Division of the Social Studies | The University of Chicago

Admissions and Financial Aid

Frequently Asked Questions

Application Process
Supporting Materials
International Applicants
Finances
Degrees and Programs
Admissions Decisions

If you have not already read through our "Before You Begin" page, please start there. If you have further questions, they may be answered in our FAQs.

Application Process

If I have questions regarding the application process, whom should I contact?

 The admissions staff can address questions regarding the admissions process only. You may contact them either via email at admissions@ssd.uchicago.edu or by phone at 773.702.8415. During the busy admissions season, we prefer that you email rather than call, so that we can focus our efforts on quickly processing applications rather than answering the phone. We will make every effort to answer emails within one business day.

The appropriate department administrator should address questions regarding program specifics such as language requirements, coursework, etc. Information on departments can be found through the specific degree-granting programs.

 

Can I have a counselor or advisor speak to me about my chances for admission?

Neither the Division of the Social Sciences nor its constituent departments conduct formal interviews or information sessions with prospective applicants. Members of the admissions staff are happy to answer questions about the admissions process and general questions regarding our academic programs. However, we cannot answer questions regarding an individual’s prospects for admission or financial aid.

 

How do I submit applications to multiple divisions/schools?

You may apply to more than one division at the University of Chicago. Simply use two distinctly different “identities” for your login names, such as “Joe Smith” and “Joe Smith2”. Keep in mind, this will mean you must submit two complete, distinct applications—one specific to each program—meeting the requirements of both divisions/schools as regards to official supplemental material supporting your applications.

 

How do I submit applications to multiple programs/departments within one division?

You may apply to no more than two departments within the Division of the Social Sciences. Simply use two distinctly different “identities” for your login names, such as “Joe Smith” and “Joe Smith2”. Keep in mind, this will mean you must submit two complete unique applications, with the appropriate supporting material for each application, including a processing fee for each application, official transcripts, and the required letters of recommendation specific for each application. All documents must be original and official for each application. The one exception to this is that you will need to submit your GRE or TOEFL scores only once.

 

What if I don't want to use the online application?

The online application is the only available means for applying to the Division of Social Sciences. Printed material or applications are no longer available for any of our departments.

 

How do I answer the GPA question if my school did not use a 4.0 scale?

Please use a 4.0-point scale. Except for applicants to Economics, if your school does not use a 4.0-point scale, please use the GPA conversion worksheet to convert your grades. If after reading the worksheet you are still unable to convert to a 4.0 scale, simply leave this GPA section in the application blank.
PLEASE NOTE: If you are applying to the Department of Economics, please convert your grades to a 4.0 scale according to the University of Chicago grading scale: A (4.0), A- (3.7), B (3.3), B (3.0), B- (2.7), C+ (2.3), C (2.0), C- (1.7), D (1.3), D (1.0), F (0.0). You will have a chance to explain the rationale for your conversion when you answer the question in the Economics Summary Section about your school's GPA scale. Please follow instructions carefully in that section.

 

Whom do I contact if my contact information (mailing address, email address, telephone number) changes?

If any of your contact information changes after you have submitted your application, you should contact the Office of Admissions by email at admissions@ssd.uchicago.edu. Your current mailing address and email address will be the primary means of contact from the University so it is important that you maintain up-to-date information with the Office of Admissions.

 

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Supporting Materials

I already have a Master’s degree or have attended graduate school. Do I still need to take the GRE test?

All applicants are required to submit valid GRE score reports from the last five years regardless of previous degrees, education, or professional background.

 

Do I need to submit transcripts for every school I have attended?

We would prefer that you submit transcripts for all post-secondary education; we require that you submit transcripts for all degree work. If you have attended an academic program and subsequently had those course credits transferred to your primary institution, we must have documentation of those courses. The name of the institution, the coursework, and the grades must be clearly identified. If the proper information for those courses appears on your primary institution’s transcript to which the credits have been transferred, we will not need separate transcripts from each individual institutions attended. However, if the coursework and grade do not appear n your primary transcript, then we will require an official transcript showing this information.

