Frequently Asked Questions

The BBS Program does not have a pre-application process and therefore cannot tell you in advance how competitive you will be as an applicant.

You should select the Track whose scientific focus best matches your background and interests. Each Track has its own admissions committee and will be able to give your application more thorough consideration if your scientific interests match the Track's.  Please note that you may apply to only ONE Track.

The BBS Program does not have any specific course requirements. We look for applicants who have a strong background in the biological or physical sciences (plus additional training in computing/informatics for those who apply to the Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Track). See each Track's 'Admissions Requirements' page for more information.

Unfortunately, the fee cannot be waived for international applicants, nor can it be paid after the admissions process has been completed. An application cannot be submitted until the application fee is paid. U.S. applicants who request a fee waiver should follow the instructions found on the Graduate School's website http://gsas.yale.edu/admissions/application-fees

Please upload all application materials, including transcripts, directly into your online application.  Letters of recommendation should be uploaded by the individuals who write these letters.  Do not send any paper materials to either the BBS office or the Graduate School. Please follow the instructions for application submission found on the Graduate School's website: http://gsas.yale.edu/admissions/application-process

Although the online application mentions that applicants should submit writing samples, these instructions are intended for applicants to programs in the humanities and social sciences. BBS applicants should not submit a writing sample. (If you have already submitted a writing sample, don't worry about it. It will be placed in your file but won't be read by admissions committees.)

The online application enables you to log into your record and check the status of receipt of recommendation letters and test scores. For more information go to the Graduate Schools Web site: http://gsas.yale.edu/admissions/admissions-faqs

The GRE General Test is required of all applicants, although the Neuroscience, Immunology, and Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Tracks will allow applicants to use MCAT scores in place of the GRE. The GRE Subject Test is recommended but is not required. The TOEFL is required of applicants who are not U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents.

The BBS Program does not calculate or publish GPA or GRE data on our applicant pool. Our main guideline to applicants is that although a high GPA and high GRE scores are attractive to admissions committees, they do not guarantee admission. On the other hand, GPAs below 3.0 are detrimental to your application.

There are no minimum GRE score requirements. TOEFL scores must be above 100.

A GRE Subject Test is no longer necessary, and submitting scores from a Subject Test will have little impact on the review of an application.

The TOEFL is required of all applicants whose native language is not English. This requirement is waived only for applicants who will have received a baccalaureate degree, prior to matriculation at Yale, from a college or university where English is the primary language of instruction.  The requirement is not waived for those who have received masters degrees or other degrees from institutions at which English is the primary language of instruction.

Please use institution code 3987. You do not need a department code.

As long as ETS has the scores on file and can report them to us, you do not need to retake the exam.

If you took the TOEFL within the past two years, ETS should still be able to release the scores to us. If your scores can no longer be released, you will need to take the test again.

Each Track has a slightly different timeline in reviewing applications and making admissions decisions.  Applicants may receive a decision as early as January or as late as April. 

The interview schedule for 2018 is as follows:

February 2nd - 4th: CBB, MCGD, MMPP Tracks

February 9th - 11th: BQBS, Microbiology, Neuroscience Tracks

February 16th - 18th: Immunology, MCGD, PMB Tracks

Invitations to attend our recruiting weekends will be made by phone or email beginning in early January. International applicants who are considered for admission will be interviewed by phone in February and March.

For the duration of their studies, all BBS students receive a stipend ($35,850 in 2018-19), full tuition coverage, and health insurance. Students are encouraged to apply for external funding, and those who win competitive awards such as NIH National Research Service Awards (NRSA) or NSF fellowships receive a stipend bonus of $4,000 (for a total stipend of $39,850 in 2018-19).

All students admitted to BBS, regardless of citizenship, receive full financial support from the university. The financial resources we have available to pay for students who are neither U.S. Citizens nor U.S. Permanent Residents, however, is very limited. As a result, we are able to admit only about 5-7% of our international applicant pool, and students should take this into consideration before applying to the Program.

The BBS Program is intended only for students pursuing a doctoral degree. Computational Biology and Bioinformatics does offer a Terminal Masters degree, but this degree program is separate from and unaffiliated with BBS.