Frequently Asked Admissions Questions
Click a question below to see the related answer; use the (⇒) after each answer to return to the top.
1. When and where should I send my TOEFL/GRE scores?
2. Will you be able to receive my TOEFL/GRE scores if I wrongly sent them to other programs in Purdue?
3. I have ordered my TOEFL/GRE test scores to be sent to your university a long time ago but my application still indicates waiting for these scores. What should I do?
4. Who is eligible for a TOEFL/GRE waiver?
5. Can I apply to your grad program even if my GRE scores are lower than the requirements?
6. My GPA is 3.25, which is on the edge of your GPA requirement. Can I still be admitted?
7. How can I submit recommendation letters?
8. Do I have to wait all my recommendation letters to be received and then submit my application?
9. I accidentally checked the box indicating that I do not waive rights to review recommendation letters. Can you help me change my selection?
10. Where can I get official transcripts?
11. Can I upload transcripts downloaded from my school website to my application?
12. After uploading my official transcripts to my application, do I still need to mail them to your school?
13. Where should I send my official transcripts?
14. Do I need to upload my bachelor’s diploma to my application?
15. Do I have to submit a Personal History Statement?
16. Are there length limitations on resume, Academic Statement of Purpose, or Personal History Statement?
17. How long should I wait to get an admission decision?
18. My application has been denied. Can I find out the reasons for denial/ weakness of my application?
19. I have been admitted. When is the deadline to respond to the admission?
20. I don’t know who my advisor will be. Will the school assign an advisor to me?
21. Does admission guarantee funding?
22. What kinds of funding can be provided by the School?
23. How can I be eligible for a teaching assistantship (TA)?
24. I have to defer my admission. How can I do that?
25. What is the tuition rate for your grad program?
26. Where can I get information about your school’s health insurance?
27. Can I edit or add new documents to my application after submission?
28. How do I approach professors for a Research Assistant (RA) position?
1. When and where should I send my TOEFL/GRE scores?
Please send your TOEFL/GRE scores through ETS to us as early as possible. Purdue University’s institution code is 1631. We only accept scores sent by the test agency. It usually takes about 10 – 15 business days for ETS to deliver the scores to Purdue. Your application is incomplete until your scores have been received. All necessary documents including your official test scores have to be received by the submission deadline.
2. Will you be able to receive my TOEFL/GRE scores if I wrongly sent them to other programs in Purdue?
As long as you sent official test scores to Purdue University West Lafayette campus (institute code 1631), we can see them.
3. I have ordered my TOEFL/GRE test scores to be sent to your university a long time ago but my application still indicates waiting for these scores. What should I do?
GRE scores should upload to your application via batch processes shortly after Purdue receives them from ETS; TOEFL or other English proficieny scores will only upload via batch processes for submitted applications, so if you have not yet submitted then that can be why they do not yet reflect. Once you submit, allow for a few working days for the system to retrieve them if they have been received by Purdue. You can upload a PDF of your related Score Report(s) to your application under miscellaneous supporting documents as a placeholder while waiting for Purdue to receive scores and align them to your application.
Additionally, please make sure you are using the same first name, last name, and email address for your application and TOEFL/GRE tests. The system may not be able to match your scores with your application if you are using different names and/or email addresses.
4. Who is eligible for a TOEFL/GRE waiver?
If you received a degree within the past 36 months from a school where English is the primary instruction language in one of the recognized English-speaking countries, your TOEFL can be waived. Please check the Graduate School page for recognized English-speaking countries.
GRE is not required for Purdue AAE graduates or applicants with at least three years professional work experience in relevant areas, including aeronautical and astronautical engineering, aircraft design, mechanical engineering, etc. Internships, student jobs and part-time jobs are not counted.
If you are eligible for TOEFL/GRE waiver, please contact AAE grad program coordinator Jon Mrozinski after submitting your application online.
5. Can I apply to your grad program even if my GRE scores are lower than the requirements?
You are always welcome to apply. GRE is a reference for admission, not a bar. However, your chance of admission is lower than applicants with competitive GRE scores.
6. My GPA is 3.25, which is on the edge of your GPA requirement. Can I still be admitted?
Our admission decision is made based on your entire application. We cannot prescreen your application.
7. How can I submit recommendation letters?
You will be asked to provide contact information for those who submitted recommendation letters while filling out the online application. The system will send emails asking them to upload letters for you. You can’t upload letters. Your application is incomplete until all materials have been received, including recommendation letters.
8. Do I have to wait all my recommendation letters to be received and then submit my application?
No. Just be aware your application is incomplete until all materials have been received, including recommendation letters. We only review completed applications.
9. I accidentally checked the box indicating that I do not waive rights to review recommendation letters. Can you help me change my selection?
You might be able to change it before you submitting application. Once submitted, no one can edit your selection.
10. Where can I get official transcripts?
Your official transcripts should come from the university registrar’s office in a sealed envelope, or secure electronic transmission for domestic institutions. For more information related to submitting transcripts, please review details on the Graduate School's related page.