 

Can my supporting materials arrive late as long as my online application was submitted on time?

To be considered as making the deadline, we must receive your application, processing fee, and supporting material no later than the published deadline for the department to which you are applying. Please take this into consideration when you are requesting your letters of recommendation, transcripts, and test score reports.

 

Why don’t I see my materials marked as received in the online checklist if I submitted my application by the deadline and mailed my material early so as to arrive before the deadline?

Keep checking your online checklist. We will update it as quickly as possible. Keep in mind we are a small staff working with a large volume of applications and incoming mail during the holiday season. Once your application is complete and sent to department for review, you will receive notification and your checklist will be updated.

 

Have you received my supporting materials?

We do not confirm receipt of supporting material outside of the online checklist. When you created your application, as you entered the list of transcripts and recommenders, this created a checklist. As we process your application and as time allows, we will acknowledge any material that has been received. This process is finalized when your application is sent to the department for review. Any material that may be received after your file has been sent to department will also be acknowledged in the online checklist. Keep in mind we are a small staff working with a large volume of applications and incoming mail during the holiday season. Once your application is complete and sent to department for review, you will receive notification and your checklist will be updated.

 

Do you accept supplemental materials sent through Interfolio/My Credentials Vault?

We will accept confidential letters of recommendation, transcripts and other material submitted through Interfolio. Letters of recommendation and transcripts sent through Interfolio can be sent to us by electronic delivery (not email attachment), and all other materials can be sent by mail. Electronic delivery should be directed to the University of Chicago - Division of Social Sciences Graduate Admissions.

 

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International Applicants

Whom should I contact with questions about the visa process?

The process to be issued official documents for the purpose of obtaining a visa to study at the University of Chicago does not begin until after you have been offered admission. Any documents required for this process should not be sent until you have received the informational email sent from the Office of Admission following acceptance of the offer of admission. You may also visit the Office of International Affairs for more information.

 

If my undergraduate/graduate instruction was conducted in English, do I need to take the TOEFL?

The English language requirement may be waived if the applicant is a native of or studied in full-time status for at least one academic year within the last five years in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or English medium universities in Canada or South Africa. Students who studied in English in other countries, for example, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, etc., are not exempt from the English language requirement. Please see the Office of International Affairs for more complete information.

 

If my TOEFL scores do not meet the minimum requirements of the University of Chicago, should I bother to apply?

You must submit either TOEFL or IELTS scores to apply for admission. You are welcome to apply for our graduate programs with TOEFL scores that do not yet meet our minimum requirements. However, if you are admitted, you will not be able to matriculate until you have demonstrated an adequate command of both spoken and written English by submitting official TOEFL or IELTS scores that meet our minimum requirements. Furthermore, our Office of International Affairs will not be able to issue your I-20 or DS-2019 until your scores are received. If your current scores are not high enough, we suggest that you immediately register to take the test again, as you might not have enough time after you learn you are admitted to schedule the test, take the test, have the score report sent, and go through visa processing. Please note that while it is possible that you will be admitted with scores that do not meet our requirements, admissions committees do look at the TOEFL or IELTS scores, and scores that are too low will put you at a disadvantage.

 

If my TOEFL or IELTS scores are low in one section, but my overall score is high enough, do I need to re-take?

In order to matriculate, your TOEFL or IELTS scores need to meet our requirements in all subsections:

The minimum required score for the TOEFL is 104 overall, with 4 sub scores of 26 each.

Minimum required scores in the IELTS are an overall score of 7, with sub scores of 7 each. (Note: students are required to take the Academic Reading/Writing test within IELTS, not the General Training Reading/Writing test).

 

What should I do if my transcripts are not in English?

