Graduate Program

Deciding Whether to Apply

The graduate programs in Chemistry at Virginia Tech are not for everyone. We recruit and admit students who havea chemistry degree with strong academic records, a demonstrated aptitude for research, and the motivation to matriculate through what is typically a five-year program of rigorous course work, intensive scholarly writing projects, and cutting-edge research problems.

These four questions should help you decide whether you want to apply here:

• Are you motivated to study chemistry for another five years? Will your letters of recommendation reflect that motivation?
• Are you actually good at chemistry? Can you prove it?
• Are you generally smart, creative, and independent? Will your transcript, GRE scores, and recommendations agree?
• Do you want a degree that will prepare you for a productive career as an independent researcher at the scientific frontier?

If you answered "Yes" to all four questions, by all means ... apply now!

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Preparing to Apply

You will need the following items for your application (and not just for ours), so you should gather them together -- that way your application can be completed within a short time interval.

• Your complete academic record in higher education -- the colleges you've attended, your majors, and your GPAs. Virginia Tech does not admit students with GPA less than 3.0 into its graduate programs. Please note that we will calculate your GPA based on the most recent half (typically 60) of your undergraduate credits (that is Virginia Tech Graduate School policy). Exceptions can be made for students who have also earned significantly higher GPAs in graduate programs (minimum graduate GPA of 3.4, minimum of 15 credit hours).
• Your transcripts. Learn your institution's procedure for submitting "official" transcripts. It is also useful to have a PDF copy of the "unofficial" transcripts, such as you might download from your institution's web site. You may wish to prepare a brief, one-page note describing any inconsistencies in your transcript (such as a bad semester that resulted from medical problems).
• The names and email addresses of three (3) references who can provide strong letters of recommendation. Professors in your present department or professors at other schools with whom you have done undergraduate research are highly preferred. Also, it is preferred that the email addresses of your references should not be "free" (Yahoo!, gmail, rediffmail, etc.) addresses.
• Your GRE scores. We require the General GRE exam and recommend the Subject Chemistry GRE exam.
• Your TOEFL scores (international students only). The TOEFL exam may be waived if you have amassed 15 credits toward a residential graduate program at a US institution. The Graduate School's minimum TOEFL scores is 550 (paper scale). The Chemistry Department's minimum TOEFL score is usually about 580 (paper scale).
• A two-page "Personal Statement" submitted as an MS Word document. Your personal statement should address (1) Why you want to go to graduate school in general, and why specifically at Virginia Tech, (2) What area of chemistry you want to study and which ONE or TWO of the five "majors" you would choose at Virginia Tech (Analytical, Inorganic, Organic, Organic Polymer, or Physical), and (3) Which professors in the VT Chemistry Department are doing research that interests you most.
• A current two-page CV.

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How to Apply

if you have not yet done so, please read "Preparing to Apply" above. We use an on-line application. This form can be found at the following link: https://www.applyweb.com/apply/vtechg/index.html. You will have the opportunity to enter the information you have gathered, and you will upload your personal statement and CV there.

• Complete the on-line application form. US applicants do not pay an application fee. International students pay a fee of $45. You will enter your "self-reported" GRE scores and academic records (colleges, GPAs) into the form.
• When prompted, upload your Personal Statement and your two-page CV.
• Have your official transcripts sent to the Virginia Tech Graduate School.
• Send a PDF copy of your unofficial transcripts to Angie Miller.
• Arrange for ETS to submit your official GRE scores(and TOEFL scores, if you are an international student) to Virginia Tech Graduate School. Use institution code 5859. Do not enter a department code.

• Advise your references to expect email from ApplyWeb inviting them to submit recommendations on your behalf. Those who are submitting paper reference letters should do so promptly.
• Special note to International Students: Depending on your TOEFL scores, we reserve the right to interview you by telephone to assess your English speaking and listening skills.