11. Can I upload transcripts downloaded from my school website to my application?
Transcripts downloaded from the website are not considered official. They have to come from the university registrar’s office. Additionally, according to the State of Indiana’s law, your social security number or other student ID similar to SSN should not appear in the transcripts. Please use a black marker to block your SSN before uploading to your application.
International applicants have to upload official transcripts in original language and in English translation.
12. After uploading my official transcripts to my application, do I still need to mail them to your school?
Once you get admitted, you will need to send Purdue University your official transcripts.
13. Where should I send my official transcripts?
Electronic transcripts need to be sent to gradadm@purdue.edu (U.S. citizens only). More information on how to submit them can be found on this resource page on the Graduate School's site.
14. Do I need to upload my bachelor’s diploma to my application?
Domestic applicants are not required to upload the bachelor’s diploma as long as their official transcripts show the degree has been awarded. International applicants will have to upload a copy of their bachelor’s diploma in original language and in English translation. If you haven't graduated and have no bachelor's diploma, please upload a provisional certificate to your application.
15. Do I have to submit a Personal History Statement?
Yes. For context, the Graduate School previously asked for a diversity essay, which was only required under certain circumstances. As of the US Supreme Court's ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Hardvard University and the University of North Carolina in June 2023, diversity essays are currently no longer asked for or required from any applicants; this may change again in the future. In the meantime, it has been replaced with the Personal History Statement, which is required of all applicants.
16. Are there length limitations on resume, Academic Statement of Purpose, or Personal History Statement?
There is no hard limitation on length, but it’s better to keep each of them within two pages.
17. How long should I wait to get an admission decision?
Especially for Fall-term domestic applications, it usually takes about six weeks to release decisions. For international applications, it usually takes about eight weeks to release decisions. Time frame may vary depending on the application volume.
18. My application has been denied. Can I find out the reasons for denial/ weakness of my application?
Reasons for denial include a number of factors, such as academic qualifications, available funding, and/or enrollment limitations. Each application is reviewed and considered based on these factors. Due to the large volume of applications, we are unable to individually respond as to what weakness your application may have had or what factors of the assessment led to the ultimate result. The admission decisions are final.
19. I have been admitted. When is the deadline to respond to the admission?
Please respond by June 1 for fall enrollment and by November 15 for spring enrollment; in the event you received an admissions decision after either of those dates, then please respond as soon as possible otherwise there may be issues or delays with processes related to starting in the coming term.
20. I don’t know who my advisor will be. Will the school assign an advisor to me?
We don’t assign advisors to students. You can contact professors you’d like to work with and/or receive course selection advice from after getting admission or during the first semester of your graduate study at Purdue.
21. Does admission guarantee funding?
No. Admission and funding are separate. To get financial support, you will have to engage in professional communication with professors with whom you’d like to work.
22. What kinds of funding can be provided by the School?
Our school provides fellowships (most of them are for domestic students) and research and teaching assistantships (RA/TA) to newly admitted students. You can find Fellowship links from the College of Engineering’s graduate program website. Professors are responsible for hiring RAs. Email the professor you wish to work for to find out about RA availability. You will need a professor’s recommendation to get a TA position in our department.
23. How can I be eligible for a teaching assistantship (TA)?
You have to be recommended by a faculty member to get on the TA wait list. There are additional English-speaking requirements for international students. International students whose TOEFL speaking score is 27 or higher are eligible for TA positions. International students can also be certified by passing OEPT. Please visit the Purdue OEPT program website for exam details.
24. I have to defer my admission. How can I do that?
For domestic students, you can register no courses for two semesters without deferring your admission. For example, you’ve been admitted for Fall 2018, you can wait until Summer 2019 to register. Any term longer than two semesters requires a deferred admission. You can send a deferral request to Jon Mrozinski. After our grad education Chair and the Grad School’s approval, you will be able to defer your admission. Each student can only defer admission once.
For international students, you have to send your deferral request to us if you cannot enroll in your admitted term.
25. What is the tuition rate for your grad program?
Tuition and fee rates may vary from year to year. Please check the Purdue Bursar’s Office website for accurate fee rates.
26. Where can I get information about your school’s health insurance?
For student health insurance coverage, cost or other questions, please contact Purdue University Student Health Center (PUSH), 765-496-3998 or email.
27. Can I edit or add new documents to my application after submission?
Once you submit your application, you will not be able to edit it but you can upload new materials as miscellaneous supporting documents. Please be aware if your application has been reviewed, we will not review it again even if new documents have been added.
28. How do I approach professors for a Research Assistant (RA) position?
Professors are very busy. The most effective way to establish conversations with professors is to talk with them on their research subjects. Research Assistant positions are essentially jobs that require certain qualifications. Before contacting a professor, make sure you understand his/her research area. You can get yourself prepared by visiting the professor’s website, reading some of the publications, talking to existing graduate students, or attending the professor’s presentations. After the homework, if you feel you are passionate about the research subject, you should let the professors know by emails and phone calls, or going to their office hours. You can indicate how you can help in the professor’s activities. If there is a good rapport between you and the professor, the professor can either offer you an RA position or recommend you to a pool for possible TA positions.
Please note that, in graduate school, nearly every student is looking for funding. So it is understood that you need funding. The funding decisions are merit based and position specific. It is important to communicate with professors professionally.