Applicants who did not attend an institution where the primary language of instruction was English must submit an official English translation in addition to the transcript issued in the language of instruction. Applicants may prepare the translation themselves and have it verified by a person whose position requires knowledge of both English and the pertinent language, such as a professor of English at a French university, OR they may have the translation done by such a person. A signed statement or certificate of verification should be included with the translation. An official translation may also be obtained from a certified translation service, an embassy or consulate office, or other official entity requiring knowledge of both languages.

 

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Finances

Can my application fee be waived?

Please see the information on Application Fee Waivers at: http://socialsciences.uchicago.edu/prospective/admissions/admissions-application.shtml#applicationfee.

 

What sorts of scholarships and fellowships do you offer?

Please see our Financial Matters page for complete information about university and divisional scholarships and fellowships.

 

Are loans available for graduate study?

Please see the Student Loan Administration website for complete information about graduate loans and federal work-study programs.

 

How can I receive a FLAS application?

Applicants to Ph.D. programs who are U.S. citizens and whose program will include area studies and extensive language training may be eligible for a National Resources (Title VI) Fellowship. Eligible languages include those of South Asia, Latin America (excluding Spanish), Slavic languages, and the Middle East. Applications will be available on the Office of Graduate Affairs website.

 

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Degrees and Programs

What degree programs does the Division of the Social Sciences offer?

These programs offer study for the PhD only:

These programs offer study for the Master of Arts degree only:

 

Do you offer a terminal MA/MS/MSc in Economics?

The Department of Economics admits students only to the PhD program and does not offer a program for students who intend to do only a master’s degree. Applicants do not need to hold a master’s degree to apply to the PhD program. It is also not possible to study Economics within the Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS).

 

Do you offer a PhD or MA in counseling or clinical Psychology?

 We do not offer graduate degrees in counseling or clinical Psychology. Applicants to the Psychology PhD program or to the psychology specialization of the Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) should indicate interest in one of the following areas: Cognition; Developmental Psychology; Integrative Neuroscience; or Social Psychology.

 

Which program should I apply to if I want a degree in Social Work?

Students interested in graduate degrees in Social Work should apply to the School of Social Service Administration.

 

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Admissions Decisions

When will I be notified of the decision about my application?

 The Office of the Dean of Students sends all official admission decisions in the first week in March. In some cases, departments may informally notify applicants of decisions earlier.

 

If I am not admitted to a PhD program, will I have a chance to apply to an MA program?

 The application deadline for our all of our MA programs is January 4, so it is not possible to apply after learning the decision for your PhD application. You are welcome to apply to an MA program at the same time that you apply for a PhD program, but you will need to submit two complete applications and pay the application fee twice. In some cases, applicants who do not already hold master’s degrees in related disciplines, whom our faculty feel would be very strong students, and whom we cannot fund in our doctoral programs, will be offered the opportunity to enroll in one of our intensive master’s degree programs without a separate application process.

 

Another school is pressuring me for my decision now. Is there any way to find out my admission decision early?

Unfortunately, there is no way to find out your admission decision before the official decisions are sent in early March. We ask for students admitted to Ph.D. programs to respond to us by April 15. Students admitted to our M.A. programs have until May 1 to respond to our offer. Furthermore, admitted students are under no obligation to notify their graduate schools of their decisions prior to April 15. All member institutions of the Council of Graduate Schools have agreed to the "Resolution Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows, Trainees, and Assistants." Under this Resolution, member universities and colleges recognize that applicants often consider multiple admission awards and allow admitted students until April 15 to return their decision. More information regarding the Council of Graduate Schools and this Resolution are available online.

 

I have been accepted into one of your programs. Can I defer this acceptance and begin the program next year?

No, you may not defer your acceptance. Applicants who have been admitted may "reactivate" their applications one year later -- without paying the application fee again -- by informing the Admissions Office and sending in a new statement of purpose and writing sample. All other applicants must fill out a new application, pay the application fee again, and resubmit most supplemental materials to be considered for admission for any subsequent year. Check with the Admissions Office to see if there are any materials still on file that you may be able to use. Any applicant interested in reactivating or reapplying should contact the Admissions Office as early as possible.

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