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Admissions Timetable

We cannot admit you without a completed application. It is your responsibility to make sure your application is complete. If you are unsure whether specific items have reached VT, you can contact Angie Miller. Also please note that admission into the Spring term is considered only under special circumstances, and only for truly outstanding students. If you want to discuss Spring admission, you should contact Paul Deck. All of the following dates apply to admission for the Fall semester.

• December 1st. We begin organizing our admissions office and our admissions committee.
• December 15th. We begin assembling an internal committee-accessible applicant database and reviewing applications.
• January 15th. This is our "official" application deadline. What this "deadline" means, in practice, is that we begin offering positions in our program with tuition waivers and assistantship support. This process usually takes about one month. Once we reach a certain number of assistantship offers, we have to stop. Applications received after February 15th probably will not be considered unless they are truly outstanding.
• March 15th. Applicants who are no longer under consideration will be notified.
• April 15th. Students who have received offers must respond by this date or they surrender their financial aid packages.

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Workflow for Admitted Students

If you have been admitted, congratulations! But there is still work to do....

• What does "recommended for admission" mean? The Chemistry Department can NOT "admit" anyone. We can only recommend admission to the Graduate School. They do the actual "admitting" of students. However, in our experience, the Graduate School only goes against our recommendation if there is something "wrong" with your application, such as missing official transcripts or official GRE scores -- or if the self-reported information in your application does not match the official documents. So, if you have done a careful, thorough job during the application process, there shouldn't be a problem.
• Initial notification. Because we are confident that the Graduate School will accept our "recommendations" for admission, we notify you immediately by email of our departmental decision, and we say, "Congratulations." The email contains a copy of a letter from the Chairman of our Department, Professor Joseph Merola, along with an unsigned copy of your Assistantship Agreement.
• Official notification. You will also receive the official, original letter from Prof. Merola with the official, signed Assistantship Agreement. (About the same time you should receive the official admssion letter from the Graduate School, separately). You should sign and return the official, signed Assistantship Agreement (with Prof. Merola's signature) by regular mail. (International students may wish to use DHL, UPS, or FedEx to ensure that the Agreement reaches us by April 15th.)
• Your Assistantship Agreement will specify a nine-month GTA contract. However, the Chemistry Department guarantees all of its graduate students continued support, including summers, on either teaching or research assistantships, with full tuition waivers. This support continues for a maximum of five years in residence, as long as you remain in Good Standing and are making satisfactory progress in your degree program as determined by your Advisory Committee.
• Follow-up contacts. A faculty member in your interest area will contact you, possibly by phone, possibly by email, to congratulate you on your admission and offer to answer your questions. These contacts are not interviews -- they are just friendly conversations to encourage you to consider our offer fairly. For example, have you compared the cost of living in Blacksburg against the living expenses in Boston or Pasadena?
• The Weekend. Admitted students who are in the United States will be invited to join us for an enjoyable, weekend in Blacksburg to showcase our programs. Within reason, we pay all your local and travel expenses, including necessary airfares. Normally the Weekend is the second or third weekend in March. This year's Weekend is set for March 14-16. Please contact Angie Miller (540-231-8225) to arrange your travel and to discuss the details.
• Visiting on your own. Admitted students within the US who are unable or unwilling to attend the Weekend in March are invited to set up an individual visit by contacting Angie Miller (540-231-8225).
• Your questions. We know that choosing a graduate program is a highly personal, career-critical desicion. Our faculty members all made those decisions too. If you've been admitted, we're already sure you're right for us. We are here to help you decide whether we are right for you. Don't hesitate to contact individual faculty members with your questions -- or Angie Miller (Graduate Coordinator) or Paul Deck (Graduate Program Director).
• Deadline for Responding. Of course we would like to hear from you as soon as you have decided to attend Virginia Tech. However, the deadline for responding to our offer is April 15th. After this date, you surrender your financial aid package and your offer of admission is withdrawn.

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