advice on writing a statement of purpose/personal statement for graduate school)